AutoTrader Find of the Week: 2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe is Wonderfully Weird

For a kid raised in a farm town by a bunch of “no replacement for displacement” muscle car evangelists who made every effort to indoctrinate me into believing that European sports cars were for trust fund babies, I’ve come a long way in broadening my tastes — particularly when comes to the merits of Bavarian engineering.

However, I still cannot wrap my head around the concept of a “shooting brake.”

“Hey, you know how sports cars have these elegant, flowing silhouettes that feel timelessly, effortlessly beautiful? Okay, well, what if we stapled a station wagon to the back of it?”

The automotive equivalent of a spray painting over the Mona Lisa or supergluing an iPhone onto a Rolex. I guess it might be for some people. But not for me.

Still, I’m told that this 2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe offered by Rennsport Automobile in Vancouver, BC, is an epically desirable and collectable model amongst the right crowd. It’s what you might call a “cult classic.” You know, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show or poisoned Kool-Aid.

Apparently, the public isn’t the only group who finds this car divisive. BMW themselves weren’t unanimously in love with the project.

The big rumour is that the Z3 M Coupe was developed in secret in the late ‘90s by a gang of BMW engineers gone rogue. This has never been confirmed by the brand, of course. However, the project was championed by BMW’s then lead engineer Burkhard Goeschel who boasted the Z3 M Coupe was a “driver's car without apology or compromise.” Though, as the legend goes, the BMW development board wasn’t so crazy about this lack of “compromise.”

The sales figures support this theory. The original run of M Coupes, powered by BMW’s S52 engine, only sold 2,180 models in the North American market between 1999 and 2000. The upgraded, more powerful S54-powered models were even less popular; selling only 678 from 2001 to 2002. That means an S54 Z3 M Coupe like this one is among the lowest production BMWs ever.

However, the public doesn’t always get it right. And you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

As BMW die-hards will surely be aware, the S54 engine in particular was a powerhouse. The 3.2L inline-six also powered the newly introduced E36 BMW M3, producing 315 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque in the North American-spec. That S54 powerplant was mounted to a 5-speed manual transmission, sending power to the rear wheels… in a car weighing less than 1,450 kg (3,200 lbs). Its strange shape, while creating additional structural rigidity, also helps provide it with near 50/50 weight distribution, meaning you can rotate it around corners like it's on rails (if you’ve got the guts).

Reviews ranted and raved of the direct, mechanical feel of the Z3 M Coupe, the thrill of its 8,200 rpm red line, peak power at 7,400 rpm, and the need for constant engagement, lest the Bimmer bite you back. The S54 variant also received stiffer springs and shocks, which only helped solidify its performance prowess.

Say what you will about its looks, but there’s little question the Z3 M Coupe is a prime example of how to engineer a chassis for a true “driver’s car.” The result was so good, in fact, that engineers were apparently forced to detune the Z3’s S54 engine, so that the car would not embarrass the E46 M3.

And yet, because it’s a BMW, inside you’ll find luxuries like an optional Harmon Kardon HiFi Sound System and heated seats wrapped in Nappa Leather.

This model is wearing its original 17-inch M RoadStar alloy wheels with chrome shadow finish. Its paint is the original Steel Gray Metallic, and it was optioned with Imola Red and Black interior.

It’s done 43,500 km. And Rennsport Automobile would like to charge you $119,990 for the privilege of owning what is damn-near guaranteed to be the weirdest looking sportscar on your block.

Do we even need to bother telling you what your other options are in that range? That’s M2 CS money. E30 M3 money. Myriad more classically beautiful, more iconic BMWs could be yours for $120,000.

But will they be as unique, rare, or collectable as the Z3 M Coupe? Probably not.

Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder. And while they may call you a hipster for your “alternative Bimmer,” you shouldn’t let that spoil how weirdly wonderful the Z3 M Couple is.