The BMW Z3 is a pleasant enough little roadster, but if you're actually serious about performance as much as image, this 2006 BMW M coupe is really what you need. With all the awesome things that make the M3 great baked right in, plus a lower, sleeker, lighter body and a suspension tuned for combat, this is an awesome choice if your tastes run to performance rather than image (although there's plenty of that, too).

You can definitely see the Z3's DNA loud and clear, but the coupe actually shares very little with its open-topped sibling and it would be a disservice to merely refer to it as the coupe version. In all of BMW's lineup, few cars are more single-mindedly dedicated to the purpose of going fast than the M Coupe and it shows from every angle. The beautiful navy blue paint gives it a serious demeanor that still allows it to fly under the radar most of the time and the long nose and compact cabin profile dates back to the 1960s and is still gorgeous to look at. This one has obviously spent its time in the hands of a caring enthusiast owner, because the finish is in excellent shape, the recipient of many Saturday afternoon detail sessions and even with 91,668 miles on the odometer, it looks far fresher than you would expect. Panel gaps are typical BMW precise and even the deeper chin spoiler hasn't bene scraped and abused by the rigors of daily life. Tinted glass and smoked lenses add a sinister vibe that works extremely well with those black wheels, making this cool little car look like an apex predator.

The leather-lined driving environment is single-mindedly tuned towards making you a better driver. Forget BMW's latest obsession with gadgetry and electronics, this is purity of purpose: a great seat, perfect shifter, and a fat leather-wrapped steering wheel that communicates directly with your brain. The leather is in good shape, with only light signs of use on the driver's chair but everything else is in excellent condition and fully functional. You get the usual stuff like power windows, locks, and windows, plus effective A/C and a great-sounding stereo, although you probably won't use it much once you master the gear lever and the sonorous inline-six powerplant. Big, bright gauges make it easy to monitor the engine's vitals, and there's actually decent storage space under the rear hatch, making this 2-seater at least somewhat practical. Aw, who am I kidding, you're not buying this car to be practical.

The engine is the same 3.2 liter DOHC inline-six found in the M3 and with a few hundred fewer pounds to haul around, performance is impressive. There are also few better exhaust notes in the industry and the inline engine is effortless in everything it does. You can see signs of enthusiast ownership under the hood, where it's absolutely spotless, and while these cars are very modification-friendly, this one remains completely stock. The underside looks like it has a fraction as many miles on it and obviously it's never been used in winter weather. The suspension remains supple but alert, the M-series brakes are hugely powerful, and it sits on those absolutely gorgeous 19-inch alloy wheels with new 245/35/19 front and 275/30/19 rear performance radials.

This is one of those opportunities to put depreciation to work for you. Rare, fast, fun, and now reasonably priced, you can get a top-flight BMW performance car for not a lot of cash. Call now!