Now this is a car with character! BMW’s initial advertising campaign featured the line “A lot like nothing else!” and that statement is as true today as it was in the fall of 1998 when this unlikely car hit US streets. Although the Z3 convertible was a hit both here and abroad, the chassis' inherent flex did little for the driving experience and gave the suspension fits as it tried to keep the basic geometry in order as the loads built from hard driving and real-world pavement. The more hardcore element within BMW's engineering department realized that by simply adding a roof, they could address the source of these problems and increase the car's torsional rigidity by 2.6 times, thus creating the stiffest platform ever to wear the BMW badge. This change transformed the vehicle's dynamics, but it also turned the attractive roadster into...well, let's just say that none of these engineers will ever receive an honorary degree from the Automotive Center for Design.
I first saw the M coupe in the flesh back in August of 1998 when BMW brought it to the Monterey Historic Races. Walking around the Estoril Blue example, I’ll never forget thinking to myself that the poor little car had been cruelly bludgeoned with an ugly stick. In fact I vocalized these thoughts to my friends when I remarked “I don’t care how well it drives, I would never buy one. Never.” A few weeks later I saw a Cosmos Black example at my local dealer and I
began to change my tune. In that color –metallic black with an almost gunmetal grey gleam -- it had a sinister quality that was very appealing. In fact over the years I have actually grown to like the looks of the car – a lot!
Throughout this evolutionary period in my aesthetic values, the one thing that I never questioned about the vehicle was its make-up: a wonderful 6-cylinder engine, gear ratios chosen for performance not CAFÉ requirements, 50/50 weight distribution, rear wheel drive, incredibly rigid chassis, and huge brakes. Now this was my kind of car!
When it came time to retire the Porsche from daily driving duty, I had some very strict requirements. After all I consider the 951 – particularly in modified form – one of the best cars ever produced. The basic package is stellar: lots of power, beautifully balanced handling, good brakes, great visibility, practical (you can carry a lot in that car), great driving position, very comfy seats, reliable, and in my opinion, very good looking both inside and out. But there is definitely room for improvement. First and foremost is the engine. Although the 951 produces great power from the midrange on up, it is weak off boost, doesn’t sound that great, has somewhat lackluster throttle response thanks to a heavy flywheel and turbo lag, and it is a bit on the rough side. When all is said and done, it is a very big 4-cylinder, low compression, turbocharged power plant coupled to tall gearing, and that combo simply doesn’t lend itself to excel in these areas. What I really wanted was a large 6 or 8 cylinder naturally aspirated engine, coupled to sensible gearing. Given that I live and commute in the rainy Northwest, I also wanted to get a car with ABS and traction control (ABS didn’t become standard on the 951 until ’87). Add to that my desire to get something a little smaller, a little more intimate, and you can see that finding a replacement wasn’t going to be easy.
In addition to the above improvements, there were certain things that I didn’t want to sacrifice. I wanted something with character, rear wheel drive, strong out-of-the-box performance, tuning potential, strong mid range torque, good steering feel, and quality build, all wrapped in a package less than 5 years old. When all was said and done, there were only 2 cars that met my criteria: the M coupe and the Porsche 993. I finally decided that the 993 was not a prudent choice. As much as I loved that car, I couldn’t come to grips with spending $40-50k on a vehicle at this point in time. I had also decided that I was going to spend a lot of money upgrading the Westfield (engine, brakes, safety equipment, gauges, etc.) so that reduced my available budget even more.
Of course once I made that financial decision, I then questioned spending even M coupe money. After all, shouldn’t I really buy a huge 3-car garage with an attached house? Given this brief dose of sanity, I decided to drop my rear wheel drive criteria and seriously looked at the MINI Cooper S. These cars have an abundance of character, a strong after market, and wonderful handling. I drove a few, including a modified version and although I really liked the car, my heart was simply not in that purchase. Even my girlfriend (now wife), who is known to ask the rhetorical question “you havehow many cars, and none of them seat more than two people?” told me it was obvious that I really didn’t want the MINI and that I should buy the M coupe. Being the dutiful boyfriend (and now husband) that I am, I took her advice and the rest is history. Click here to see how it compares to the Porsche.
began to change my tune. In that color –metallic black with an almost gunmetal grey gleam -- it had a sinister quality that was very appealing. In fact over the years I have actually grown to like the looks of the car – a lot!
Throughout this evolutionary period in my aesthetic values, the one thing that I never questioned about the vehicle was its make-up: a wonderful 6-cylinder engine, gear ratios chosen for performance not CAFÉ requirements, 50/50 weight distribution, rear wheel drive, incredibly rigid chassis, and huge brakes. Now this was my kind of car!
When it came time to retire the Porsche from daily driving duty, I had some very strict requirements. After all I consider the 951 – particularly in modified form – one of the best cars ever produced. The basic package is stellar: lots of power, beautifully balanced handling, good brakes, great visibility, practical (you can carry a lot in that car), great driving position, very comfy seats, reliable, and in my opinion, very good looking both inside and out. But there is definitely room for improvement. First and foremost is the engine. Although the 951 produces great power from the midrange on up, it is weak off boost, doesn’t sound that great, has somewhat lackluster throttle response thanks to a heavy flywheel and turbo lag, and it is a bit on the rough side. When all is said and done, it is a very big 4-cylinder, low compression, turbocharged power plant coupled to tall gearing, and that combo simply doesn’t lend itself to excel in these areas. What I really wanted was a large 6 or 8 cylinder naturally aspirated engine, coupled to sensible gearing. Given that I live and commute in the rainy Northwest, I also wanted to get a car with ABS and traction control (ABS didn’t become standard on the 951 until ’87). Add to that my desire to get something a little smaller, a little more intimate, and you can see that finding a replacement wasn’t going to be easy.
In addition to the above improvements, there were certain things that I didn’t want to sacrifice. I wanted something with character, rear wheel drive, strong out-of-the-box performance, tuning potential, strong mid range torque, good steering feel, and quality build, all wrapped in a package less than 5 years old. When all was said and done, there were only 2 cars that met my criteria: the M coupe and the Porsche 993. I finally decided that the 993 was not a prudent choice. As much as I loved that car, I couldn’t come to grips with spending $40-50k on a vehicle at this point in time. I had also decided that I was going to spend a lot of money upgrading the Westfield (engine, brakes, safety equipment, gauges, etc.) so that reduced my available budget even more.
Of course once I made that financial decision, I then questioned spending even M coupe money. After all, shouldn’t I really buy a huge 3-car garage with an attached house? Given this brief dose of sanity, I decided to drop my rear wheel drive criteria and seriously looked at the MINI Cooper S. These cars have an abundance of character, a strong after market, and wonderful handling. I drove a few, including a modified version and although I really liked the car, my heart was simply not in that purchase. Even my girlfriend (now wife), who is known to ask the rhetorical question “you havehow many cars, and none of them seat more than two people?” told me it was obvious that I really didn’t want the MINI and that I should buy the M coupe. Being the dutiful boyfriend (and now husband) that I am, I took her advice and the rest is history. Click here to see how it compares to the Porsche.
