1999 BMW Z3M Coupe
A remarkable 650 miles from new!

Registration No: T235 KAP
Chassis No: WBSCM92090LB29268
MOT: July 2026

• Remarkably covered a mere 660 miles from new!
• 1 of just 821 right-hand drive examples of the S50-powered car
• Supplied new via Blue Bell BMW of Crewe
• In the current ownership since 2016
• Offered with the original sales brochure, and original book pack with handbook and service book
• Excellently presented and exceptionally original!

PLEASE NOTE: This lot is offered with a fresh no advisory MOT certificate until July next year.

The Z3M Coupé, manufactured from 1998 until 2002, was developed under the leadership of engineer Burkhard Göschel with the intention of adding increased torsional and structural rigidity to the Z3 roadster's chassis. The development team initially struggled to get the board of directors at BMW to approve the model for production, but it was eventually authorised so long as it remained cost-effective to produce. To help achieve this, the majority of the body panels needed to be shared with the M Roadster, thus the doors and everything from the A-pillar forward are interchangeable between the Coupé and Roadster, as are most of the interior parts.

Until the 2001 model year, the Z3M Coupé and Roadster were powered by the same engine as the E36 M3. Most countries initially received cars with the 3.2-litre version of the BMW S50 engine, while for the North American market the less powerful BMW S52 engine was utilised. The S50 developed some 316 bhp at 7,400 rpm and 260 lb ft torque at 3,250rpm, a run of 2,999 cars being produced with this unit. The M Coupé’s suspension features MacPherson struts at the front and semi-trailing arms to the rear, and brakes carried over from the E36 M3, these being vented discs measuring 315.0 mm at the front and 312.4 mm at the rear. In most countries, the front discs were a two-piece ‘floating rotor’ design. Power was transmitted via a ZF Type C five-speed manual gearbox whilst a limited slip differential with a maximum locking of 25 per cent. was fitted as standard. With its muscular looks and high performance, the Z3M Coupé offered a useful level of practicality over its Roadster sibling making it, in our opinion, the model of choice for enthusiasts.

Not only is this Z3M Coupé an extremely rare motor car – one of just 821 produced in RHD with the desirable S50 engine – but it is also a truly extraordinary survivor which might quite reasonably be described as nearly-new. It has, after all, covered no more than 660 miles over the entirety of its 26-year-life, and therefore appears in an outstanding state of originality and preservation. It has had only four owners from new and has obviously been well-appreciated and looked after by all of them, with the first two owners being members of the same family.

Appropriately and attractively presented in German racing silver – or Arctic Silver, to give it its official factory name – with a Black interior, this superb rarity was originally sold through Blue Bell BMW of Crewe, Cheshire, complete with genuine AC Schnitzer pedals and other desirable factory-fitted features, including 17in five-spoke alloy wheels, power windows and mirrors, heated seats, air conditioning, a BMW Business radio-CD player and a Harman Kardon sound system. It was evidently cherished as a collector’s piece from very early in its life, as it has spent most of the last 20 years preserved in aspic, with only intermittent use on the roads. Over half its present mileage was completed within the first two years of its life.

Since 2006, it has been submitted for only three MOT tests – in 2016 at 544 miles, 2018 at 618 miles, and 2021 at 646 miles. Needless to say, it passed each test with no advisories. Having not been on the road since August, 2022, the odometer showed just 659 miles when we inspected the car a few weeks ago. The service history is similarly impressive, with three stamps in the service book including the initial pre-delivery inspection. The first services, in 2001 at 496 miles and 2015 at 525 miles, were undertaken by Blue Bell BMW, and then two further are documented in invoices, 2018 at 618 miles and 2021 service at 647 miles, both performed at Templetons Garage in Rushden.

As presented here, the Z3M is complete with its original book pack, including the owner’s manual and service book, an original sales brochure, a memo from the first owner to Blue Bell BMW, a large collection of MOTs, two keys and the original toolkit and first-aid kit. Considering it has received such little use over its life, it is no surprise at all that this car has been described as “excellent” in all mechanical and cosmetic areas. We are advised of only the most minor signs of age, including a stone chip on the passenger sill, “slight wear on the driver’s seat bolster, discolouration of the passenger window and a small mark next to the radio,” but we hardly think they detract from what is one of the best, rarest and most original 26-year-old BMWs in existence.

Cars of this vintage and calibre are increasingly coming to be appreciated as “Youngtimers”, and are being welcomed into some of the most prestigious motoring events – notably, a very similar Z3M Coupé was a star of the Youngtimers class at this year’s London Concours, where it competed for Best in Show alongside such machinery as Ferraris, Mercedes-Benz 300SLs, and a host of high-end classics and supercars. In its present condition, we believe ‘T235 KAP’ has the potential to be a concours star, especially if judged on the merits of its originality, on which grounds it may possibly be unsurpassed.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452