This car is awesome. It is available for possession in early August with a clean title. I bought it brand new in August 99 and have driven it a lot but mostly freeway miles. In comparison I bought a 95 Nissan 240SX in 97 for $13k and this car today after 10 years and 196k miles still blows away that Nissan and almost any other car I've been in. This is not a pimped out sporty car or the soft handling convertible version (the M Roadster). It is a man's car. A true sports car with 240hp and 236 lb-ft of torque provided by the S52B32US 3.2L straight 6 engine which is considered one of the best engine designs in automotive circles and should last another 500k miles if you simply maintain it with oil changes. You won't beat a Corvette off the line but the precision handling and response will put an ear-to-ear grin on your face. Here is a vid clip of the European model (320hp but performance-wise very similar):

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/429030/bmw_m_coupe_on_top_gear/

If you want drift you got it but please note that I've been very good to this car and I've never raced it. A go-kart-like ride is what it gives you though. This car is also very practical with the roomy hatchback. I've had a big guitar amp in the hatchback and a couple of guitars in the passenger seat for gig trips. Also, the utility rack allows you to carry up to 150lb on top. It has been on many surf trips up and down the SoCal coast.

The car audio has been completely upgraded with high-end Rainbow speakers, an Alpine Audio deck with CD player (MP3, AIFF) and interface to your iPod in the glove compartment. You can scroll and select from your iPod (Artist/Song/Album/Playlist) with the Alpine deck just as you would when selecting CD tracks but I would not recommend doing so while driving. I once had upgraded to a 6-CD changer in the back but I replaced it with a 150W amp and 6" sub-woofer. You can find louder car audio systems but this one thumps mightily and the clarity of sound is excellent for any music style. Other enhancements: custom arm rest from leatherz.com, aftermarket rear shocks (08), remote locks/alarm. utility rack, battery (09).

So why am I selling this awesome car for only $7000? Aside from the high mileage, there are some things that need work but most are minor but I want to list them here so you know. The brakes need to be replaced (pads and rotors). I replaced the brake pads/rotors in late 04 with aftermarket parts because the BMW pads put out a lot of filthy brake dust on the rims.

There is some shimmy in the steering when you brake at high speeds. This is likely due to the worn front brake rotors but the bushings in the steering control arms are also worn and need to be replaced. These bushing parts are cheap but it will require at least a few hours to repair.

The plastic hoses for the radiator are showing signs of slow leakage. Old plastic like this eventually wears out so these plastic parts and clamps will likely need replacing but I haven't worried about it. Mechanically I feel this car is in very good. I have done all recommended services, all drive belts/tensioners/rollers (07), air intake hose from air filter (last year cuz it had a crack in it), fluids, etc.

The rear shock mounts rattle a bit but this is a known problem with many sports cars. My buddy's Subaru WRX has the same issue. I've replaced them a couple of times already but the rattle comes back.

I never got the purported "tire inflation kit" from BMW since it doesn't have a spare but even with a flat you can slowly limp to a station to fill up the tire since you can actually drive slowly on the "run-flats" tires. I use Kumho Ectsa ASX tires which last long and I have not had problem with traction with them. I replaced the front tires a half year ago and the rear tires 65k miles ago and they still have lots of tread.

The oil temperature gauge in the center console is a bit whacked and sometimes pins to the right making you think your engine is ready to explode. There just seems to be an open circuit to this gauge and like the Millennium Falcon you just have to give the console a love tap on the side to get it to read properly... or you can get into the console somehow and fix it.

Another problem with the center console is the fan dial switch. The fan switches from 0 to 4 but does not operate unless it is in the "4" position so you either have no fan or high-speed fan.

I had a two fender benders in the front and rear. The hood, bumper, and rear bumper have been replaced. The work done on the front was a bit amateur according to my mechanic but I'm not that picky. I never wax/detail the car or dress the tires and it still turns heads. I have not treated this car with kids gloves but I didn't drive the sh*t out of it either. One thing that is also noticeable is that the left exhaust pipes stick out about an inch further than the right ones. The left ones were replaced after a rear fender bender and the length is greater for some reason. Maybe they can be cut down but why bother?

The plastic coating on the side mirrors is coming off making them look a bit shoddy but no matter to me.

The hatchback cannot be opened with the remote entry button. It must be manually opened with the car key. The mechanism for the hatchback door is broken and my mechanic fixed it so you can use the key. I replaced both struts for the hatchback door so it opens and closes nicely.

If you are observant, you will see that I have removed the rear view mirror. I found that the mirror placement on the windshield made a significantly dangerous blind spot. I have the mirror so if you put it back on you will see what I mean.

The glove box door handle need to be tightened periodically cuz those bolts holding the door loosen. It will begin rattling to let you know this needs to be done. One of the straps holding the glove box compartment from flopping open needs to be fixed but the remaining one holds it up fine.

The driver side window squeaks loudly when cold and the seal doesnt keep the water out. It doesn't create a pool of water in the door well but if you raise and lower the window after washing the car you will get water streaks on the window. I was once told to put some baby powder into the window mechanism to quiet it down but didn't see how this could help. A few years ago I had both driver and passenger window regulators replaced but the problem persists but to a lesser extent.

There are some dings on the bumpers and a few on the body but nothing out of the ordinary for that age of car. The largest ding is above the right kidney grill on the hood but even that one is not easily noticeable. The tire rims are pretty beat up but I've heard you can refurbish them. They got the BMW logo on them so I think it might be worthy to keep instead of putting on some ugly aftermarket rims. The driver side headlight is old and the glass surface is cloudy. You can buy kits to help sand and polish that surface cheap but it is a few hours work and I've already done it once. The passenger headlight is new having been replaced after an accident.

I think the interior looks remarkably good considering I've used it for carrying guitars, amps, hockey equipment, surf gear, etc... but it has never been puked in, smoked in, major spills, and doesn't smell.

If you want to see pictures of the car I have a 40+ picture slideshow at:

http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a98/uberfreak/99%20M%20Coupe/?albumview=slideshow

They only made 2000 of these cars in North America between 98-2000 and it is already a collectors item. The imola-red exterior and black/red leather interior makes it even more coveted. I hope the person who buys it really knows cars and likes it for what it is. The A/C is ice cold and the heated seats make this car very comfy. The ride is very nice yet you can feel the road the way a sport car should feel.