The world of European cars in the United States has a long history, with the best versions of otherwise decent cars being kept overseas. When individuals began importing gray market cars in the 1980s, it was basically a way to beat the system that kept the higher horsepower and lighter-weight vehicles from coming stateside. The idea of “forbidden fruit” continued well into the late 90s, as this 1997 BMW M Roadster goes to show us. Already a powerful car, the European market model was even more robust. Find this Euro-spec 1997 BMW M Roadster here on craigslist listed for $30,000.

The M Roadster was joined by the M Coupe when it rolled into showrooms at the end of the E36 production run. Featuring lots of components sharing with the mass-produced 3-Series, the M variants of the Z3 roadster quickly became enthusiast darlings owing to their robust S52 or S54 powerplants, aggressive looks, and exhilarating performance right out of the box. No automatic transmissions were offered, and the M Coupe became known as the “Clown Shoe” for its unusual proportions. A removable hard top was offered on the Roadster, an option that makes the car a four-season-friendly option.

Visually, this M Roadster looks like any other example sold here in the States. Under the hood was when things changed dramatically, as the European-market model, much like the E36 M3, was equipped with a far more powerful M-tuned engine. The M Roadster in overseas trim came with the S50B32 inline-six, equipped with individual throttle bodies and producing a stirring 320 horsepower. That’s a sizable jump from the first year the M Roadster was offered in the U.S. in 1998, when it pushed out a respectable 240 horsepower – which shows you just how much the fun meter was turned down when BMW prepped the model for the domestic market.

Other differences included headlight washers and floating disc brakes. Otherwise, the interior was equipped with the two-tone leather trim, corresponding center stack, and sharp 5-spoke alloy wheels. The seller notes he purchased this M Roadster off a popular auction site and imported it from Canada with just 19,000 miles on the clock. He’s apparently driven it very little, as the mileage has only ticked up to 19,032 since then. This is a unique opportunity to own a BMW M car in the form they always intended, as opposed to the watered-down variants that made their way into showrooms in the late 90s. Thanks to Barn Finds reader PRA4SNW for the find.