The Quest

And so it begins...the search for the unicorn.  This is going to be difficult!  Well, not really.  Thanks to Jon Martin's Z-themed "Buyer's Guide" web pages, shopping for a clown shoe is amazingly easy.  Hat's off to Jon for compiling Z3 listings that he pulls from all around the internet.

I thought this was going to be mine

My unicorn was the S52-Powered, Imolarot M Coupe.  I saw a beautiful example of one in Sarasota Florida at a very good price.

Sure, it had high miles, but the S52 is practically bullet-proof.  I immediately contacted the owner to let him know I was interested.  I didn't hear back for at least a week and additional prodding on the BMW forums.  I couldn't get a straight answer from this guy, though he did mention it was a rebuilt title due to some minor rear-end damage.  Not a big deal for me.  I'm looking for a driver.

Until I saw this!

After a thorough search of the VIN, I happened on the previous sale photos showing the rear end crumpled and the hatch totally racked.  Minor damage?  This thing was a twisted wreck.  Never mind!

The search continued for about a month, and I quickly realized that my budget was going to allow me either a less than stellar M Coupe or a relatively nice Z3 Coupe.  The M54 engine in the Z3 3.0i puts out nearly the same horsepower and torque as the S52.  It's not an ///M, but it still has that awkward clownshoe shape that I love!

My "new" 2002  Z3 Coupe in Sterling Gray!

With that, I began searching the Z3 listings rather than the M Coupe listings.  I'm not a big fan of the Hellrot II on the Coupe, which is strange because I love the color on our Z3 Roadster.  I found a color I really liked.  Sterling Gray.  The metallic paints really show off the lines of the car much more than the solid colors.  That's probably why I'm not a fan of the bright red.  The car had some really nice upgrades and the paint looked super.  The only problem?  It was on the other coast...in Los Angeles.   I contacted Jordan to find out more about the car.  This was his baby and you could tell he had his heart in this car.  I had a decision to make.  Really it didn't take long...Road Trip!!!!  Jordan and I made a deal and I sent him a deposit.  I had myself a Clownshoe!