2nd Owner
History
What makes the E36/8 M coupe unique?
The M coupe is the BMW M-developed version of the Z3 coupe . It uses one of three 24-valve six-cylinder engines originally developed by BMW M for the E36 M3 and E46 M3. It also has an M-tuned chassis and several unique cosmetic parts.
Where was the E36/8 M coupe first introduced?
The M coupe was first unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt motor show, though production did not begin until the following year.
Where was the E36/8 M coupe produced?
Like all Z3-based cars, every M coupe was assembled at the Spartanburg, South Carolina factory. The drivetrain was assembled in Germany and mated with the rest of the car at Spartanburg.
What led to the development of the E36/8 M coupe?
The M coupe was developed under the leadership of engineer Burkhard Goschel with the intention of adding increased torsional and structural rigidity to the Z3 roadster chassis. The development team had a hard time convincing the Board of Directors to approve the model for production, but it was eventually given the green light as long as it remained cost-effective to produce. To achieve this goal, as many body panels as possible had to be shared with the roadster, thus the doors and everything from the A-pillar forward are interchangeable between the coupe and roadster, as are most interior parts.
Production Data
How many versions of the E36/8 M coupe were developed?
The original M coupes, with engines from the E36 M3, were built through June of 2000 in three different versions: European-specification ( S50 engine ) in both left- and right-hand drive, and North American-specification ( S52 engine ) in left-hand drive.
After having been discontinued for more than six months, a revised M coupe entered production in February of 2001. All three versions (European-spec/LHD, European-spec/RHD and North American-spec) utilize the S54 motor from the E46 M3.
How many of each version were produced?
ECE (S50, LHD): 2,178 produced from 04/98 through 06/2000
ECE (S50, RHD): 821 produced from 08/98 through 06/2000
NA (S52, LHD): 2,180 produced from 07/98 through 06/2000
ECE (S54, LHD): 269 produced from 02/2001 through 05/2002
ECE (S54, RHD): 165 produced from 02/2001 through 05/2002
NA (S54, LHD): 678 produced from 02/2001 through 05/2002
What changes were made to the E36/8 M coupe in April of 1999?
The following changes occurred to the M coupe at the start of the 2000 model year, which began as of April 1999 production:
-Chrome slats added to front "kidney" grilles
-Chrome headlight surrounds added
-Central locking upgraded to include the fuel door
-Airbags upgraded to two-stage ???smart??? versions
-Titanium Silver metallic (354) introduced in place of Arctic Silver metallic (309)
-Oxford Green II metallic (430) introduced in place of Boston Green metallic (275)
What changes were made to the E36/8 M coupe in February of 2001?
An updated M coupe entered production in February of 2001 with the following changes or additions:
-More powerful and advanced S54 engine for all markets (developed for the E46 M3)
-3.15:1 final drive for all markets
-Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) introduced
-Low tire pressure monitoring system introduced
-Revised gauges with gray backgrounds and revised graphics
-Reshaped rearview mirror with chrome surround and auto-dimming functiion
-Curved exterior M badges
-Chrome Shadow finish for the RoadStar alloy wheels
-Evergreen (358), Dakar Yellow II (337) and Cosmos Black metallic (303) paints discontinued
-Laguna Seca Blue (448), Phoenix Yellow metallic (445), Steel Gray metallic (400) and Black Sapphire matallic (475) paints available
-Evergreen + Black Nappa leather (Q6EV) and Kyalami Orange + Black Nappa leather (Q6KY) interiors discontinued
-Laguna Seca Blue + Black Nappa leather (Q6LS) and Kiwi + Black Nappa leather (Q6OV) interiors available (NOTE: Kiwi + Black Nappa leather not offered in North America)
How is the Canadian-spec E36/8 M coupe different from the U.S. version?
Aside from minor changes to the instruments, the addition of daytime running lights and slight differences in equipment (standard "floating" brake rotors, optional headlight
washers), the Canadian-spec M coupe is identical to the U.S. model.
Drivetrain
What are the differences between the S50 and S52 engines?
The North American-spec powerplant, known as the S52 , is based closely on the regular production M52 six-cylinder engine. Like that motor, it has a cast iron block, aluminum
cylinder head and four valves per cylinder, with two-stage VANOS variable valve timing on the intake strokes. Unique to the S52 , however, is a larger bore of 86.4mm and a
longer stroke of 89.6mm for a total displacement of 3,152cc. The engine is rated at 240 hp (SAE) at 6,000rpm and 236 lb/ft of torque at 3,800 rpm.
In addition to the larger displacement, the S52 utilizes the following special M components (compared to the M52):
-Ported and polished cylinder head
-Retuned VANOS variable valve timing for greater high-rpm power
-Heavy-duty valve springs
-More finely balanced camshafts
-Valve lifters, springs and spring seats with reduced mass
-Free-flowing intake and exhaust systems
The European-spec powerplant, known as the S50 B32 , is a much more exotic unit. Like the S52, it also contains an iron block and aluminum cylinder head with four valves per
cylinder. However, with a bore of 86.4mm and a stroke of 91mm, it has a total displacement of 3,201cc. The S50 B32 incorporates the following special features to allow it to
produce an impressive 321 hp (DIN) at 7,400rpm and 258 lb/ft of torque at 3,250 rpm:
-Individual throttle plates for each cylinder
-Increased compression ratio to 11.3:1
-Advanced BMW/Siemens MSS50 engine management system able to compute 20 million instructions per second
-Double VANOS continuously variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust strokes
-Lightweight pistons
-Dual-mass flywheel
-Graphite-coated conrods
-Larger inlet valves
-Second oil pump
What are the differences between the S50 and S54 engines?
The S54 powerplant of the later M roadsters is technically an evolution of the iron-block S50 B32 unit that is found in later Eruopean-spec E36 M3s, as well as all European-spec
M roadsters and M coupes built through June of 2000. The two motors develop similar peak power ratings: 321 hp (DIN) at 7,400 rpm and 258 lb/ft of torque at 3,250 rpm for
the S50 versus 325 hp (DIN) at 7,400 rpm and 261 lb/ft of torque at 4,900 rpm for the S54. However, they share few major components and differ in the following areas:
-Increased cylinder bore to 87mm (from 86.4mm) for a new total displacement of 3,246cc (from 3,201cc)
-Modified camshafts
-High pressure Double VANOS continuously variable valve timing system with faster operation at high rpm
-Increased compression to 11.5:1 (from 11.3:1)
-More advanced BMW/Siemens MSS 54 engine management control
-Finger-type rocker arms for reduced reciprocating mass and friction
-One-piece aluminum head casting for lighter weight
-Scavenging oil pump to maintain pressure during heavy cornering
The S50 B32 engine can be identified by the "BMW M Power" inscription on its cam cover, while the S54 motor contains only the "M" badge.
What types of electronic traction or stability control systems are fitted to the E36/8 M coupe?
All S50-powered M coupes are not equipped with any kind of electronic traction or stability control system. However, S52-powered M coupes are equipped with Automatic
Stability Control plus Traction (ASC+T) as standard equipment. The system applies the brakes and/or reduces engine power whenever sensors detect a loss of traction. ASC+T
can be deactivated via a switch on the center console.
A more advanced system known as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) is fitted to all S54-powered versions of the M coupe. In addition to minimizing traction loss like ASC+T, DSC
compensates for oversteer and understeer through manipulation of each individual brake as determined by sensors measuring steering angle, vehicle speed, cornering force,
brake pressure and the vehicle???s rotation around its vertical axis. The system is fully integrated with the BMW/Siemens MSS 54 engine management control, and its intervention
can also be switched off via a console-mounted button.
What kind of gearbox does the E36/8 M coupe have?
All M coupes use the ZF Type C five-speed manual gearbox with the following ratios: 4.21 (1), 2.49 (2), 1.66 (3), 1.24 (4), 1.00 (5). The final drive is either 3.23:1 (S52) or 3.15:1
(S50 and S54). A limited slip differential with a maximum locking of 25 percent is standard on all versions.
Chassis
How is the chassis of the E36/8 M coupe different from that of the standard Z3 coupe?
Like all Z3s, the M coupe???s suspension is made up of MacPherson struts in the front and semi-trailing arms in the rear. However, compared to the Z3 coupe, the M coupe has the
following modifications:
-Wider front and rear tracks (by 0.4-inches)
-Reduced ride height (by 1.1-inches)
-Modified front suspension geometry
-Firmer springs and shocks
-Thicker anti-roll bars
-Stronger semi-trailing arms
-Reinforced subframe
How much stiffer is the E36/8 M coupe platform compared to that of the E36/7 M roadster?
The M coupe has a static structural stiffness of 16,400 Newton-meters per degree of twist, which is 2.6 times as twist-resistant as the roadster. BMW claims this makes the structural stiffness higher than any other model it has ever produced. Dynamic stiffness is rated at 29.2 Hz, the same as an E36 M3 coupe.
How does the chassis of the S54-powered E36/8 M coupe differ from that of the earlier versions?
There are no chassis differences between the original M coupe and those with the later S54 engine.
What size brakes does the M coupe have?
The M coupe adopted the brakes from the contemporary E36 M3, four-wheel vented discs measuring 12.4-inches in the front and 12.3-inches in the rear. In addition, all M coupes except those produced for the U.S. market were equipped with two-piece ???floating??? front rotors .
Why was the U.S. market denied the floating front brake rotors?
The U.S. market was denied the more efficient two-piece rotors offered in the rest of the world because BMW of North America was concerned that, if not properly maintained, the rotors presented the possibility of failing, thus creating a legal liability. However, M coupes produced for the Canadian market were equipped with the floating rotors.
What are the factory wheel and tire sizes for the E36/8 M coupe?
All M coupes use the same size tires (225/45ZR17 in the front and 245/40ZR17 in the rear) mounted on one of two versions of the five-spoke "M RoadStar" alloy wheel . Both are sized 7.5x17-inch (front) and 9x17-inch (rear), but there are two distinct finishes: Early M coupes (S50 and S52 engines) feature a Chromeline finish, while the later models (S54 engine) utilize a darker Chrome Shadow finish.
Cosmetics
What distinguishes an E36/8 M coupe cosmetically from a normal Z3 coupe?
The M coupe is based on the Z3 coupe body, but adds a more aggressive front fascia with brake cooling ducts in place of foglights, unique side gill vents with the M logo , chrome windshield washer nozzles, curved M side-view mirrors , a lower rear bumper with four exposed exhaust tips and a repositioned rear license plate (located between the taillights
instead of within the bumper).
What differentiates the exterior of an S54-powered E36/8 M coupe from the earlier model?
Only two items differentiate the exterior of the S54-powered M coupe from that of the earlier versions: the Chrome Shadow finish of the M RoadStar alloy wheels and the subtly curved shape of the various M badges.
How does the North American-spec E36/8 M coupe differ cosmetically from the European version?
The North American-spec version of the M coupe is cosmetically very similar to the European version, but can be identified by its amber side marker lights in the front bumper, "free form" headlights in place of the ellipsoid units and twin side-mounted rear license plate illumination lights instead of the single bumper-mounted design.
What distinguishes the interior of an E36/8 M coupe from that of a normal Z3 coupe?
The interior of the M coupe features several unique items: a chrome-ringed instrument cluster featuring red needles and the M logo on the tachometer, three auxiliary chrome-ringed gauges in the center console, heated sport seats with special pleated leather trim (monotone black or two-tone), a 375mm three-spoke M steering wheel with tri-color stitching and color-matched accents, an illuminated M leather shift knob with the M logo on the shift pattern and a chrome boot surround, an oval-shaped rear-view mirror, Nappa leather door pulls and center console trim, chrome interior door handles and door sill plates with the "M" logo.
What differentiates the interior of an S54-powered E36/8 M coupes from that of the earlier models?
Compared to the earlier versions, the only significant alterations to the interior of the S54-powered M coupe are grey instrument faces with a revised typeface, plus a smaller rear-view mirror featuring a chrome surround and auto-dimming function.
How do the interiors of European-spec and North American-spec E36/8 M coupes differ?
The only major item that differs between European-spec and North American-spec M coupes is the instrumentation: On early (pre-S54) models, European-spec cars have a 280 kph/170 mph speedometer and a tachometer that reflects the 7,200-rpm redline of the S50 motor, while North American-spec models have a 160-mph/260 kph speedometer and a tachometer with a redline graduated between 6,500 and 7,000 rpm to reflect the variable redline of the S52 engine. And though all M coupes include an analog clock and oil temperature gauge in the center console, the auxiliary instrument panel of S50-powered M coupes contains an outside temperature display, while the auxiliary instrument panel of S52-powered M coupes contains a voltmeter.
On all S54-powered M coupes sold worldwide, the grey-faced instruments include a speedometer that is graduated up to 280 kph/170 mph, a tachometer with a 7,600-rpm redline and an outside temperature gauge in the auxiliary instrument cluster .
What factory options were offered on the E36/8 M coupe?
Depending on the market and production date, factory options for the M coupe included side airbags, headlight washers, power front seats, cruise control, rear partition net and cargo cover , power tilting moonroof, various radios and the Harmon/Kardon audio system.
Special Versions
Are there any special versions of the E36/8 M coupe?
Though no official special editions of the E36/8 M coupe were produced by BMW M GmbH, it is worth noting that each of the approximately 40 S54-powered examples sold in South Africa was equipped by the local importer with AC Schnitzer suspension, exhaust, short shift kit, shift knob and 18-inch.