# My new motor......(Z3 M Coupe, aka "Breadvan")



## Neil (May 7, 2002)

Finally got my hands on one (been looking for a while), and it's f#ckin awesome!! [smiley=dude.gif] [smiley=dude.gif]

2002 "52" reg, S54 (later engine, only about 70 RHD MC's made with this engine), Imola Red, 10k miles.

Loving it so far, though going to a NA 3.2 RWD car from the relative security of the 4WD quattro of the TT is somewhat of a different experience!

Anyway, a couple of pics:


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## davidg (Sep 14, 2002)

Cant see pics


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

davidg said:


> Cant see pics


oh, b0llox!

Even if you refresh? Just links to fotki, and seems OK on my screen.


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

Any better?


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## coupe-sport (May 7, 2002)

Nice car - good to see something a bit more unusual.

James.


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## stephengreen (May 6, 2002)

Dont care much for the shape, not my cup of tea. But i reckon the wheels dont help it any! they look f*cking horrible (IMO)


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

I like them.

Please go careful. Every trackday I've been on where one of these has been there, it's ended up in the wall! 

Last year at the 'ring I told this to a guy we went with who had a Z3M after we'd finished driving and told him it was the first time I hadn't seen one binned. He then told me that another one had been. It was the one on the Top Gear film at the 'ring.

It seems these cars bite!

Enjoy but be careful.


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## Wolfsburger (Oct 21, 2002)

I love these cars!

Enjoy


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

scoTTy said:


> Please go careful. Every trackday I've been on where one of these has been there, it's ended up in the wall!
> 
> It seems these cars bite!


Yeah, I know that they had got a bit of a reputation, but I've no intention of just going out and ragging it from day 1 without due consideration of the potential consequences! I'll learn slowly about the capabilities of the car, and of having the 325 horses powered by the rear wheels.

I know it doesn't save a complete nutter, but the fact that mine has DSC obviously helps. Also, a birthday present to myself in the next couple of months will be a day with Don Palmer or something equivalent, to learn the limits of the car, before I go anywhere near a track with it :roll:

It will be the start of a new driving adventure, and I'll learn it slowly (and therefore try not to end up in a wall! :wink: )


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

ps. I think part of the problem is people thinking "oh, it's a BMW, I'll be fine to just floor it everywhere, brake in corners, etc etc" and they then come unstuck.

A bit of respect is needed me thinks. There's no way that it's more likely to end up in a wall than, say, a TVR (IMHO), but people automatically treat the TVR with more respect from the off. (no offence to TVR drivers, it was just the one that came to mind :wink: ).


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

Congrats - fantastic car. I've always wanted to drive one of these - I actually even like the shape - looks totally different from everything else on the road.

I've also recently moved from 4WD to RWD and it's so much more fun. 8)


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## r1 (Oct 31, 2002)

Nice.

Thought about one of these myself last time I changed cars...I love the looks of these - agressive and different.

Enjoy.


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## jonno (May 7, 2002)

Nice choice - leftfield, but interesting.

325bph, obviously an MPower 6, but is that a detuned E46 M3 unit or tuned e36 M3 ? - lots of mods about for both units.
Suspect servicing and tyres = Â£ [smiley=bigcry.gif]

Not that it matters much, I'm sure it'll be lots of fun.


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

> but is that a detuned E46 M3 unit or tuned e36 M3 ?


It's a detuned E46 M3.



> Suspect servicing and tyres = Â£ [smiley=bigcry.gif]


mmm, not cheap. The Inspection 1 that the dealer did before I bought it was Â£580  At least that means I won't have to do another one for a while (and the next one is just an oil service anyway).
Tyres won't be too bad, only 17's, but if you mean because I'll get thought them quickly then you're probably right :roll:



> I'm sure it'll be lots of fun.


oh yes, sure is


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## wesTT29 (May 22, 2004)

I really like these but have never had a chance to try and sit in one - I cannot fit in the roadster.

I saw a 120 Sport in red the other day and realised that it looked like a Z3 Coupe that someone had inflated!


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## jonno (May 7, 2002)

neil1003 said:


> It's a detuned E46 M3.


Ah, nice unit.
You might know there is a recall notice on some - see http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/forum_ ... e46+recall for info.


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

yeah, I know about the recall, but it doesn't apply to the M Coupe's, even though they also have the S54 engine :?

BMW say the recall isn't relevant to the M Coupe's as the engine is not exactly the same, so don't suffer from the same problems. Much debate about this on the M Coupe forum, to the extent that some say that a certain "batch" of build dates within the S54 group are specifically affected, but the official line from BMW is that the recall has nothing to do with the S54 M Coupe engine.


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## jonno (May 7, 2002)

Interesting, not sure if I *totally* buy the BM line on that, but since there are far more m3s than breadvans, there may be something in it.

Induction and exhaust mods planned yet ? 8)


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

jonno said:


> Interesting, not sure if I *totally* buy the BM line on that


Me neither, and nor do many of the other owners! Mine's under BMW warranty anyway, so if it does blow up I'll just get another engine :roll:



> Induction and exhaust mods planned yet ? 8)


Nope, not yet. Give me chance! Only just got the thing :wink:


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Nice. I thought you'd all but given up on the idea.

I've never liked the Z3, but for some reason the looks of the coupe have always done it for me. Even better with M power. :twisted:

How much?


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

Kell said:


> Nice. I thought you'd all but given up on the idea.


LOL, I had pretty much given up! Out of force of habit I was looking at Autotrader and this one jumped out at me. Obviously it was meant to be! :roll:



> I've never liked the Z3, but for some reason the looks of the coupe have always done it for me. Even better with M power. :twisted:


Ditto. Really never liked the Z3, but always loved the coupe. Strange really I guess :?



> How much?


How much do I like it? A lot!!! Oh, you mean how much did it cost? Â£26k.


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## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

I have always loved this car, if I could afford to I'd buy one and spirit it away, bringing it out only for track days and weekend fun.

If its not too rude a question, what did it cost?


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

Very nice . My S2K lives in an underground garage when parked at home and its shared with a veriety of cars, one of them being a gorgeous Black breadvan with red leather.

I always wonder what kind of status they might hold on the road now if BMW didn't wank the image up with the shit engine roadsters, and just stuck with the 2 M versions (roadster & coupe)?


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

kmpowell said:


> Very nice . My S2K lives in an underground garage when parked at home and its shared with a veriety of cars, one of them being a gorgeous Black breadvan with red leather.
> 
> I always wonder what kind of status they might hold on the road now if BMW didn't wank the image up with the shit engine roadsters, and just stuck with the 2 M versions (roadster & coupe)?


Ahh... so that's where Audi nicked their TT marketing policy.

FWIW the S4 would be a far better ownership prospect if Audi hadn't released a number of crappy A4 derivatives... :lol:


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

Carlos said:


> If its not too rude a question, what did it cost?


Why not have a look at the post above yours? :wink: :roll:


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## markh (May 6, 2002)

I like these. Nice.

Enjoy


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Nice car Neil 

Unusual in red, a work colleague has a silver one and I've seen black, but never a red.
No need to say "enjoy"....it sounds as though you are!

Jackie x


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## stephengreen (May 6, 2002)

scoTTy said:


> I like them.
> 
> Please go careful. Every trackday I've been on where one of these has been there, it's ended up in the wall!
> 
> ...


 In other words you like the wheels dont like the shape, and they have a handling problem which = shit car. Why dont you just come out and say it! :wink:


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

Can any one else see how the above assumptions came from my post? :roll:

p.s. I did see the smiley but I don't get the joke! :wink:


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## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

neil1003 said:


> Carlos said:
> 
> 
> > If its not too rude a question, what did it cost?
> ...


Yes but how much did it cost? :wink:


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## TTwiggy (Jul 20, 2004)

nice 'leftfield' choice!

you've got me looking at M roadsters now (which are actually cheaper than the equivelent coupe).... as I'll probably never be able to afford a Z8 this could be the way forward!....... enjoy your new toy!


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## TVR_Man (May 21, 2002)

Ah, a proper car that you have to drive yourself. Lovely motors and they really shift - one nearly out-ran my old Chimaera (I reckon I only kept up because it's easier to follow than lead).

Be ultra careful on cold tyres as it'll swap ends very easily with too much gogo juice. Watch out for white lines on the road too - if you're a biker you'll know what I mean. My TVR broke traction at 85mph in 3rd due to me touching one recently (right in the power band - 3rd goes to 110+ mph on the T350). Luckily I was feathering the throttle.

I think sir needs something smooth and 18 inches from the Kahn range ...


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## b3ves (May 6, 2002)

scoTTy said:


> I like them.
> 
> Please go careful. Every trackday I've been on where one of these has been there, it's ended up in the wall!
> 
> ...


and he's since binned his on a roundabout in Bristol


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

b3ves said:


> scoTTy said:
> 
> 
> > I like them.
> ...


mmm, fair points, but I think a lot of this reputation does come down to people thinking.....



neil1003 said:


> ......"oh, it's a BMW, I'll be fine to just floor it everywhere, brake in corners, etc etc" and they then come unstuck.
> 
> A bit of respect is needed me thinks. There's no way that it's more likely to end up in a wall than, say, a TVR (IMHO), but people automatically treat the TVR with more respect from the off. (no offence to TVR drivers, it was just the one that came to mind :wink: ).


I know the car ain't no saint, and if you provoke it it will bite. But the same could be said of others, eg. there's been a few threads (or links to them) of people putting their S2000's into ditches, or the guy with the long-term Evo (in Evo mag) who wrapped his round a lamp-post or something similar, guy I work with binned his 996 round a roundabout, etc etc.

I'm going into it with my eyes open, and hope to become a better driver for it. I have got the DSC (but that is no excuse for bad driving), one of my 1st mods will probably be to fit front and rear strut braces (experience of other owners is that they make a huge difference to the handling, and at about Â£500 for the pair are not exactly expensive), and I will taking some tuition in it well before I ever really cane it or take it on a track.

With the recent sh1te weather, the TT has had much more use than anticipated recently - much as I want to use the MC, I'm taking it slowly and not using it on the windy country roads / no street lighting / icy conditions that are often prevalent on my route to work at 8 in the morning.

Welcome all your comments though :wink:  (I just hope you're not proved to be right :roll: )


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## gcp (Aug 8, 2002)

Excellent choice IMO, never seen red before most common seem to be estoril blue. Like many others I love the breadvan but dislike the roadster.

I think this will be a car to keep as they already have a cult following.

I'd like a passenger ride if we ever meet up please, especially at a track.


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## dj c225 (Nov 3, 2004)

Lovely car mate!

321bhp 8)

I was looking at a roadster version before the TT, maybe its a shame i didnt buy one 

So many cars that i want, not enough time, space, money!


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