Inspired by M’s 50th anniversary, we’ve been on the hunt for a used BMW M3.
Not the original, E30-gen M3, which has become so revered that prices can range anywhere from £30,000 up to the heights of £100,000. Nor is it the latest generation, the G80, which first went on sale in 2020 and will cost you from £65,000 on the used market.
Instead, we’re looking at spending a fraction of that. Our choice is the E46-gen M3, produced from 2000 to 2006, which to this day remains the most successful M car ever, with more than 85,000 sales globally.
Under the bonnet sits a 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine producing 343bhp, outgunning that of the previous M3 by a hefty 65bhp.
As a result, the car can whizz from 0-62mph in 5.1sec, with power managed by either a SMG-II six-speed automatic gearbox or a Getrag six-speed manual. Top speed is electronically pegged at 155mph.
You also get the choice of a coupé or a soft-top convertible bodystyle. The coupé was significantly more popular, selling 56,133 units, compared with 29,633, but both are great choices.
We loved this M3 so much when it was new that we described its S54 straight six as “one of BMW’s best engines of any kind” and its chassis as “superb”. Its versatility also impressed us, because it was easy to live with yet “outstanding to drive”.
Not convinced? Then perhaps second-hand prices will sway you. This generation of M3 will today cost you from just over £10,000 for cars with the highest mileage. You can’t even get a new Dacia Sandero for that any more.
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M3 csl e46 is one of the best looking BMWs to date, powerful & purposeful. Such a shame about the current design language which applies to Mercedes as well. All have lost their identity.
oh, it's an Alfa, best roll out the stereotypical comments, let's go with interior plastics this time.
Your obsession with nice plastics in interiors is getting way out of hand. I had a 159 and it had a wonderful interior, especially as mine was the Ti with the gorgeous sports seats and tan leather-over-black interior.
The plastics looked fine and did the job perfectly fine. I couldn't admittedly tell you how scratchy they were as I'm a normal human being and we don't tend to do that sort of thing. Those that I interacted with held together fine while there were many others I probably never touched and they looked fine.
You've gone with a lazy generalisation there IMHO
Yep, it was a gorgeous interior with the box-stitched brown leather, metal dash, and hooded round dials. What a crock of shit.
OK, diesel does suck arse.
E46, yep,a superb car indeed, mine was in the launch color (Phoenix yellow metallic) , it was second hand on an 04'plate with 21,000 miles on the clock, it was a manual box, I kept it for six months because that's all I wanted it for was the Summer, it never let me down, I had some great drives in it, sold it 7,000 later, only lost a couple of grand on it, and yes, only buy with a full history and from a BMW dealer, I found, ok, maybe I was lucky, a good BMW dealership who couldn't do enough for me, so, if you've got the spare cash ( which I doubt, just now many of us have) ,go buy one! Enjoy.