Price: SOLD
Mileage: 122,234 km (76,000 Miles)
Engine: S52B32 Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual Transmission
Exterior color: Titainium Silver Metallic Exterior (354)
Interior: Black Nappa Leather Interior (Q6SW)
VIN: WBSCK9348YLC91217
Additional features:
1 of 877 Titanium Silver / Black 2000 Model Year M Roadster
Sony Headunit
Heated Seats
Factory Wind Blocker
Keyless Entry
100% Stock Except for the Stereo
17-Inch Style 40 Roadstar Wheels
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 Tires
Maintenance Up to Date with Records
Canadian Market Car
Clean Carfax / No Accidents
The BMW M Roadster was the M variant of the BMW Z3. The Z3 made its public debut in 1995 in the Bond film GoldenEye with a young and dashing Pierce Brosnan behind the wheel. The scene with 007 and Natalya (Izabella Scorupco), her hair blowing in the wind, was the picture of top-down motoring—except for the dirt road, the Cessna 172, and the villain’s evil layer in Cuba. Nonetheless, if you were 18 years old (as I was) and you saw that movie, you wanted a Z3—and Natalya!
Initially, Z3 sales followed suit, but it soon became apparent that a more aggressive iteration was in order. BMW M GmbH solved this problem in 1998 with the M Roadster. At its heart was the E36 M3’s 245-horsepower S52B32 inline 6-cylinder engine. Power reached the ground through a manual gearbox (the only option), M-tuned suspension, and a limited slip differential. When it was time to stop, M3 brakes made short work of the job. The exclusive exterior kit featured a bold front splitter, M badges, staggered Style 40 Roadstar wheels, and a quad exhaust—the first BMW M car to get one. Inside, the exclusivity continued with M Roadster lettering on the doorsills and instrument cluster, an illuminated gearshift knob, and chrome ringed gauges, including an oil temperature gauge. The end result was one of the best retro-classic roadsters ever made. It had the fluid and graceful lines of a proper British sports car, with the raw power and driving dynamics that can only be found in a BMW M car. And because it was based on the Z3, it was produced right here in the good ‘ole USA in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
This 2000 BMW M Roadster is a Canadian Market (a US-spec car with option code 838) car that has been tucked away in a heated garage its entire life. It was used only in fair weather summer, hence its low mileage and impeccable condition with a nearly perfect interior and exterior. There is no rust, all panels are original, the Carfax is clean and it shows regular registrations in British Columbia and Alberta. The only noticeable differences are daytime running lights and the odometer and speedometer are in kilometers. It comes with a clean Colorado title and a letter from BMW stating that it meets all US safety and emissions standards (including California). In preparation for sale, it received a complete Inspection II at 74,186 miles (119,392 kilometers) at Vitek Autoworks, a high-end BMW specialist in Calgary. This included replacing the driver and passenger side window guides, wiper blade inserts, intake boot, thermostat and housing, spark plugs, rear shock absorbers, and the convertible rear window. All fluids were changed and flushed including the coolant, brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, and differential fluid. Fresh Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires were mounted, along with a four-wheel alignment. As a past Z3 M Roadster owner and long time member of the M Coupe community, I love Z3 M Roadsters and am super excited to have this example in our quiver. It’s available just in time for the late winter convertible season—the best time besides fall to own a convertible in Colorado!
Titanium Silver Metallic (often called TiAG after the periodic table element names) is one of BMW’s best colors and looks fantastic on the M Roadster. Silver always looks good, even when dirty, and does an excellent job of accentuating the M Roadster’s long hood, side gills, and short trunk. The paint on this example is in excellent condition. There are no significant dents, dings, door dings, or the rock chips that Colorado cars get. There is no failed clear coat, zero rust, and all VIN tags are in place. The convertible top has no rips or tears and the rear window panel has been recently replaced. The Roundels have no crazed or faded paint. The M badges have very minor fading of the red stripe (an easy replacement). All trim and black-work are present and not UV faded. 2000 and later model year M Coupes received chrome rings around the headlight lenses. The outer lenses are clear and translucent. Daytime running lights are standard spec for Canadian market cars. All indicator lenses and taillight housings are clear and crack-free. The Style 40 Roadstar staggered wheels (17” x 7.5” front and 17” x 9“ rear) have excellent finish with no bends or curb rash. They are wrapped with fresh Michelin Pilot Sport AS tires that have less than 1,000 miles on them.
The interior is one of the M Roadster’s most striking design features. The point of a roadster is an undiluted driving experience. The interior is well appointed but unapologetically simple. Chrome-ringed analogue gauges and HVAC controls are a tribute to the great British roadsters (think Jaguar E-type). The center console is unfettered by iDrive or excessive technology—just heated seat buttons and the ASC traction control button for when hooliganism is in order. Open the door and you are greeted with that lovely Nappa Leather smell that only Z3 M Coupes and Roadsters have. I’m not sure why it’s different than other M models of this vintage, but it is. Sit down and it is apparent that this is a proper sports car. It has a cockpit-like feel, with a low seating position that lets you look out over the long hood out front. The carpets have no stains or tears and are protected my M factory floor mats. The seat leather is in excellent condition with no tears, stains, or failed seams. The seat bushings have minor rock (a common issue), but it is minor at best. All seat motors work, as do the seat heaters. There is slight creasing on the outer seat bolsters, but it is presentable. The 3-spoke steering wheel has no excessive wear. The instrument cluster has no blown out pixels and all gauges work correctly. An aftermarket Sony Stereo is somewhat dated, but the factory speakers and subwoofer sound great. It would be a plug and play job to replace it with a newer Sony head unit . The center HVAC panel and gauges have no burnt out bulbs. The lower switch panel has no cracks in the switch backing plate (a common issue). The glove box has very minor sag on the right hand side (another common issue). The auto-dimming rearview mirror has no fluid leaks, but I recommend preventative replacement with a solid-state auto-dimming mirror because they all leak eventually. All interior functions work correctly; power windows, power door locks, cruise control; the heat blows warm and the air conditioning blows cold. The factory wind deflector is present and in excellent shape. The convertible top headliner has no tears or sag. The trunk tool kit is complete and the owners manuals are present.
This is a turn-key M Roadster; all major and preventative maintenance is up to date. It has clearly been properly owned and benefitted from regular oil changes and routine maintenance for all of its life. I’ve already listed the recent maintenance items in the summary paragraph. The S52 engine is one of BMW’s reliable power plants, having none of the rod bearing issues or needing the valve adjustments that later S54 powered M Roadsters did. The engine idles smoothly, pulls strong, and has no Vanos rattle or lifter knock. It does not leak, drip, or spot. The clutch and shifter are crisp and precise. There is no 5th gear lean due to worn shift pins (a common issue). The brakes are firm, the suspension is compliant, and there is no driveline or wheel bearing vibration or whine. The suspension bushings are solid. The rear trunk floor has no failed spot welds and the rear differential ear has no tears. There are two welds sunken below the paint (pictured on our website), but in my experience this does not indicate imminent failure. I have priced it accordingly if a Randy Forbes rear subframe upgrade kit is desired in the future. Like any M Roadster, it will need and deserves the preventative care and maintenance that all BMWs of this vintage do, but at present it is properly sorted and ready for its new home.
BMW M Roadsters are one of the best buys in the M car market. They are the last of the old-school recipe, that is, a normally aspirated engine routed through a manual gearbox powering only the rear wheels. The M Roadster’s Z4 successor that followed had none of the grace and fluid classic roadster lines thanks to Chris Bangle’s flame surface design language. Bang for the buck, you can’t beat an M Roadster. We would like to find an owner who will continue to care for it and appreciate it as much as we do.
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