2008 BMW M Coupe

My wife and I had a rather amusing conversation yesterday. It started via text; shortly after Rob’s 2PM post on the 1988 Porsche 911, I received a text message from my wife. “How much does a new 911 cost”, she asked. Now typically I know questions like this are leading somewhere and she’s not a huge Porsche 911 fan, so after some inquiry she asked why the asking price on a 1988 example was over $60,000. She said, and rightly so, why would anyone pay $60K for a near 30 year old example – even if it was quite pretty – when you could just about buy a new car for that amount. After I said that the Porsche 911 market was the new Tulip craze, she said two really funny things. First, she said “Let’s not base our economy on it!”, something that got me laughing. Then she said that if it was so popular, why were manufacturers like Porsche building new examples of their old cars? The answer, as we discussed, was that it just wouldn’t be profitable. Though limited run manufacturers such as Singer and Eagle have seen success building “new” old cars, the reality is that between making cars safe enough and economical enough to meet today’s standards, they’d be heavy and slow – necessitating even more power, which would raise the price. Take the GT86/FR-S/BRZ clones; while critics have loved their handling and prices have been kept reasonable, they’re generally referred to as “slow” cars with 200 horsepower and 2,700lbs of curb weight – nearly identical to what the 1988 Porsche Carrera was specified at.

However, there are options outside of the 911 market for a personal sports 2-door that throwback to simpler times, and I think the M Coupe was one of the best. With a gutsy inline-6 up front, rear drive and a 6-speed manual, the E86 was a classic blueprint for a sports car. But it was modern at the same time, with over 300 horsepower from the sonorous S54 M motor and a thoroughly modern design. It was also a relatively limited run vehicle, meaning they’re rare to see. Yet, despite this they’re still relatively affordable as a not-particularly-old future classic that can be driven and enjoyed – and will likely appreciate:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 BMW M Coupe on eBay

Year: 2008
Model: M Coupe
Engine: 3.2 liter inline-6
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 55,524 mi
Price: $29,500 Buy It Now

Highly desirable Alpine White paint in excellent condition. Inspections 1 & 2 already performed, Redline fluids in transmission and differential. Shop owned, meticulously cared for. All scheduled maintenance, Always garaged, excellent condition, Fully loaded with all the goodies, Looks & drives great, Must see, No accidents, Very clean interior, Well maintained. You won’t find a cleaner or more well-cared for Z4M Coupe on the market.

Vehicle is located in Anaheim, CA. Please contact beforehand to view in person or if you have any questions.

Most of the Ms I’ve seen have cold color combinations, so it’s nice to see lively Alpine White and some rich looking wood inside this 2008 example. While not the most rare M product, less than 5,000 of these M Coupes rolled off the production line – about the same level as the E28 M5. Like the E28, they offer a lot of performance for the money and are really entertaining drives. But the really nice thing about buying a relatively new one is that the likelihood that there will be lots of issues to rectify is much lower, allowing you to really enjoy the experience. To me, this car is well priced for what it is – a bit more than an E46 M3, but then it’s a much more limited and arguably more desirable car. If you like the color combination, this is a future classic worth considering.

-Carter