The brakes from the E36 M3 were used: four-wheel vented discs measuring 12.4 in (315.0 mm) on the front and 12.3 in (312.4 mm) on the rear.
When the M roadster switched to the S54 engine (2/01 production), the chassis was upgraded to the stiffer springs and shocks developed for the M Coupé. Compared to the six-cylinder Z3 roadster, however, the M roadster included modifications such as wider front and rear tracks (by 0.4 in (10.2 mm)), reduced ride height (by 1.1 in (27.9 mm)), modified front suspension geometry, firmer springs and shocks, thicker anti-roll bars, stronger semi-trailing arms and a reinforced subframe.
Like all Z3 models, the M Coupe and M Roadster's suspension is made up of MacPherson struts in the front and semi-trailing arms in the rear. A limited slip differential with a maximum locking of 25 percent is standard. The gearbox is a ZF Type C 5-speed manual. The M Coupé had the following OEM color options: Alpine White III, Imola Red II, Dakar Yellow II, Evergreen, Laguna Seca Blue, Cosmos Black, Black Sapphire Metallic, Arctic Silver Metallic, Titanium Silver Metallic, Estoril Blue Metallic, Boston Green Metallic, Oxford Green II Metallic, Steel Grey Metallic, Phoenix Yellow Metallic. A total of 1,112 cars were built with the S54 engine. The difference in peak power and torque is due to the catalytic converters being located closer to the engine on the North American spec cars, which allows the catalysts to heat up faster and reduce cold start emissions. Starting in February 2001, the engines were upgraded to the BMW S54 engine from the E46 M3. Ī total of 2,999 cars were built with the S50 engine and 2,180 cars were built with the S52 engine. This means that most countries initially used the 3.2 L version of the BMW S50 engine, while North American models initially used the less powerful BMW S52 engine. The M Coupe and M Roadster were initially powered by the engines from the E36 M3. It was given nicknames like "hearse" and "clown shoe" because of its distinctive styling. The M Coupe powered by the S54 engine is one of the lowest production BMWs with only 1,112 built. As a result of their relative rarity, M Coupes (especially S54 powered models) retain much of their value. Sales were slow as it didn't generate much interest between the enthusiasts. The Z3 coupé, which combines the M coupe's body with the standard Z3 drivetrain, chassis and cosmetics was approved for production at the same time. To achieve this goal, majority of the body panels had to be shared with the M roadster, thus the doors and everything from the A-pillar forward are interchangeable between the coupé and roadster, as are most interior parts. The development team had a hard time convincing the Board of Directors to approve the model for production, but it was eventually given the green light as long as it remained cost-effective to produce. The M Coupé, manufactured from 1998 until 2002, was developed under the leadership of engineer Burkhard Göschel with the intention of adding increased torsional and structural rigidity to the Z3 roadster's chassis. The M Roadster is electronically limited to a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). In the 6 years from 1997 to 2002, 15,322 M Roadsters were produced. The standard Z3 models received a facelift in 1999. Additional external differences compared to the standard Z3 models included front and rear bumpers, gills, quad exhaust, trunk and mirrors. The most significant cosmetic difference between the M-Roadster, including the M-Coupe, is the substantially flared rear quarter-panels ("fender flares") and the correspondingly offset rear wheels. The M-Roadster E36/7 was introduced in 1997 as the high performance version of the BMW Z3.