Back when the “clown shoe” BMW made its debut in the late 90s, the focus was all on its rather controversial looks. It is in many respects a great shame that was such a big talking point, because it was never the point of the car. It was always meant to be a driver's car and was never meant to be beautiful or even conventional for that matter. That's the reason why so few were produced, making them all too rare these days and all too expensive for most of us.

What they are though is awesome to drive, M3 power got crammed into the small Z3 sports car body and the end result was, to say the least, polarizing. Today the design seems far more conventional, and many of us would agree it has aged far better than other 90s designs, but back then it was the butt of many a joke.

8 Raw M Power

BMW M Power Inline Six Engine
via Bring a Trailer

When the first generation was launched in 1998, the North American market got a less powerful 240 horsepower straight 6, ample power for the small size but not nearly as fun or as powerful as the 2nd and final generation.

In 2001 the M car got the new E46 M3 engine, making well over 300 horsepower, it is a lively hot rod capable of rocketing to 60 in under 5 seconds.

7 Unique Looks

Black BMW Z3 M Coupe Parked Front 3/4 View 
Via: bmwblog.com

It is impossible not to address the elephant, or should we say clown, in the room. The long hood and hatch shape at the back gave it a somewhat truncated stance.

It was subjectively ugly when it was launched, getting compared to a clown shoe or hearse regularly. Nowadays, it is subjectively attractive, with timeless lines and a totally unique look.

Related: British Shop Builds Custom BMW "Clown Shoe" M Coupe

6 Pure Analog Fun

BMW Z3M
source: wsupercars.com

The less powerful version launched in the 90s didn’t even get any form of stability control, just an engine, manual transmission and a lightweight steering wheel.

We need to dwell on that manual transmission though, the ZF 5-speed is a thing of beauty with silky smooth shifts guaranteed all the time. It makes it hard for even the most ham fisted of drivers to miss a gate.

5 Built To Be Driven Hard

via topspeed.com

At the time, this was the most rigid BMW ever built, around 200% stiffer than its comparatively flexible Z3 sister.

Its original inline 6 is plenty of fun, but if you are lucky enough to find the newer version with over 300 horsepower, it makes for a fantastic track weapon any given Sunday. It loses traction fairly easily, but add throttle at the right times, and you will be rewarded with one of the best driving experiences.

Related: Artist Creates Toyota Supra Shooting Brake In Homage Of BMW Z3 M Coupe

4 Perfect GT Car

BMW Z3M
source: wsupercars.com

The E46 engine has a wide torque band, making it a really easy car to take on long road trips even with its rigid chassis, the suspension does a great job of absorbing most of the bumps.

It also remains engaging, baiting the driver to push speed limits and hold gears frequently, so you can indulge in the soundtrack for that much longer. The only real drawback is your road trip will be limited to the more intimate number of two, so choose your partner wisely.

3 More Than The Sum Of Its Parts

via Pinterest

Although it is essentially made up of a modified Z3 and a M3 drivetrain, the final result is so much more than that.

It has a single-minded purpose to be the best driving machine out there, and back when it was first conceived there was truly nothing quite like it on the road. Today we are all blessed with the power of hindsight and can see the machine for what it is, but back then it slipped under the radar for most people.

Related: This Is Everything You Need To Know About The New BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé

2 Already A Classic

Artist Creates Toyota Supra Shooting Brake In Homage Of BMW Z3 M Coupe
via Historics at Brooklands

It is officially a classic car now and justifiably so, with so much going for it and so few made this is not an easy car to find, especially the 2nd generation of which little more than 1000 were made.

You will need to shell out over $50,000 for one in good shape, and if it isn’t in good shape, you will likely have to spend thousands of dollars to get it there.

1 Ultimate Drivers Car

BMW Z3 M Coupe
via Pinterest

It was designed to do one thing; drive. It sounds simplistic, but so many cars feel the need to balance some form of practicality or functionality for the sake of sales.

BMW did not care much for sales, this was a halo car that had little in the way of practicality (aside from the luggage space which is more coincidental) and we think that makes it the perfect driving machine.