It is a bit strange but quite often cars that were considered unconventional, weird, or even ugly when new are now highly sought after. My guess is that many of these cars are different enough to defy current convention for what is desirable or are “too modern” and don’t yet fit in with what people are looking for in a new car.
The BMW Z3 coupe is one of these cars. The styling of the car is controversial at best, but today these cars are either loved or loathed depending on who you ask. Both those who love the Z3 Coupe and those that hate it have nicknamed it the “Clownshoe.”
The Z3 Coupe was introduced in the 1999 model year and it was originally powered by a 193 HP 2.8-liter inline six engine. In 2001, BMW increased the engine size which gave the Z3 Coupe a 225-hp 3.0-liter 6-cylinder. At the same time BMW built a M model originally equipped with the S52 6-cylinder and later with the S54 6-cylinder engine. The M models are much more expensive than the standard models but both are now collectible in their own right.
The Z3 coupe, in all forms, had a total production of only 17,815 cars built. This may not seem low until you compare it to the 297,088 Z3 Roadsters built during the same period. This makes the Z3 Coupe a very low production car by modern standards.
The Pick of the Day is one of these cars, a 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. This car is one of only 215 cars painted in Arctic Silver Metallic paint and one of 155 with Black Leather interiors. This example features BMW’s supremely comfortable Z3 M sports seats as well.
The seller describes this Z3 Coupe having ceramic protected paint and the recipient of a recent full dealership service which included new brakes, seat bushings, new front and rear glass, and also features a Dinan intake. The car rides on factory 17″ BMW alloy wheels wearing Pirelli Cinturato P7 tires.
In the photos of the car both the body and interior look to be in exceptional condition and have the look of a car that is not as old and has half the mileage. This car seems to have been very well cared for and I would happily have it in my garage if I were not already trying to buy back my old 1996 Z3 Roadster.
Under the hood this Z3 Coupe features its original 2.8L I-6 cylinder engine with EFI and is one of the 185 Arctic Silver cars to also feature a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine looks to be in great condition and total mileage on the car is 96,962.
These cars have a chassis that defines fun and are as solid as it gets. The body is incredibly strong and the car handles amazingly well. When you take a roadster that was already great and weld a top on it this tends to be the case.
The M version of the Z3 Coupe is already quite expensive and while offers more horsepower, essentially looks the same and also tends to have higher service costs. This Z3 Coupe is right in the sweet spot for modern collector car ownership, being just on the way up. You can buy it now for the asking price of $19,000 or wait and pay more later.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
