WANTED: S54 M-ROADSTER

[4pipesalute]

Hello,

I used to own a 1999 M-Roadster and I am getting nostalgic! I am looking for a S54 M-Roadsterv this time just to have somethig a little different from my old one. (Which was still awesome)
I know they are rarer and therefore this is why i am posting my interest. I have carved out some space in the garage, now all i need is the right car...

If there are any 'S5'4 200-2002 model year owners thinking of selling them pleaes let me know. I am a serious and straight forward potential buyer not lookingto mess anyone around.

I live in the Uk, near Cambridge area but happy to travel...
Hopefully one day I can be back 'in the club; with another M-Roadster.

Cheers,

Mark

[Gazza]

Jay is selling his Phoenix S54, drop him a pm

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 11&t=36514

[Z3cade]

Mine has an S54 badge

[Badman gee]

Mine has an S54 badge

I think he wants the whole car

[Del]

Seem to be quite rare beasts. Most of the ones I see are 1998-99 when I assume there was an initial sales surge. Best of luck with the search.

[Gazza]

Very rare, only 73 Roadsters produced in RHD for the UK market

[Jonttt]

Good luck with your search

There is a database of all 73 on the forum listing options and vin numbers

Ps red ones are worth a lot more

[Bi11]

There is one listed on pistonheads at the moment (not mine, that's definitely not for sale!)

[4pipesalute]

Thanks everyone! Just got back from a work trip so see some great feedback. Gazza, Jay's car is heavily modified and i really wanted to staty away from that and keep a stock example. But thank you for the tip!
Also, I prefer red, grey, estoril blue or black - not so keen on the yellow (Just personnal taste preference!)
I will keep up my search!
Only one sting in the tail, i learned the road tax is a lot more from 2001 onwards due to tax banding changes. I think it doubles! (Nearly £500 a year for S54 version 2001-2002)
Either way, i would even consider a really clean low miles Z3M S50....
The hunt continues. (I need to avoid the seemilly suspicious amout of 'low mileage' versions for sale)
My last worry is the chassis cracking on the rear sub-frame panel. (Spot weld failure) Any way to mitigate against this?

Cheers guys,
Mark

[Badman gee]

You don't want much do you!

[Alfie]

...i learned the road tax is a lot more from 2001 onwards due to tax banding changes. I think it doubles! (Nearly £500 a year for S54 version 2001-2002)

Band K* 201 - 225gCO2/km
*....Includes cars with a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006.

Therefore all Z3s come under band K or less. £280 this year.

So go fill yer boots!

A.

[Gooseacre]

Shame,

If you had posted a few weeks earlier you would have seen me thinking about selling (http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 11&t=38049) my stock estoril blue S54. I was considering getting my M thrills from a M135i but have since decided to keep the S54 and stick to a 125i instead.

Did I make a mistake?

[Badman gee]

Shame,

If you had posted a few weeks earlier you would have seen me thinking about selling (http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 11&t=38049) my stock estoril blue S54. I was considering getting my M thrills from a M135i but have since decided to keep the S54 and stick to a 125i instead.

Did I make a mistake?

Yep. The m135i is excellent.

[Gooseacre]

The choice was
1) M135i + cheap crappy runaround or
2) 125i + Z3M (s54)

Think I was right going for 2 although was tempted to do M135i +Z3M but hat wasn't going to wash at home!

[4pipesalute]

Gooseacre,

Oh, no, I am never in the right place at the right time

When the time come to part with it, give me a call. I'm not in a massive rush (so patient to wait for a car) and maybe I can prise it away from you at some stage?
My email is memerson1978@gmail.com

What sort of figure were you thinking about? I saw someone suggestign £9.5k in your thread.
What is the current mileage, condition and service history status etc? Also, how many owners has it had?

Car looks great from photos
I love the all black interiors, but they are v rare. In the end, who cares - the cars are still awesome fun.
My S50 version did suffer scuttle shake and squeek and rattle, and also later in it's life (afetr i had sole it) I heard the spot wels failed on the rear bulk head - which is a bit scary!
I wonder if they fixed this weakness on the S54?

Cheers,
Mark

[Dave L2]

...i learned the road tax is a lot more from 2001 onwards due to tax banding changes. I think it doubles! (Nearly £500 a year for S54 version 2001-2002)

Band K* 201 - 225gCO2/km
*....Includes cars with a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006.

Therefore all Z3s come under band K or less. £280 this year.

So go fill yer boots!

A.

Alfie, those bandings still only apply to vehicles registered after 1st April 2001 so 4pipesalute's comments are correct. https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables

[4pipesalute]

Yes, budget another £250-300 ish for owning a S54 based on road tax reforms. Annoying if a weekend car...
Another Government stealth tax!

[Gooseacre]

Mine was one of the early ones - registered before 1 April 2001 - hence is £280 tax per year (I know that for certain as I have just bought my next 12 months)!

[Gooseacre]

...i learned the road tax is a lot more from 2001 onwards due to tax banding changes. I think it doubles! (Nearly £500 a year for S54 version 2001-2002)

Band K* 201 - 225gCO2/km
*....Includes cars with a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006.

Therefore all Z3s come under band K or less. £280 this year.

So go fill yer boots!

A.

Alfie, those bandings still only apply to vehicles registered after 1st April 2001 so 4pipesalute's comments are correct. https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables

That is not the correct interpretation - for cars registered before March 2006 they are all in band K even if over 225 g/km > hence £280 (as no Z3Ms were registered after 23 March 2006)

[Robert T]

That is not the correct interpretation - for cars registered before March 2006 they are all in band K even if over 225 g/km > hence £280 (as no Z3Ms were registered after 23 March 2006)

That's how I read it too. We have a general principle on these things that changes can't be applied retrospectively - this means you know what you are letting yourself in for when you buy a new car - there would be a massive outcry from people who had bought a new car only to find that it gets a massive tax hike after a couple of years as 1) they are probably not in a position to change it and 2) they second-hand value of their car will just have been dramatically reduced.

Am sure we have a couple of S54's on here that are registered after 1 April 2001 and they can confirm, but we had this debate at the time the banding changed, and I am almost certain that the conclusion was that the highest band a Z3 can be included in is Band K, much to the relief of the respective owners.

Cheers R.

[Z3cade]

My S50 is £220 a year to Tax

[Robert T]

Yes, but your S50 wasn't built after 1st April 2001, which is what governs when the new emissions banding kicks in.

Cheers R.

[Z3cade]

Ah ok, I thought the only changes were in 2006..

My cousins selling his Vectra VXR.. £480 to tax

[G2JRP]

My take is that all s54's would be on the cheaper rate. The full emission rules kick in for vehicles registered after 23rd of march 2006. I looked at this for a friend who is in the market for a 997 C2s and wants an early one so is cheaper tax.



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[gookah]

When I had my 3.0 sport it was a 2002 model,...... at 226g/km it fell into the L bracket by 1g/km, and I thought I was going to get hit, but the March 2006 rule applied and it was £280.
My Z4M however was £475 a year as it was a 2007.
There are a (very) few Z4M's that still pay the £280 as they were registered early March 2006.
So yes all S54 will still be £280 max, as they are older than those 2006 Z4M's

[Dave L2]

Are all S54s post 1st March 2001 then?

The pre 2006 rule does not apply to vehicles registered pre 2001 as evidenced by my 3.0i registered in Aug 2000 and being £225 again this year (well £227.50 as I paid by CC).

[Gazza]

Alfie and Siwilson have two of the earliest registered S54's being registered on a 'Y'

Mine is Sept 2001 originally on a '51' plate

[siwilson]

Mine is June 2001 on a Y plate and I pay the £280 for 268G/KM rate.

Y plates came in March 2001 when the tax changed from the old PLG category. My old E39 is an X and that gets PLG. Mine is number 24 form the VIN registry, so there must be a few earlier ones somewhere. If you can find an X registered S54 then that might be a bonus. Personally I would rather have a later one and suck up the difference.

[Alfie]

No (unmodified) Z3s are higher than Band K....

According to Jonttt's chart, S54 VINs 000 to 005 were 'Development cars' and came off the line between April and November 2000.
Until this chart came to light, we understood that S54 production started in Feb 2001.

The fate of 000 to 004 is not known.

I test drove 005 which was a Phoenix with black interior, a manual roof and on an 'X' plate IIRC, so we know it was sold to the public and registered before the accepted start date for the S54 model. This uncertain history was mainly why I didn't buy the car....

RED is VIN 006 which was one of three 'Press Cars' produced in Feb 2001 and first registered in August 2001 ('Y' plate), but the chart shows that 007 and 008 actually came off the production line a few days before 006.

So in short, unless you can find one of the development cars with VIN 000 to 005 (which might come under the old pre-March 2001 grouping), then your S54 will be VED Band K....

A.