2008 BMW Z4 (E86) 3.0Si Coupé Sport

Launched within a rather niche mid-range sporting coupe market in 2005, the E86 BMW Z4 Coupé may have had the pedigree to see off the Japanese competition and offered more practicality and crucially, sharper styling than its closest rival, the Audi TT, still remained a rare car on British roads. The two-door design incorporated a useful hatchback into the boot and added torsional rigidity, benefiting both handling and ride. The double-bubble roof also gave more headroom than a Z4 Roadster with the roof up, making the Coupé the car of choice for keen and/or tall drivers. A 3-litre petrol engine came with the option of a 5 or 6-speed manual gearbox, a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed SMG-II automated manual.

The Z4 Coupe’s rear-wheel drive chassis was suspended by Macpherson struts on the front and multi-link suspension on the rear, which meant the Z4's handling was exceptional, something weight-saving measures such as aluminium bonnet and suspension components contribute to. The Z4M aside, the Coupé's 3-litre, straight-six, 265bhp, 232lb/ft engine produced enough thrust to see it pass 62mph in 5.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155mph.

Priced at the upper end of the Noughties sporting coupé market, most buyers opted for the M model or the roadster version, usually in conversative colours, which leads us nicely to this rare 6-speed manual 3.0Si Sport Coupé, finished in Phoenix Yellow, with a two-tone Sport interior, 3-spoke M-Sport steering wheel and very well optioned from new.

Offered without Reserve, it is the ideal modern classic for a spirited daily commute with automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, heated memory seats and air conditioning or for joy filled B-road weekend motoring thanks to the gearbox’s sport button.

Presented to auction with an advisory free MOT certificate valid until 29th September 2025, two keys, the stamped service book and an odometer reading of 95,088 at the time of cataloguing. Serviced by Lancaster BMW of Milton Keynes less than 10,000 miles ago, this car has a certain look about it, sitting four-square, as it does on 10-spoke twin-blade alloy wheels, with the rather funky paintwork for its era setting it apart.