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Right before the turn of the century, the sun would set on the E36 BMW M3. This was the M3 that would make the fast 3 series formula a bit more accessible to the armchair enthusiast than its predecessor. For the first time, a four-door variant was offered and, gasp, an automatic gearbox. In addition, a 3.2 liter, six-cylinder engine would supplant the 2.3 liter inline-4 with Formula 1 DNA that was offered in the iconic M3. This final year M3 for sale from our friends at Automobili Limited. It’s a low-mileage example equipped with the 5-speed manual gearbox and Style 23 M Contour wheels finished in the desirable and rare Dakar Yellow.
I love the E36/8 aka M Coupe aka Clownshoe, and clown shoes are best in red, right? This beautiful Imola example has just 73k miles and has been well cared for by 3 owners. The previous owner addressed the well-documented potential rear subframe weld issues, and the only updates are light enough to not even be called modifications – air filter, headlights, stainless steel clutch cable, etc. It’s not quite perfect but pretty close, with a few minor scuffs and dings. It’s a 1999 model, meaning it has the 240hp S52 instead of the later S54 monster, but that’s mattering less and less these days and the prices of both head north.
Just the other day a friend of mine was complaining about the lack of “pure” sport coupes available on the used market for a reasonable price. They aren’t interested at all in roofless options which does eliminate fan favorites like a Mazda Miata, Honda S2000, or Porsche Boxster. I then asked, “well what about a BMW Z3?” and my perfectly reasonable question was met with a chuckle. I don’t know what it is about the Z3 that so many people so dislike but when thinking of driver focused sport coupes, it’s always the first thing that comes to mind. M Coupes are more powerful and aggressive looking, but they’re also highly sought after, therefore the reasonable price part of the equation goes right out the window. I love the odd styling and the wonderfully simple interior. Driver position is amazing in these cars and they’re surprisingly functional as well thanks to the hatch. The Z3 roadster might be what comes to mind when the name is mentioned, but it is the coupe that is the real star.
The breadth of engines offered in the R129 Mercedes-Benz SL is rather remarkable. US customers were limited to the 3.0 (and later 3.2 liter) inline-6, 5.0 liter V8 and 6.0 liter V12. It’s not surprising that other markets had access to other, more special variants. One of the largest displacement engines offered in a Mercedes-Benz in the post-war era found it’s way under the hood of the car we see here, the SL73 AMG. And yes, the number 73 denotes a 7.3 liter V12 resting under the bonnet, capable of 525 horsepower and 558 lb. ft. of torque. This engine would go on to power the dramatic Pagani Zonda S, a supercar capable of almost 200 mph.
I always felt a bit sorry for the BMW Z3 Coupe. It was introduced at a time when an M version arrived alongside of it and not surprisingly, it was the Motorsports version that made the bigger splash in the market. Even that car was at first a bit misunderstood, with some critics deriding the looks but others shining on to the performance it offered. The M Coupe has reached air-cooled 911 levels of popularity at the moment and as such, the Z3 Coupe can only stand to benefit. This early production Z3 2.8 Coupe comes to us from our friends at Sun Valley Auto Club and looks quite attractive in silver over red leather, with the desirable manual gearbox. If the M Coupe is a little bit rich for your blood, try this lite version instead.
