Drove a 2000 M Roadster yesterday

[JulesMaximus]

A friend of mine just bought it, the car only has 36k miles on it and it is in great shape. It is reasonably fast, handles well and has excellent brakes but I wasn't overly impressed with the car. It rattled quite a bit and the chassis had a lot of flex...probably due in part to the fact that it is a convertible.

The engine runs smoothly and has very even power delivery all the way to redline but the shifter was very notchy, not smooth at all and it was downright hard to get into reverse.

I loved the interior design, with the exception of the rattles...I thought BMWs were supposed to be tight. The seats are very supportive and I love the round chrome ringed gauges.

The car is Estoril blue with blue/black interior and it looks dead sexy especially with the top down. I love the curves, especially the muscular rear fenders which house those wide rear wheels. This car looks so much better than the current M coupe/roadster.

 

[Dman877]

With just 36k on it, you wouldn't expect many rattles. My dad recently bought a Z3 2.8 (2000) with over 40k on it and it didn't seem to rattle. Maybe someone took that thing to the track?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Dman877
With just 36k on it, you wouldn't expect many rattles. My dad recently bought a Z3 2.8 (2000) with over 40k on it and it didn't seem to rattle. Maybe someone took that thing to the track?

Sounded like the glovebox mostly. It rattled constantly, that would drive me crazy on a daily basis.

Yeah, it might have been tracked. You never really know with a used car.

 

[DivideBYZero]

My M3 transmission is notchy as fuck when cold. It's a Getrag thing. Get used to it!

 

[chris7b]

M's tend to have a lot of creaks and rattle. Probably due to their stiffer suspension.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: chris7b
M's tend to have a lot of creaks and rattle. Probably due to their stiffer suspension.

Mine is rattle free, but then I have a coupe. The scuttle shake on the Z3 is probably causing most of the rattles and squeaks. 'verts are nasty sometimes, but you put up with them for the times they pay it back.

 

[Jahee]

I thought they only made those things in hard top

 

[AdamK47]

A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

It is NOT an M roadster then. It's a Z3 3.0i, M sport at most.

The Z4, while slated for asthetics, has a more dynamic drive than the Z3.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

It is NOT an M roadster then. It's a Z3 3.0i, M sport at most.

The Z4, while slated for asthetics, has a more dynamic drive than the Z3.

In the US, we only got the S52 for 99/00, then in 01/02 they put in the s54.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: mariok2006

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

It is NOT an M roadster then. It's a Z3 3.0i, M sport at most.

The Z4, while slated for asthetics, has a more dynamic drive than the Z3.

In the US, we only got the S52 for 99/00, then in 01/02 they put in the s54.

Yeah, I was unimpressed with the power. I thought it would be faster but it was only after I looked it up later that I learned this was the 240hp version. It was definitely an M Roadster though. It had all the M badging, M exhaust, the widened rear fenders and wider tires/wheels.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: mariok2006

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

It is NOT an M roadster then. It's a Z3 3.0i, M sport at most.

The Z4, while slated for asthetics, has a more dynamic drive than the Z3.

In the US, we only got the S52 for 99/00, then in 01/02 they put in the s54.

Yeah, I was unimpressed with the power. I thought it would be faster but it was only after I looked it up later that I learned this was the 240hp version. It was definitely an M Roadster though. It had all the M badging, M exhaust, the widened rear fenders and wider tires/wheels.

Maybe the person he bought it off of put on all those badges/fenders/wheels/tires on it to sell it as an M. I've seen worse happen.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: mariok2006

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

It is NOT an M roadster then. It's a Z3 3.0i, M sport at most.

The Z4, while slated for asthetics, has a more dynamic drive than the Z3.

In the US, we only got the S52 for 99/00, then in 01/02 they put in the s54.

Yeah, I was unimpressed with the power. I thought it would be faster but it was only after I looked it up later that I learned this was the 240hp version. It was definitely an M Roadster though. It had all the M badging, M exhaust, the widened rear fenders and wider tires/wheels.

Maybe the person he bought it off of put on all those badges/fenders/wheels/tires on it to sell it as an M. I've seen worse happen.

I doubt it. They aren't worth all that much more than a Z3 with the 2.8l engine. You'd never get your money out of a conversion like that and decent low mileage used ones aren't all that difficult to find. The coupe on the other hand seems to be pretty rare...especially 2001 and on when the 315hp engine from the E46 3 series was introduced.

I did enjoy driving it though. I love convertibles despite their obvious shortcomings, which is why I am particularly fond of the Lotus Elise. You get open top fun but you also get supercar humiliating performance on any road with curves.

 

[Cobalt]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AdamK47
A fellow co-worker/car guy who sits near me at work is looking to get one. He's into small roadsters. He owes me a spirited ride in it after he gets it.

This was the 240hp version. I suspect the 315hp version is much more...spirited and in coupe form should have a much better chassis for track days. The vert would obviously be heavier and more prone to flex.

The car I drove was not nearly as good as the Lotus Elise though. The Elise is much better balanced, faster and feedback through the chassis and steering is worlds better than the BMW. The BMW is more refined (depending on your point of view ) and certainly easier to get in and out of but that's about it. For the money I'd take the Lotus any day.

It is NOT an M roadster then. It's a Z3 3.0i, M sport at most.

The Z4, while slated for asthetics, has a more dynamic drive than the Z3.

They put in the S54 in 01, previous models were S52. The S54 powered cars didn't seem as fast as they should of been due to the gearing though...

 

[soydios]

my mother's BMW X3 has more rattles than my '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I thought that they were supposed to have tight chassis, too.

 

[spidey07]

That's strange. The M roadster is one of my favorite cars and there was no body flex in it at all. It drives like a go cart.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: soydios
my mother's BMW X3 has more rattles than my '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I thought that they were supposed to have tight chassis, too.

Interior rattles? Has nothing to do with chassis firmness.

 

[OS]

my buddy from HS has one also, but 2000 M coupe. Similar review, handles well, but feels powerful enough since his has couple of bolt ons.
Like you say though, the build quality is a touch lacking, and the chassis i kind of feel is dated. It seems to flex despite being coupe and does not have the billet solid chassis feel of current production cars. I don't think the coupe adds much rigidity, the design is kind of strange with the tiny B pillar, thus probably offering little additional bracing.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: OS
my buddy from HS has one also, but 2000 M coupe. Similar review, handles well, but feels powerful enough since his has couple of bolt ons.
Like you say though, the build quality is a touch lacking, and the chassis i kind of feel is dated. It seems to flex despite being coupe and does not have the billet solid chassis feel of current production cars. I don't think the coupe adds much rigidity, the design is kind of strange with the tiny B pillar, thus probably offering little additional bracing.

in the Z4, the coupe adds nothing to rigidity and weighs more than the convertible. That's because the coupe is just a convertible with a top, and uses the same chassis bracing already present in the drop top.

 

[BarneyFife]

Originally posted by: soydios
my mother's BMW X3 has more rattles than my '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I thought that they were supposed to have tight chassis, too.

I believe the X series and Z series are both built down south. One of my theories has been if you are going to buy a German car, buy one that is made in Germany.

Just like the Mercedes, the M, GL, and R are built in the US.

 

[exdeath]

Originally posted by: soydios
my mother's BMW X3 has more rattles than my '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I thought that they were supposed to have tight chassis, too.

Tight chassis for higher performance = more bumps and rattles being transmitted into the body of the car = more road noise and working things loose over time.

The higher performance the car and the more you drive it on crappy public roads, the more squeaks and rattles you will develop over time. This is true for any street car with any semblance of tight suspension, be it a Mustang, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Miata, etc.

The only exception are pure race cars that don't really have much in the way of interior or superfluous baggage to really rattle loose in the first place.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I wonder if they make some type of subframe connectors for those cars, to tighten everything up.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife

Originally posted by: soydios
my mother's BMW X3 has more rattles than my '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I thought that they were supposed to have tight chassis, too.

I believe the X series and Z series are both built down south. One of my theories has been if you are going to buy a German car, buy one that is made in Germany.

Just like the Mercedes, the M, GL, and R are built in the US.

The couple who own the M Roadster also own an X5 and I've driven that vehicle as well. It is very tight, probably the nicest SUV I've ever driven in fact.

 

[Cobalt]

The X3 is made in the US and that's why it is garbage, most all the other BMWs are made in Germany. I believe some 1 series and 3 series production will be starting in the US and Mexico.