Sometimes there are very rare and special modern collector cars that can seem to get lost in the shuffle. This happens most often when the manufacturer does not fully promote the specific model or there is a more popular model that simply overshadows it. These great cars go overlooked for years until someone with influence in the hobby ends up buying one and giving it exposure and singing its praises. Our Pick of the Day is, to my eyes, the most beautiful as well as one of the rarest standard production BMW M cars ever built. This 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Pompano Beach, Florida.
The E85/86 Z4 was BMWs replacement for the Z3 and like the Z3 was built in the U.S. at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The first generation of the Z4 was designed by Anders Warming, who also was responsible for the second-generation X3 and was also part of the team who designed the almost mythic E39 M5. The Z4 was introduced at the 2002 Paris Auto show and went on sale in November of that year.
At the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show, BMW unveiled a concept coupé version of the Z4. That design has been credited to the aforementioned Anders Warming, BMW Design Chief Chris Bangle, Adrian van Hooydonk, and BMW designer Tomasz Sycha. I suppose great designs have many folks who want to be attached to them but I know how the design process at BMW works and I am sure every designer on the above list had a hand in the design of the coupe. The production version of Z4 M Coupe was introduced at the New York Auto Show in April 2006 and went on sale less than two months later.
I can add some personal impressions of both cars as I currently own a Z3 and have owned a Z4 roadster and have a lot of time behind the wheel of the Z4 M Coupe as well. While I prefer exterior design of the Z3 roadster, the Z4 is a better driver’s car in every way. It has more interior room while only being 2.5 inches long and 3 inches wider than the Z3. The Z4 is also much better dynamically and has one of the strongest chassis of any roadster I have ever driven. This makes the Z4 a car that offers amazing handling and little (if any) chassis flex. Think about that and then imagine the coupe version. Adding the stunning fastback roof to the Z4 Coupe literally double the torsional stiffness of the roadster, making it one of the best-handling BMW road cars I have ever driven.
This Z4 Coupe is an M version, which means it’s a good car made even better. The 330-horsepower S54 inline-six has 80 horses more than the standard 3.0si coupe version. This gave the M Coupe a 0-60 sprint of 4.6 seconds, which was a second faster than the standard Z4. In addition, the M version had wider tires, a firmer suspension, bigger brakes, and an even better exhaust note. It is a car that can easily do track and daily driving duty, and do both without and compromises.
The performance offered by the Z4 M Coupe is only part of what makes this car so desirable. The styling of the Z4 is, in my opinion, one of BMW’s finest designs in the history of the company. The fastback roof, combined with the quasi-Zagato “double bubble” roof styling cues, all work to make the Z4 Coupe perfectly proportioned. It’s practically the template for the car that looks fast standing still.
The seller describes this Z4 M Coupe as having covered a total of 61k miles from new. It is finished in Titanium Silver Metallic over a Dark Sepang Brown Leather interior, a combination I have never seen before but one that looks fabulous, especially combined with the brushed aluminum interior trim.
Options on this Z4 include M Sport Seats, M Sport multifunction steering wheel, heated power seats with memory, Storage package, Smokers package, Premium Hi-Fi audio system (this system has to be heard to be believed), and Xenon headlights with auto-leveling and washers. Happily, this car did not come with navigation, which makes the dash look both cleaner and more classic.
Both the exterior and interior of this Z4 look to be in exceptional condition. I looked at the photos multiple times and could not find anything that needed any attention whatsoever. I would ask the dealer about the service history of this car, as it likely has the records but don’t say so in the ad. Remember, this Z4 Coupe is a true M car and regular servicing is necessary.
Of all the more modern German collectibles out there today, the Z4 M Coupe is one of those cars that has not quite caught on yet. These Bimmers are quite rare with a total worldwide production of only 1,815 built. To add to this car’s rarity, this Z4 M coupe is one of only two cars built in Titanium Silver with the Dark Sepang Brown Leather interior. This makes the asking price for this car at only $38,298 seem like a no-brainer. If you think that sounds crazy, consider that amount is less than a E46 M3 in the same condition. Not only does the Z4 M Coupe look better, but it is also faster than the M3 and much rarer. That makes this 2007 Z4 M Coupe one of the best BMW M car deals on the market and the one I would buy myself.
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