1999 BMW M Roadster

Roadsters. These cars are a dilemma for me. While the lure of open air motoring is something I understand, there are roadsters that are, well, a little less masculine than others. Classic MG? Solid choice. SL? Questionable, but a R129 SL500 with AMG Monoblock wheels is butch enough. Z3, Boxster or SLK? Now we’re verging on what has become known as the hairdressers’ car. In other words, flashy badge, but not a lot of heaping portion of performance. However, a curious thing happened in the late 1990s, as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche started turning up the heat on these small drop tops. Soon enough, we had another all out power war on our hands.

Over at BMW, the engineers decided to stuff the 3.2 liter inline six from the M3 into the Z3 roadster. Throw in some flared wheel arches, quad exhaust pipes, suspension tuning and tweaked body cladding and you had the M Roadster. It was an instant hit. Dropping 240 horsepower into such a little car was like putting a tactical nuke under the bonnet. Hilarity ensued. Over in Europe, they were even more lucky, getting the Motorsports engine with individual throttle bodies for a total of 321 horsepower. Eventually North America would get the higher horsepower S54 engine from the new M3 in 2001 and 2002. This M Roadster for sale has the earlier S52 motor and is painted in my second favorite BMW color behind Alpine White, Estoril Blue.

Year: 1999
Model: M Roadster
Engine: 3.2 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 49,122 mi
Price: $16,800 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1999 BMW M Roadster on eBay

1999 BMW M Roadster 5-speed convertible with 49,1xx original miles! Over 60 pictures included to help document the condition of the car!

For sale is my beautiful 1999 BMW M Roadster In Estoril Blue exterior and interior. 49,1xx miles, averaging 3,500 miles per year. I purchased this vehicle from Basney Imports, BMW dealer in South Bend, Indiana in February 2012 with 46,784 miles. The dealer performed a full CPO-style inspection, service, and refurbishment on the car, which included refinishing the wheels and front bumper as well as 4 new tires. Due to the car being over 7 years old they couldn’t fully CPO the car with warranty, but did bring the car’s condition to CPO standards. Since I purchased the vehicle I’ve performed the following maintenance on the car:
2/20/12:
46,784
Purchase of Vehicle
Basney Imports

46,784:
Parts Purchase
Boot Cover (Bimmerforums)

3/1/12:
46,800
Parts Purchase
BMW M Backlit Shift Knob (eBay)

3/3/12:
46,800
Parts Purchase
Extra Key, Trim Pieces (Tom Williams)

3/20/12:
47,200
Repair Glove Box Sag

3/30/12:
47,200
Console Light Bulb Replacement
AC Controls & VDO Gauges

47,200:
Stereo Upgrade
Headunit: Pioneer DEH-P9400BH
Front Speakers: JL Audio C2-600 6″ 2-way Components
Rear Speakers: JL Audio TR-400CXI 4″ 2-way Coaxials
Subwoofer: Kicker CVT654 Sub mounted in a 2000 BMW M Roadster 6.5″ box
Amplifier: Kenwood KAC-1502S 350W 2-way Bridgeable for the Sub

4/6/12:
47,250
Parts Purchase
Interior Mirror (Bimmerforums)

4/21/12:
47,441
Parts Purchase
Center Armrest (LeatherZ)

5/9/12:
47,460
Parts Purchase
Cocomats

12/8/12:
48,614
Oil & Filter Change
Mobil 1 0W-40 European Formula & Mahler filter

2/8/13:
48,633
Cooling System Overhaul @ Technique Automotive
Stewart Water Pump
Aluminum Thermostat Housing
Thermostat Housing Gasket
Lower Radiator Hose
Upper Radiator hose
Radiator to Expansion Tank hose
Clamps
Thermostat
O-Ring
Expansion Tank
Radiator Expansion Tank Cap
Fan Blade
Fan Clutch
Belt Set
Coolant Level Sensor
O-Ring
Acc. Belt Idler Tensioner
Acc. Belt Idler Pulley
AC Recharge
Transmission Fluid R&R

As you can tell even with the CPO-style refurbishment there were still a few items that needed addressing. Some of the interior trim was subpar or missing, which I replaced. The shifter knob was worn, which I replaced. The AC Controls and center console gauges had some burned out bulbs, so I went in and replaced all the bulbs, including the one that weren’t burned out. Glovebox had the typical Z3 sag issue, which I corrected with a reinforcement bar. The factory stereo was skipping with a couple of distorting speakers, so I installed a brand new headunit, speakers and amp. Headunit features Bluetooth and 2 USB inputs which allow ipod control. I installed one USB hookup in the glovebox, the other USB hookup is in the new LeatherZ center armrest console. The interior rear view mirror wouldn’t adjust between day/night mode, so I replaced it. I also replaced the tired and worn factory floormats with some quality black & blue Cocomats which match perfectly.

I performed an oil change after 12 months. The cooling system looked to have been original from the factory, so earlier this year I had the full cooling system replaced, except for the radiator, with OEM BMW parts and an upgraded Stewart water pump. It should be set for another 10 years or 50,000 miles. The car is scheduled to go in to have the AC checked this week. While I always drive with the top down and AC off, I’ve noticed that it is not blowing as cold as it should. I will get this addressed and fixed this week at my local shop.

The car has been garaged since I’ve owned it and it has not seen the any rain, only driven on sunny days. As you can tell from the pictures it is in beautiful condition, no rust or other issues. Car looks to be 1-2 years old max in terms of condition. I have detailed, polished and waxed the car with professional quality tools and materials. While it is not in perfect concours condition (no 14 year old car with 49K miles it), it gets nothing but stares and admiration at local BMW CCA events. There are a few stone chips that have been touched up. A small scratch on the driver’s door has been touched up professionally as well, and a small scrape on the passenger rear wheel well has been touched up. The door scratch is impossible to capture with a camera, and the wheel well scrape I’ve captured in an attached pic. Neither is noticeable when standing more than 5 feet away.

Aside from the AC mentioned earlier, mechanically the M runs beautiful and drives beautiful. Engine starts immediately, pulls strong, and the car loves a winding 2 lane road. Rear subframe has been checked and is undamaged, no signs of separation or issues. Title is free and clear, no liens, and in my possession, ready to be signed over to the new owner. I had planned on keeping the M forever, but my 15 year old son will be driving soon, and with limited space & increased insurance costs with another driver in the house (and his little sister not far behind) it doesn’t make sense for us to keep the car at this time.

Asking price is $16,800 and the car is located in Helena, AL, about 25 miles southwest of Birmingham.

More pics can be seen at http://s34.photobucket.com/user/fw_fw/slideshow/Z3%20M%20July%202013

It’s no secret that M Coupe prices of similar vintage are taking off currently. It makes me wonder how much longer it will take for the M Roadster to follow. Perhaps, however, people view the open roofed version as a little less hard edged, so values might always lag a bit behind the Coupe. With just over 50,000 miles on the clock, $16,800 might be a little high, but is certainly in the ball park for this little sports car. Enough so that it has me rethinking the Cooper S sitting in my garage…

-Paul