Z3 COUPE 2.8 In RHD ?

[KIDDLE]

Guys ...
Seen a car on the auto trader stated as a z3 coupe 2.8 RHD ...
I thought only Left hookers were made .. thinking of it for a track day car ..
It looks ok on pictures, but is a few miles away and wanted any expert out there to give me an idea that it is okay ...
Car is on an R plate 1998, silver and has the M body and kit rather than the coupe kit, inside has the coupe / M mixed so thinking it is a made up job???

Any one here live near to Chester ... want to look it over for me and see what it is?

Cheers
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_popup.asp?modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&make=&model=ANY&variant=z3m&keywords=&min_pr=75&max_pr=1000000&mileage=&agerange=&postcode=nr35+1dy&miles=1500&max_records=50&source=0&photo=1&sort=5&ukcarsearch_full=SEARCH&start=9&distance=188&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200618234174616

[Greenbat]

Kiddle I live in Chester, will give the seller a shout tomorrow and see if its still available.

Greenbat

PM if you want

[BEN]

i looked at this too!
its had a lot of money spent to get it to M spec!

i have seen Z3 Coupes with the M rear wheels on, but because of the rear the wheels stick out too far! the insode is the same as all the others!
that with the fact its RHD was gonna call just to ask some questions! for the money it would cost you that for a 2.8 roadster bit of a bargain me thinks!

still weird!

[c_w]

That IS a strange car!! I think a 2.8 Coupe would be quite a nice car and for that price definitely worth looking at.

It says 2.8 but everything on it looks like M Coupe (gills, front and rear bumper, brakes, wheels, exhaust, mirrors etc). Even the tailgate looks right as the 2.8 and 3.0 had the reg plate in the rear bumper and the tailgate was plain smooth. Only the dash looks like the old style Z3 Roadster.

I was always under the impression there were no RHD 2.8s though as Europe and the US got the 2.8s but these were all LHD?

[BEN]

unless its from somewhere like malta, cyprus, SA or maybe tonga!

[Edd]

could be from Japan

[KIDDLE]

So how hard do you guys think it would be to drop in the M lump ... that is the plan if it seems okay ... an M for the track ... at a price that is cheap as chips so to speak ! ...

[BEN]

an engine will cost you between £2-3k plus fitting and £500 for the old lump!

stu, you have to much money, it would be easier to get a roadster and strip it out!!!!

[gerry]

But it woud'nt look as cool :cry:

[c_w]

Nor be best suited to track IMO, with a lot less chassis stiffness etc, unless you had a roll cage that braced the whole car.

If I was to do an engine change on that 2.8 Coupe I'd fit the 3.0 or possibly leave the 2.8 in. The 2.8 engine is lighter than the M Coupe engine, the car is 100kg lighter which helps for trackdays.

The other thing is that the 2.8 engine is restricted from the factory to 193bhp and it seems quite easy to get low 200s bhp, some people have got 250bhp out of it which if you look at the lighter weight and probability of a 3.2 M engine making around 300bhp instead of 321bhp then there might not be much difference in straight line performance.

[BEN]

good call!

[fastdrive]

Nor be best suited to track IMO, with a lot less chassis stiffness etc, unless you had a roll cage that braced the whole car.

If I was to do an engine change on that 2.8 Coupe I'd fit the 3.0 or possibly leave the 2.8 in. The 2.8 engine is lighter than the M Coupe engine, the car is 100kg lighter which helps for trackdays.

The other thing is that the 2.8 engine is restricted from the factory to 193bhp and it seems quite easy to get low 200s bhp, some people have got 250bhp out of it which if you look at the lighter weight and probability of a 3.2 M engine making around 300bhp instead of 321bhp then there might not be much difference in straight line performance.
Sincereley i drive one time the 2.8 and never tell to compared to mine M version!
It goes same a clio rs,also i think the clio goes fastes! :)

[Greenbat]

Test drove the car today. It happened to be the same car that I have seen around a few times. And even to me I could not tell the difference from afar.

Anyway the car was (he thinks) bought by a British soldier based in Germany hence the import but RHD.

Exhaust note suprisingly very close to that off an MC, but not as responsive or quick as an MC. I think from 3rd gear onwards it will be see ya!

Greenbat

Kiddle you have a PM

[Not a Diesel!!!]

Always wondered why BMW did not make this car in RHD.

I love M Coupe but cannot bring myself to swallow expense for performace I would use so rarely.

As the owner of a (tweaked) 328 Sport Coupe this would be ideal move. This engine realy does rev once the restrictions are lifted.

Any thoughts on how you would insure it? Would it default to M Coupe insurance as it is the dead spit?

I remember when I owned a LHD E30 M3 I dreaded the question.... Is the car std UK Spec RHD?

[harry_wy]

Ive got a 328 coupe too, thinkin of de restrictin it. Any idea's????

[BEN]

yeah
e36coupe.com