Faults:

Vanos Unit, replaced under warranty 14,000.

General Comments:

It must be the performance bargain of the decade, it outperforms all in its class and it is extremely reliable. I was considering replacing it with a TVR Tuscan, but have shied away due to the reliability issues.

I would recommend the AC Schnitzer suspension modifications to aid the poor standard setup. Later models have the M Coupe stiffer shocks which would negate this upgrade.

My previous car a UK Mark IV Supra 326BHP cannot keep up with it which is interesting as this is a very fast car too.

I would highly recommend buying one, but ensure it has BMW warranty left as once this ends you cannot add further years.

Servicing too can be expensive, inspection 1 and Inspection 2 (every other service after oil service) are £530 and £700 respectively.

Faults:

Few problems.

The hood required re-alignment which was provided under warranty.

The M trim on the boot became loose, but again this was fixed as a courtesy by the dealer.

As per the other review, the car does shed a significant amount of brake dust. Newly cleaned alloys turn black inside a week.

General Comments:

The car performs wonderfully in the dry, however it needs to be driven carefully in the wet or on ice - a lack of traction control means the car is very easy to slide, but extremely controllable and great fun. I wouldn't swap the car for any other at the moment - it outperforms the Boxster and the SLK, and is much more practical than a TVR or Lotus.

One word of warning though - servicing is very expensive. An oil change service comes in at £150, a service 1 at £550 and a service 2 at £700.

Faults:

Little nit picky things like the emblem colors not matching, a trim piece here and there needing attention. That's all. When I mentioned the M badges being faded the dealer did not seem to care. I had to insist that they be changed. For me this was alot of money for a car that I wanted to be perfect.

General Comments:

This topless rocket is so much fun and a bargain for about $40K when compared to Boxster and SLK. This car beats both in performance and at a lower price or with more standard equipment. The more we drive it the better it gets. One other complaint... too much brake dust, which seems like most newer German cars have. I'm sure its the soft brake pads which stop on a dime.