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2021 BMW Z3 M Coupe? Modern "Clown Shoe" Based on M2 Is Very Different

If you're looking for one of the strangest Bimmers of all time, look no further than the so-called "Clown Shoe", a coupe version of the old Z3 roadster which had a peculiar roof shape and was available as a juicy Z3 M model.
2021 BMW Z3 M Coupe? Modern "Clown Shoe" Based on M2 Is Very Different 5 photos
Photo: TheSketchMonkey/YouTube screenshot
2021 BMW Z3 M Coupe? Modern "Clown Shoe" Based on M2 Is Very Different2021 BMW Z3 M Coupe? Modern "Clown Shoe" Based on M2 Is Very Different2021 BMW Z3 M Coupe? Modern "Clown Shoe" Based on M2 Is Very Different2021 BMW Z3 M Coupe? Modern "Clown Shoe" Based on M2 Is Very Different
Silly-looking German cars were a common thing in that era, as automakers encouraged their employees to experiment way outside the box. Just one quick look at this thing and you realize it makes no sense unless you're a hardcore BMW collector. The proportions are all wrong, lacking the elegance of a traditional coupe.

Just like all the best ideas that later get exploited by the executive boards, the Z3 M is a project of passion. The story goes that a small team of dedicated engineers wanted to make the Z3 roadster, which was brand new in the early 1990s, into a real sports car. So they fitted a coupe roof which made the car 2.7 times stiffer than the roadster, a limited-slip differential, the 3.2-liter inline-six engine, and upgraded the suspension.

When shown to the board, it's said the car wasn't met with approval. But after some test drives, a limited production run was given the green light, and one of the strangest German cars of the modern era was born. It was quite expensive and not as practical as the roof might initially lead you to believe, but over two decades later, people are still talking about it.

So, after the board of cats approved the project, YouTube artist TheSketchMonkey decided to do a modernized version of a 1999 BMW Z3 M Coupe. But rather than start with the actual car and updating its lines, the piece is based on an M2 CS, which has a propper coupe shape.

The last time this happened with a Mustang, some of you said the wagon rear had wonky 3D proportions. And for the record, a car like the one in the video exists, as somebody adapted a 3-door 1 Series RWD hatchback with the bumpers and fenders from the M2.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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