It’s Christmas Eve here in the U.S., and I hope you’ve finalized holiday plans and got your tree looking as spiffy as possible if you choose to celebrate. Like many enthusiasts, in lieu of a White Christmas, I’d love to go for a drive tomorrow — although frankly here in the Pacific Northwest, that seems unlikely. Either way, it’s the perfect time to celebrate arguably one of the greatest gifts BMW has ever given the enthusiast: the BMW M Coupe. Or as you may know it, the “clown shoe.” And in fact, this particular shoe happens to be my very own 1999 BMW M Coupe.
About My BMW M Coupe
Never seen an M Coupe? You aren’t alone; my car enthusiast father had no idea what he was looking at when I sent him pictures, either. In fact, some people will probably go their whole life without seeing an M Coupe. After all, the car is exceptionally rare. My M Coupe is one of 1,076 cars made in 1999; over the five model years (1998-2002), only 2,858 cars were made for North America. My M Coupe is painted Boston Green, making it one of 73 for total production. Its Dark Beige Oregon upholstery — the most common upholstery choice for Boston Green cars — makes it one of 61. Being a U.S. car, it comes with the S52 engine — a bit neutered compared to the Euro S50 or the later S54 engine that BMW put in the car — but a sweetheart in its own right. In fact, prior E36 ownership largely put me at ease with buying the S52.
M Coupe Ownership Experience
While I bought the car sight unseen, I was fortunate enough to get a brief spell of seat time in a different M Coupe (funny enough, the same spec). I checked out the local car because I was ready to buy, but wasn’t sure about the seating position. An oddity of M Coupes is a fixed, non-adjustable steering wheel. It’s also a two-seater, so there’s only so much seat adjustment available. Anyway, driving the car leads me to the point I’m trying to make. The M Coupe has the distinction of being the single most attention-getting car I’ve ever driven, much less owned. I’ve been waved down in traffic and accosted in parking lots by curious onlookers — some who knew exactly what they were looking at, others who eagerly needed to find out.
Driving the car isn’t altogether an exotic experience. But there are quite a few differences that make the M Coupe slightly “better” feeling as a driver’s car relative to the standard E36. It’s lighter and has a shorter wheelbase, and both aspects are extremely obvious the second you start driving the car. Less immediately obvious is the old E30-based rear suspension geometry; while the front suspension is E36 M3, the back is all E30 semi-trailing arm. While that opens the door for lift-off oversteer — hardly a thought when piloting an E36 M3 — the car is perfectly capable of remaining well-planted through an apex. Meanwhile, the cabin is significantly more cramped, and perhaps a little bit noisier in general, than an E36. However, the glass roof is a huge win and helps alleviate claustrophobia.
Other than driving the car, I haven’t done much. The Coupe isn’t a daily driver. So, I’ve only put a handful of miles on it in the five months I’ve owned it. I installed the car’s original radio, and a text to a dealership friend got me the code in minutes. No leaks at the moment, although the car could probably stand a cooling system refresh. Probably a project for next year. It helps that the original owner maintained the car with a dealership for nearly 20 years.
Why I Bought an M Coupe
When I moved on from my E46 M3, I was looking in two very different directions: an N55-powered M2 or E36 M3. Both would’ve marked returns to familiar platforms. Then, I noticed that M Coupe prices weren’t too far off from where really nice E36 M3s were selling. Deciding to move into an M Coupe was easy; I’ve loved them since becoming aware of their existence. It’s different enough from the E36 to feel like something new. But, familiar enough to be a known quantity thanks to largely shared running gear.
So, for the price of a higher mileage but well-sorted E36 M3, I picked up an exponentially rarer care that drives…fine, I’ll say it. Better, although objectively it’s more “different” than “better.” BMW (or any other automaker) will almost assuredly never make anything quite like the M Coupe again. At least, certainly not something for people in my tax bracket. The E36 3 Series was my introduction to BMW and what made me a lifelong brand devotee. The coupe is a logical bookend.
Every day, new cars stray further from the path of natural aspiration and connectivity to the tarmac. But, perhaps naively, I think I’ve found the holy grail. For nearly three decades, the M Coupe’s unmistakable proportions have inducted new zealots to the church of “clown shoe.” You’d be hard pressed to find a single specific model that has that kind of gravitas. Inside the BMW brand or otherwise. Excellent driving dynamics don’t hurt, either. Owning one is a gift and a joy that supersedes era, let alone season. If that isn’t timeless, I don’t know what is.
