Okay, I am living with a dirty secret that is eating me up with guilt. I
am considering buying a BMW M Roadster. There. I've said it. I feel
better already just confessing to all of you.
For those of you unfamiliar (as I was just a month ago) with the M
Roadster and M series BMWs in general, "M" BMWs are the equivalent of
Ford's SVT program or any of the other factory high performance racing
programs (M stands for Motorsports). They are BMWs with high performance
mods from the factory. The M Roadster is a Z3 roadster that has gone
through the M modifications at BMW. It's essentially a Z3 on steroids.
3.2 liter twin overhead cam straight six. 240 hp and 236 lbs of torque in
a car that weighs a little less than a TR6. 0 - 60 in 5.5 seconds. 0
to 100 in just under 14 seconds. Top speed electronically limited at 140
mph. The difference visually between the M roadster and the 2.8 liter Z3
is the M's flared fenders with wider wheels, dual exhaust, the M-sports
interior, and roll bars. Mechanically, the difference is the 3.2 liter
engine, the BMW ZF 5 spd trans, extra bracing, and the M brakes
(essentially racing grade brakes). And to make it worse, there are BMW
optional mods from Dinan that will bump it up to around 300 horsepower.
And this in a ragtop. Yikes.
I have been looking at a 98 model in my area. My fear is that if I buy
this car, I don't know how my TR6 will react. It may wither away in
sadness and jealousy. What is an autosports enthusiast to do? I could
become torn between two loves.... ;-)
________________________________
Greg Hutmacher
1976 TR6
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