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The BMW M Coupé has a lot to live up to. Conceived by a group of five engineers working overtime and undercover to radicalise the Z3 roadster, it promises to be a no-holds-barred return to the enthusiast-focused philosophy upon which BMW once built its reputation. This, the theory goes, is the car for those who find the contemporary M3 too soft, too understated, and the M roadster too fragile. In other words "the ultimate driving machine" is back.
It is an odd looking car – almost like two very different cars bolted together. At the front end you are greeted with the rather benevolent gaze of fairly typical Z3 roadster styling, then walk around and you see that it is married to something altogether more unusual at the rear. Monster rear tyres, oversized arches, four snarling exhausts added to a hatchback.
It all makes the car look schizophrenic when you consider the conventional sports car design at the front. Despite the M Coupé's many unique styling cues, its roaster roots are obvious. It’s identical to the Z3 roaster from the A-pillars forwards, but where the open car fades at the rear to a timid tail quite at odds with its aggressive nose, the Coupé, with its elongated hatch/estate rear deck, is pure aggression. From its blistered wheel arches to its big chromed exhaust, the M is a pedigree Rottweiler, not one cross-bred with a poodle.
What is most impressive about this car is the motor’s tractability. It will happily pull from 1500rpm and 30mph in top and, on the move, could quite easily be driven solely in fourth. But few would want to, such is the aural treat on offer for those plying the red line.
Press hard on the accelerator and the subdued burble gives way to a meaty growl which grows in intensity to a muted howl but never harshens until the rev limiter cuts in at a blood-curdling 7650rpm. Make no mistake, this is still one of the great engines. What a shame that these high-rev antics can be legally enjoyed only in the first two gears!
The M Coupé is not beautiful in any real sense. It’s unconventional and slightly mad but it does drive beautifully .
You’ll pay for the lack of convention, though. When new the M coupé cost a hearty £40,595. The nearest rival, just in terms of outright performance and prestige, is the Porsche 911 and that costs almost £15,000 more even today. With only so few cars imported to the UK, you’ll be driving something much more exclusive than the 911 if you opt for the Z3M Coupé.
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