Clown Shooting Brake: 2000 BMW M Coupe

Due to various economic factors that I can't even start to go into right now (actually...I wonder what the price of late model collectible cars will do with the DOW bombing and Coronapolocypse upon us...ooooo...oooo...that Coronapocalypse is something I just made up and I call dibs on it. TM. Trademark. Patent Pending. Collective commons, must attribute.  I need to back off on the coffee earlier in the day.) anyway....the Clown Shoe M Coupe has jumped up in price over the past few years and even the S52 (235 horse) powered versions (as opposed to the S54 (315 horse) powered) have seen a jump in price.  Today we've got the slower M Coupe, but the seller isn't clowning around with price and it is offered for a reasonable sum of money. Find this 2000 BMW M Coupe offered for $16,901 in San Rafael, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Pretty 'N' Rare: 2000 BMW Z3 Coupe

This next car comes as a tip from Pushrod who writes: I’ve been seeing more of these come up for sale lately in the $8-15k range.  The Z3 coupe is actually more rare (by production numbers) than the M variant.  Find this 2000 BMW Z3 Coupe offered for $15,000 in Washington, D.C. via craigslist.

Auction Watch: 2000 BMW Z3 M-Coupe

Find this 2000 BMW Z3 M-Coupe here on eBay bidding for $5,101 reserve-not-met with 6 days to go, located in Los Angeles, CA.

Zeepers! 1997 BMW Z3 Offroadster

The BMW Z3 roadster was released in 1995 as the German answer to Chrysler's Jeep offerings...wait...that isn't right.  The Jeep isn't a roadster. At least, I don't think it was.  Define: Roadster; road·ster ˈrōdstər/ noun noun: roadster; an open-top automobile with two seats.  historical- a horse for use on the road.  A Wrangler has two seats, (that bench in the back hardly counts) and an open top...so I guess it IS a roadster.  Anyway, lifted Z3 was the perfect answer to the Jeep but this is the only one I could find for sale.  Find this 1997 BMW Z3 Offroadster offered for $2,800 in Denver, PA.  Tip from the Hack Mechanic.

Mid Week Match-Up: Something Less Sketchy

This week's Mid Week Match-Up comes from reader OGwagon who writes:

My girl's Toyota 2002 Corolla is getting too sketchy to drive after doing a 720 on the 101 that ended in an unhappy meeting with the guardrail following a deluge last December. Being located in the Bay Area there seems to be a plethora of cool interesting rides to choose from.

Nissan Turbo Power: 1999 BMW Z3

BMW's E36/7 generation Z3 was the first introduced in 1995 with a 1.8 and 1.9 liter 4-cylinder engine as Bavaria's answer to a buyer who wanted a nicer version of the MX-5 Miata.  It was (and still is) a good looking car, with proper proportions and available inline-6 that made decent power, but someone decided it needed a Nissan Turbo engine.  Find this 1999 BMW Z3 with Nissan CA18DET power offered for $5,500 in Chicago, IL via craigslist.

Simple Roadster: 1998 BMW M Roadster

The E36/7 generation BMW M Roadster was the first time BMW used their vaunted M badging on a 2-door roadster.  It combined the best attributes of the E30 M3 and E36 M3 sports cars with fun in the sun attitude, and today they couldn't be cheaper.  Find this 1998 BMW M Roadster offered for $5,750 in Las Vegas, NV via craigslist.

Repeat Offender: 1990 Mazda MX-5 Z3 Clone

Let's prepare for the new year by rehashing a few cars that were on the pages earlier this year, but are still (surprisingly) for sale. The attitude of "it's my car, and I can do what I want" is commendable and perfectly acceptable when you are building your next/current ride.  Seriously, you'll never hear me second guessing someone's choice of powertrain when they are building a 13B rotary powered Cadillac DeVille, but you might hear something when you try to sell the car to the next guy...particularly if you ask 500CID V8 in an RX-5 money for your wrong-way swap.  Speaking of "the wrong way", check out this 1990 Mazda Miata MX-Z3 offered for $20,000 in Commack, NY via hemmings.  Tip from Russ.

Fits In A Shoe Box: 2000 BMW Z3 M Coupe

The Z3 M Coupe, affectionately called the clown shoe, was a hardtop version of BMW's Z3 M Roadster.  These coupes were built in limited numbers and are highly sought after by BMW fanboys, to you can expect the values to skyrocket like the E30 M3 in a few years...or not...I'm no Nostradamus.  Find this 2000 BMW Z3 M Coupe offered for $17,999 located on the Cincinnati, OH craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

15k: Butternut Squash: 1999 BMW M Coupe

Genius isn't always recognized in its time.  Vincent Van Gogh only sold 2 of his 2,000+ artistic creations during his lifetime, and committed suicide at age 37 due to his lack of financial success.  Legendary writer Edgar Allen Poe was similarly unsuccessful during his lifetime (found dead in a Alley at 40), but has become one of the most studied American short story authors of his time.  Automobiles have had similar experiences, with examples languishing at dealer lots when new, but scooped up under the intoxicating lights of a BarrettJackson/Mecum auction decades later and BMW's Z3 M-Clownshoe is a great example.  Find this 1999 BMW M Coupe offered for $17,000 near New Haven, CT via craigslist.  Tip from John.

20k: BMW Z3 + GM V6 = 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata?

The first generation (NA) Mazda MX-5 Miata was sold from 1989 through 1999 in various parts of the world.  Its Shunji Tanaka design is clean and simple, evoking classic British roadsters (Lotus Elan!) while bringing contemporary style.  However, in the bearded Spock universe the MX-5 is powered by a GM V6 and looks a lot like a BMW Z3.  Find this evil 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata offered for $20,000 here on hemmings.  Tip from Gianni.

15k: Super Swap Saturday, Late Model: 1998 BMW Z3 with LS1 V8

Let's wrap up Super Swap Saturday with a bang!  We'll bring our celebration of engines swaps to a conclusion the right way...with an LS1 swap.  Is it cliché?  Sure, but the LS1 cliché is forgivable if it is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.  Find this 1998 BMW Z3 with LS1 V8 currently bidding for $7,100 reserve-not-met with $16,500 buy-it-now with 2 days to go, located in Maysville, GA.

5k: Agility, À la Carte: S52-powered BMW Z3

Starting in 1998, BMW's M Roadster took the Z3's sporting aesthetics and added commensurate performance thanks to the E36 M3's S52 inline-6. Pitted against the Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMG, the Roadster was louder, rougher, slower, and, at about $46,000, almost $10,000 cheaper. Prices today are stuck in the $8k-$12k range for Roadsters and a soul-crushingly expensive $22k+ for Coupes/Clownshoes. But if you can put up with the base Z3's styling and just-okay handling, that 240-horsepower, sweet-revving six can be had if you know where to look. Find this S52-powered 1997 BMW Z3 in New Orleans, LA for $4,700 via craigslist. 

15k: ZedVette: 1997 BMW Z3 with LS1 V8

The Z3 was BMW's first foray into the mass manufacture of a roadster product, although BMW had sold a few notable roadsters in the past, including the crazy drop door Z1 and hauntingly beautify 507.  The non-M Z3 earned an undeserved reputation as being a bit of a hairdresser's car, so you might understand why someone would want to shove a Corvette sourced V8 under the hood and go looking for trouble.  Find this 1997 BMW Z3 with LS1 V8 for sale in Santa Monica, CA for $15,000 via craigslist.

10k: 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe

Another shooting brake? Surely we must be joking! In the immortal words of Leslie Nielsen, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." This marks the second coupe/wagon mash-up we have featured on Daily Turismo thus far. On the other hand, it's our 8th BMW - trust us, we're not pricks - they just happen to provide a great mix of balanced chassis dynamics and woeful depreciation. Today's victim is this 1999 Z3 Coupe (not the M Coupe!) currently up on ebay in Seattle, WA for $10,900, "Buy it Now" price.