The BMW M Roadster is the BMW M performance model of the BMW Z3 and BMW Z4 convertibles. It was produced between 1998 and 2002 and again during the 2006-2008 model years. All models were produced in the Spartanburg, South Carolina manufacturing facility, though the complete M engine was imported from Germany.

The BMW M Roadster was designed to be the performance version of the BMW Z3, and there were significant differences between the two variants. The body of the M Roadster had many slight differences. These included front and rear bumpers, gills, rear wings, boot and mirrors.

Under the skin many of the components were beefed up with many of them taken from the E30 M3 and E36 M3 Evo including brakes and much of the suspension. Based on the E36 platform, the Z3 Roadster was considered the E36/7 platform. The M Roadster could run a wider track under the flared wheel arches as well as wider wheels and tires to try to tame the increased power. Standard tyre sizes for the M Roadster is 225/45r17 at the front and 245/40r17 at the back. The low offset of the rear wheels allows plenty of flexibility to increase the rear tire width. A dual exhaust system fed each set of three cylinders to two dual tailpipes. This quad exhaust has since become an BMW M division signature.

BMW M GmbH (previously: BMW Motorsport GmbH) is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer BMW AG.

BMW M, also known as M-Technik or just "M" (for Motorsport) was initially created to facilitate BMW’s racing program, which was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s. As time passed, BMW M began to supplement BMW's vehicles portfolio with specially modified higher trim models, for which they are now most known by the general public. These M-badged cars traditionally include modified engines, transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications to set them apart from their counterparts. All M models are tested and tuned at BMW's private facility at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany.

Established in May 1972 with just eight employees, it grew to 400 employees by 1988, and is currently an integral part of BMW's market presence. The first racing project was BMW’s 3.0 CSL.

After the success of BMW M products like BMW 3.0 CSL in racing venues and the growing market for high performance sports cars, M introduced cars for sale to the public. The first official M-badged car for sale to the public was the M1, revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1978. The M1, however, was more of a racecar in domestic trim than an everyday driver. The direction of the M cars changed with the 1979 release of the M535i, which was a high performance version of BMW’s popular 5 Series mid-size sedan.