The BMW E36/8 M coupe was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997, initial production began one year later in 1998 and ran until 2002. Three different engines were offered in the BMW M Coupe, the S50, S52 and S54; all being M engines offered in M3 models of that time. Most of the bodywork is based off the M roadster including the doors and everything forward of the “A” pillar. Because of the static roof on the M Coupe, the car’s stiffness is over 2.6 more times rigid than the soft top Roadster version.
The styling is largely unique which is a dividing factor for the car. Most people either love it or hate it. The M coupe earned itself the nickname “Clown Shoe” for obvious reasons. Sales at the dealership were slow as most customers opted for the more practical M3 coupe or sedan. Because of the low production numbers the M Coupes are becoming incredibly desirable and will fetch a fair amount over MSRP for a low miles S54 version. Throughout production BMW offered a total of 14 color options; 6 solid and 8 metallic.
BMW E36/8 Z3 M Coupe OEM Paint Color Options
| PAINT NAME | PAINT CODE | SAMPLE | NOTES |
| Alpine White III | 300 | 04/1998 thru 05/2002 | |
| Imola Red II | 405 | 04/1998 thru 05/2002 | |
| Dakar Yellow II | 337 | 04/1998 thru 06/2000 | |
| Evergreen | 358 | 04/1998 thru 06/2000 | |
| Laguna Seca Blue | 448 | 02/2001 thru 05/2002 | |
| Cosmos Black | 303 | 04/1998 thru 06/2000 | |
| Black Sapphire Metallic | 475 | 02/2001 thru 05/2002 | |
| Arctic Silver Metallic | 309 | 04/1998 thru 03/1999 | |
| Titanium Silver Metallic | 354 | 04/1999 thru 05/2002 | |
| Estoril Blue Metallic | 335 | 04/1998 thru 05/2002 | |
| Boston Green Metallic | 275 | 04/1998 thru 03/1999 | |
| Oxford Green II Metallic | 430 | 04/1999 thru 05/2002 | |
| Steel Grey Metallic | 400 | 02/2001 thru 05/2002 | |
| Phoenix Yellow Metallic | 086 | 02/2001 thru 05/2002 |
