Classifieds' Car Of The Day: Brutal BMW M Coupe

BMW has made so many stonking 'M' performance cars over the years that it's pretty difficult to pick a favourite. For us though, the Z3-based M Coupe is a strong candidate.

The quirky shooting brake-style 'breadvan' body isn't universally liked, but we love the way the M Coupe looks. It makes it one of the most distinctive BMW M cars ever made, and as BMW never sold a standard car with the Z3 coupe body in the UK, it's instantly recognisable as an M-powered monster.

Under the bonnet you get the same 3.2-litre straight six as used in the E36 M3. Earlier models sported 321bhp, while later editions had a minuscule boost to 325bhp. That makes the M Coupe good for 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds (or 5.1 in later cars), and an electronically limited 155mph top speed. It's a more brutal drive than the M3 - the Z3 chassis is a much more crude affair, and early cars came without traction control.

It's rare too. According to How Many Left only 570 M Coupes were licensed in the UK, with only 503 left on these shores.

Tempted? Make sure the engine is in good order - these power plants have a few common issues that could prove expensive. This example from 2000 has 83,000 miles on the clock and is up for £11,000. That sounds like a lot when you compare it to a similar age M3, but the M Coupe is far cooler, and that rarity will keep used values strong.