I owned two different M Coupe's back to back. A Estoril Blue S52 and a Steel Gray S54. I still miss both those cars and would like to own another one day. They are not the easiest cars to drive fast, but they are very rewarding. S54's have an extended warranty on their engines for 6 years/100k due to the bearing problems associated with those engines. I should know, my S54 blew up twice due to this (long story, but instances of it are isolated in M Coupes). Can't go wrong with either model. The s54's feel faster and have a better top end, but on the track they have been shown to be very close in performance numbes. If I were to buy one again, you could pick up a S52 for mid 20's in great shape. S54's are still holding their value in mid 30's. Also some cars have had rear subframe issues with cracking.. something to look out for. So go find a good one and drive the snot out of it. Some resources: http://www.368s.com http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/z3-coupe/ -Stephen http://www.texasdrivermagazine.com
Oh and if you're concerned about headroom, the sunroof option gives you more clearance, especially with a helmet.
Yeah, they are awesome for a daily driver. The engine is fantastic, below 3K you can just potter about town & it's really laid back. Hit the highway or some back roads & it's got piles of torque, it's a real quick car. Another plus for daily driving is the boot. For a car in it's kinda class it's really usable, I used it for work & to carry my boxer round in the back most days & he was pretty big. They are a real cult car over here now & prices have stabilised, I think they are absolute bargains. In the UK, BMW also offer really good warranties which cover almost everything & mine came in useful a couple of times. Only minor probs though. VANOS failure is a common problem which lots of cars have suffered with. I'm not really sure if it applies to the U.S ones though. The only downers I had on the car were: Brakes were ok, not really as good as they should have been. Really small petrol tank. Rubbish angled wing mirrors. My local dealers being a bunch of tw@ts. I'd definately recommend one for a daily driver/fun car.
The second generation (1995+) Euro spec E36 M3 Coupe is a great car. It uses the S52 engine (naturally aspirated 3.2 litre inline 6 producing 321 bhp/239 KW @ 7400 rpm, and 350 Nm/258 ft lbs @ 3250 rpm), 6 speed manual gearbox and 0-100kmph/62mph in 5.5 seconds. Thinking of buying one myself, actually...
erik, greetings from dA eC, i had a m coupe (s54) blk/blk daily driver a couple of years ago. i can say that i miss that car a lot, and think about her from time to time. she was unique, go-kart fast, and great for zipping around the city. i loved the interior, it was so small that you seemed to be engulfed in it. i had no maintenance issues, the car ran great. definitely will get one again if i had the room in my garage. erik, if you need any details of where to look or with m coupes please let me know. hope things are good over there in the far east. jc Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
