Random Capture: The M Coupe Still Rules Edition

BMW's made a lot of different cars, and a lot of them have been really quite good. It's a nearly impossible discussion to pick the best one, but for me it's not hard to pick a favorite. I've always loved the Z3 M Coupe, with either an S52 or S54 - they're just badass cars.

The Z3 M Roadster combined the compact, light Z3 chassis (a shortened version of the compact, light E36 Compact chassis) with the powerful E36 (and later E46) M3 engines, revised suspension, huge sticky tires, bigger brakes... the whole nine.  The Z3 M Coupe was a low-production fixed-head version of the suave Z3, that turned it from a cute hairdresser's hot rod into a feisty-looking little hatchback...

...or a tennis shoe with wheels and a BMW badge, depending on your opinion of the "individualistic" styling.  Still, with a kerb weight hovering just under 3,000 lbs  and 240 silky-smooth straight-six horsepower, no one could argue with the M Coupe's 5.1 second 0-60 time back when it debuted in 1998.  Come to think of it, 5.1 seconds is hardly anything to spit at today.  And the Z3 M Coupe was hardcore in a  way that modern BMW's can't hope to replicate; it was just as likely to stick in the corner as spit you backwards into the armco at 100mph in a blaze of glory.  Oversteer was the M Coupe's middle name.  It ripped and snorted and rode like crap and made a lot of noise and accelerated like a race car.  What's not to love?

And what a fantastic picture to illustrate the velocitative properties of the M Coupe.  The pseudo sepia-tone post treatment gives the M Coupe that moody, romantic feel that seems natural with an impractical 2-seat coupe.  Being a press photo, you expect clarity - if not excellence.  This is raising the bar.  And a fantastic subject, too.  Enjoy the high-resolution full-sized version; it's keeping my desktop looking good this week.