M Coupe Buyers Guide

These are the production numbers for each M Coupe color combination produced for North America in order of commonality.

Total Production: 2858 (452 sunroof-delete)

1998: 26 (20 sunroof-delete)
1999: 1076 (138 sunroof-delete)
2000: 1078 (184 sunroof-delete)
2001: 338 (61 sunroof-delete)
2002: 340 (49 sunroof-delete)

Titanium Silver Metallic (544, 93 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (363, 54 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (106, 17 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (43, 14 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (25, 5 sunroof-delete)
Laguna Seca Blue & Black Nappa (6, 3 sunroof-delete)
Evergreen & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Cosmos Black (516, 75 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (277, 31 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (94, 14 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (79, 11 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa( 36, 12 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (29, 7 sunroof-delete)
Evergreen & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Estoril Blue (472, 83 sunroof-delete)

Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (313, 62 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (82, 16 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (62, 0 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (15, 5 sunroof-delete)

Imola Red (422, 58 sunroof-delete)

Imola Red & Black Nappa (201, 31 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (183, 19 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (22, 3 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (15, 5 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Arctic Silver Metallic (276, 42 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (125, 19 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (105, 11 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (32, 10 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (13, 1 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Steel Gray Metallic (121, 18 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (47, 5 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (46, 8 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (23, 2 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (3, 2 sunroof-delete)
Kiwi & Black Nappa (2, 1 sunroof-delete)

Black Sapphire Metallic (120, 11 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (74, 8 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (17, 1 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (17, 1 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (10, 1 sunroof-delete)
Laguna Seca Blue & Black Nappa (2, 0 sunroof-delete)

Alpine White (103, 17 sunroof-delete)

Dark Beige Oregon (36, 3 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (36, 2 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (9, 4 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (9, 2 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (7, 3 sunroof-delete)
Evergreen & Black Nappa (3, 1 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (2, 0 sunroof-delete)
Alpine White & Black Nappa (1, 1 sunroof-delete) – Last Produced

Boston Green Metallic (73, 6 sunroof-delete)

Dark Beige Oregon (61, 2 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (8, 1 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (3, 2 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Dakar Yellow II (51, 14 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (41, 10 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (8, 3 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (2, 1 sunroof-delete)

Oxford Green II Metallic (46, 16 sunroof-delete)

Dark Beige Oregon (24, 11 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (16, 4 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (5, 1 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Laguna Seca Blue (41, 6 sunroof-delete)

Dark Gray & Black Nappa (21, 2 sunroof-delete)
Laguna Seca Blue & Black Nappa (16, 3 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (2, 0 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (1, 1 sunroof-delete)

Evergreen (41, 5 sunroof-delete)

Evergreen & Black Nappa (27, 1 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (10, 2 sunroof-delete)
Black Nappa (2, 1 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (2, 1 sunroof-delete)

Phoenix Yellow Metallic (21, 3 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (17, 2 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (3, 1 sunroof-delete)
Laguna Seca Blue & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Bright Red (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Imola Red & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)

Special Ordered (10, 4 sunroof-delete)

Black Nappa (5, 2 sunroof-delete)
– LC61412 – Jet Black 2
– LC61883 – Steel Gray (Jeff’s)
– LC62131 – Topaz Blue
– LK60168 – Carbon Black
– LK61334 – Dakar Yellow
Dark Beige Oregon (2, 1 sunroof-delete)
– LC61371 – Steel Gray
– LC61937 – Impala Brown (would love to see it)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (2, 1 sunroof-delete)
– LC61959 – Steel Gray (Rupert’s)
– LC62180 – Steel Gray (It’s for sale!)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (1, 0 sunroof-delete)
– LC61372 – Steel Gray (my color combo :))

If you wonder why steel gray is considered a special color, it’s because it was not officially available on M’s in 2000. It was available on the non-M Z3s and it’s easy to see why people wanted to order it on their coupes. While Dakar Yellow was available on 1999-2000 M Coupes, it was not available in 2002 when LK61334 was ordered.

Interior Colors

Black Nappa (1273, 175 sunroof-delete)
Dark Gray & Black Nappa (450, 73 sunroof-delete)
Estoril Blue & Black Nappa (365, 74 sunroof-delete)
Imola Red & Black Nappa (361, 74 sunroof-delete)
Dark Beige Oregon (314, 35 sunroof-delete)
Kyalami Orange & Black Nappa (36, 12 sunroof-delete)
Evergreen & Black Nappa (32, 2 sunroof-delete)
Laguna Seca Blue & Black Nappa (24, 6 sunroof-delete)
Kiwi & Black Nappa (2, 1 sunroof-delete) – only on pre-production S54 coupes

Observations

• It’s interesting that almost all the early build cars were sunroof-delete.
• Titanium Silver is the most common exterior color and Phoenix Yellow is the most rare.
• There is a Bright Red M Coupe out there somewhere.
• Most gutsy color combo selection has to go to Phoenix Yellow over Laguna Seca Blue.
• As well known as the two-tone interiors are, solid black is far and away the most common interior color.
• Laguna Seca Blue is the most rare interior color.

In compiling this I noticed a few rather adventurous color combos:

• Imola Red/Estoril Blue
• Boston Green/Kyalami Orange
• Dakar Yellow/Kyalami Orange
• Oxford Green/Kyalami Orange
• Phoenix Yellow/Laguna Seca Blue

So there you have it.  I was initially going to separate these out by year, then by engine, then got too lazy.  I may come back and at least break them out by engine.

February 21, 2013 Update – The very first data anomaly has been found. VIN LK61060 is actually Titanium Silver over Laguna Seca Blue rather than Titanium Silver over Dark Gray. The data has been updated accordingly.

If you wonder where I get all my production numbers, they were collected by a Bimmerforums member wildag (www.dreamingwell.com).  The original CSV file can be downloaded here.  Another forum member has created a more user friendly database interface for the less technically inclined at: www.bmwmdata.com.  This set of data includes all North American M Coupes and Roadsters with their production dates and options.

In the four short years of BMW M Coupe production, there were essentially 3 different versions produced (6 if you count right hand drive and differentiate the European S54).  The first and most common is the North American S52-engined car.  Produced in 1999 and 2000, these cars produce 240hp and 236 lb/ft of torque.  This is the same engine as found in North American versions of the 1996-1999 E36 M3.   Europeans – as they did with their version of the E36 M3 – were offered the 321hp, 258 lb/ft S50 engine.  For 2001 and 2002, both North America and Europe received the 315hp S54 engine from the 2001-2006 E46 M3.

Model Year 2000

While the drivetrain carried over to the model year 2000 cars, a number of other changes were made beginning in cars produced after April 1999.  These include:

Exterior Color Changes

• Discontinued
  • Arctic Silver Metallic
  • Boston Green Metallic
• Added
  • Titanium Silver Metallic
  • Oxford Green II Metallic

Other Changes

• Chrome slats added to front kidney grilles
• Chrome surrounds added to headlights
• Fuel door added to central locking system
• Airbags upgraded to two-stage
• Smaller chrome trimmed mirror with auto-dimming function added
• “Coupe” detail removed from door sill (“M” remained)

Model Year 2001

The 2001 model year (cars produced after February 2001) brought the new S54 engine as mentioned above as well as an additional round of upgrades. These include:

Exterior Color Changes

• Discontinued:
  • Evergreen
  • Dakar Yellow II
  • Cosmos Black Metallic
• Added
  • Laguna Seca Blue
  • Phoenix Yellow Metallic
  • Steel Gray Metallic
  • Black Sapphire Metallic

Interior Color Changes

• Discontinued:
  • Evergreen and Black Nappa Leather
  • Kyalami Orange and Black Nappa Leather
• Added:
  • Laguna Seca Blue and Black Nappa Leather
  • Kiwi and Black Nappa Leather (never officially offered in North America)

Other Changes

• 3.15:1 differential replaces 3.23:1
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) replaces Automatic Stability Control plus Traction (ASC+T)
• Tire pressure monitoring system added
• Gray faced gauges replace black
• Exterior “M” badges now curved rather than flat
• Chrome shadow finish for the RoadStar wheels replaces satin chrome finish

Model Year 2002

• In-dash CD player becomes standard in place of now optional cassette player

Chrome on the headlight pull knob, interior door pulls, and door lock buttons seemed to come and go at random throughout the model run.  It is not indicative of model year. (Thanks Josh)