Price: SOLD
Mileage: 80,500 Miles
Engine: 6-Cylinder S54B32 Engine
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual Transmission
Exterior color: Alpine White Exterior (300)
Interior: Imola Red / Black Nappa Leather Interior (Q6IM)
Additional features:
1 of 11 Alpine White Imola & Black S54 M Roadsters (#10)
1 of 5 Alpine White / Imola & Black 2002 Model Year M Roadsters (#4)
Limited-Slip Differential
Black Power Soft Top
M Leather Steering Wheel
Heated Sport Seats
BMW CD43 Business CD Radio
BMW Harmon Kardon HiFi Sound
ZHP Shift Knob
Leather Z Arm Rest
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Cruise Control
Heated Windscreen Washers
Clear Indicators
Clear Corner Markers
Roll Bar Protection System
Blacked Out Side Gills
Trunk Lid Storage
Rear Window Protector
Wind Deflector
Dinan Stage 1 Chip
Strong Strut Brace
Strong Strut BUTT Brace
Seat Tilt Mod
Anthracite Style 40 Roadstar Wheels
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Tires (less than 100 miles)
Clean Carfax
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 lair 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. For the first few years of production they were powered by the E36 M3’s 245-horsepower S52B32 inline 6-cylinder engine. Then, for the final two years of production, the engine was upgraded to the E46 M3’s 330 (315 in the Z3M) horsepower S54B32 engine. Other additions included Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and the E46-style M instrument cluster. 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 2002 Alpine White over Imola Red and Black BMW M Roadster is 1 of only 11 produced in that color combo, and 1 of only 5 for the 2002 model year. It is in excellent condition and tastefully upgraded with a Dinan Stage I tune, Strong Strut Braces front and rear, a ZHP shift knob, Leather Z armrest, blacked out side gills, and the original wheels powder coated in Anthracite grey. The Strong Strut Braces are notable in that they add considerable rigidity to the M Roadster platform. It was originally delivered in July of 2002 by Camelback BMW in Phoenix, Arizona and remained with the first owner through 2004, always being dealer serviced. The second owner purchased it as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from BMW of North Scottsdale, and continued to have it serviced there until he moved to Parker, Colorado in 2005, where it was serviced at Schomp BMW. In 2010 a good friend and fellow Z3M enthusiast purchased it, selling it two years later, but not before making it significantly better throughout his tenure. The next three owners reported on the Carfax are actually the same husband and wife, who moved from Texas to North Carolina. They continued to maintain it the “Old School” way, with recent maintenance including the accessory belts, hood shocks, spark plugs, brake fluid flush, coolant flush, differential fluid, valve cover gasket, fresh oil change, and an S54 valve adjustment in August of this year. When we heard through the grapevine that it was going to be up for sale, we had to have it. We brought it to Colorado, and thanks to its recent work, only needed a few things in preparation for sale. We did the transmission shift selector seal, flex disc, and driver’s seat bushings. We also mounted fresh Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires with an alignment. In 2006 the front bumper cover was replaced due to being damaged by a trailer backing up at a gas station. The invoice for the bumper cover is included in a lengthy stack of service records dating back to the original purchase; the original window sticker is also included. As a past Z3 M Roadster owner, current Z3 M Coupe owner, and long time member of the M Coupe community, I love Z3 M Roadsters and am very excited to have this example in our quiver. It’s available just in time for convertible season in Colorado!
Alpine White is one of the best M Roadster colors. It always looks good, even when dirty, and it 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, or the rock chips that Colorado cars get. The leading edges were protected by clear bra, which we recently removed due to discoloration. There is some scuffing along the lower edge of the front bumper cover and small imperfections elsewhere that are typical of age and mileage. 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 is clear; not yellowed or cloudy as is often the case. There is a small area of failed stitching in the lower left corner of the rear window. 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, and the side gills are painted gloss black. 2000 and later model year M Coupes received chrome rings around the headlight lenses, and the outer lenses are clear and translucent. There are no burn marks in the projector headlights. 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 been powder coated in Anthracite grey. Besides some minor curb rash, the finish is excellent and they have no bends. They are wrapped with fresh Michelin Pilot Sport A/3+ tires that have less than 100 miles on them.
The interior is one of the M Roadster’s most striking design features—especially in Imola Red and Black leather. The point of a roadster is an undiluted driving experience. The interior is well appointed but unapologetically simple. Chrome-ringed analog 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 DSC 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. The carpets have no stains or tears and are protected my M factory floor mats. The floor mats are in good shape, but do have some foam degradation on the backsides. The seat leather is in excellent condition with no tears, stains, or failed seams. There is some minor creasing, the worst being on the driver’s outer bolsters. The seat bushings have been replaced, the seat motors work, as do the seat heaters. The seatbelt clips are not broken and have Velcro covers. The 3-spoke steering wheel has no excessive wear. The instrument cluster has no blown out pixels and all gauges work correctly. The original BMW Business CD43 stereo sounds great paired with the Harmon Kardon sound system; the volume rheostat functions correctly. The subwoofer has a slight rattle. 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 ZHP weighted shift knob is a nice factory upgrade over the stock shift knob. The glove box does not sag (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 leather wind deflector is present and in excellent shape. The convertible top headliner has no tears and does not sag. The trunk tool kit is complete, the mobility kit is present, and the owner’s 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. The S54 valve adjustment was recently completed. 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, but it is just starting to stick when it’s cold. You can still center it back under 3rd when it does, we can address this for additional cost if need be, but I would not recommend doing so at this time. The brakes are firm, the suspension is compliant, and there is no driveline or wheel bearing vibration or whine. The suspension bushings are solid. I actually replaced a set of KW V3 coilovers that my friend had mounted on the car with the stock suspension from my M Coupe in 2012, which had about 20k miles less than the M Roadster at the time—putting the shock mileage at about 60k. The rear trunk floor has no failed or sunken spot welds and the rear differential ear has no tears. 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.
VIN Decode
Options
SHARE
THIS
LISTING