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The wild LS2-swapped M Coupe has popped back up on eBay, now with a substantially lowered price to $36,500. There’s a lot of custom engineering that you’re getting for free at that price, and it all looks very well executed. I originally incorrectly believed the car was vinyl wrapped but was corrected by the seller that it is in fact painted matte orange. I love the audacity of the build and it’s just not possible to get more speed for less money in the German car world. This is one really cool setup for a track car and much more unique than the typical M3 or Porsche Turbos!
The below post originally appeared on our site September 15, 2014:
The current BMW market is quite interesting. The three posts I did on BMWs yesterday really drew that into sharp contrast for me; first, the E34 M5 Double Take underscored a more simple time at BMW with classic designs and classic motors. Then the “New Blue” BMW roundup outlined what’s currently available – progress happens, but it’s apparent that BMW’s current market has diverged substantially from the blueprint of the 1980s and 1990s success. But capitalizing on that 1980s legend are perhaps some undeserving cars, as the E30 M3 fail from yesterday proved. Where is an enthusiast to look, then? Well, you could argue you don’t have to look back very far to get a great, classic piece that follows in the footsteps of some of BMW’s great designs, but still with a modern twist. The Z4 M Coupe is a great example of this – a slick design, rear drive only, a 6-speed manual transmission and the last of the great normally aspirated inline-6s, the S54, hiding under the long hood:
S54 M Coupes are quickly appreciating, as the top-performing clownshoe’s rarity and ability are realized. I’m certainly not immune to their unique draw, and an example like this is right up there with the E39 M5 as the first car built in the last 20 years that I would actually consider putting in my garage. Today’s is a beautiful example, looking positively sinister in black on black lightweight Fikses. It has a litany of effective and attractive (and reversible) modifications. The S52s may be a better value proposition, but one quick daydream about raging the redwoods in this 315hp shooting brake and the price starts seeming more reasonable.
I know it may seem blasphemous to say, but I get a sense that the new BMW M3 sedan and M4 coupe are for those who like to play Madden 2015 in the basement rather than get out on a field and toss the football around on a crisp autumn day. I’m not sure about you readers, but I’m a more tactile person, which makes the original BMW M Coupe the choice for me when it comes to the Ultimate Driving Machine. This Evergreen M Coupe for sale in California is one of under 30 produced and has covered a little over 73,000 miles.
If I haven’t previously voiced my displeasure with the “Lime Rock Park Edition” M3, allow me to do it now. On the face of it, it’s something I should love – a track that I grew up with and still love to frequent, one of the most historic homes of motorsport in the country tied to one of the best German cars out of the box, celebrating a union with one of the best driving schools – Skip Barber. But the Lime Rock edition is more or less a special color (which, incidentally you can purchase at any point given enough money and checking BMW’s “Individual” boxes properly) and a little track map of Lime Rock inside; you know, in case you forget where you are in the middle of the “Big Bend”. The color, I’ll admit, is pretty awesome to me and of course the competition package E92 was pretty amazing out of the box – but the premium demanded for these Lime Rock cars was simply outrageous in my opinion. What should the Lime Rock Park Edition have been, in my opinion? Well, I think the builder of this M Coupe got it right – stripped down for lower weight, big downforce and 100% more power:
