Description
The debate over what is the greatest M car will, no doubt, rage on forever but for us it has to be the E46 M3. This incarnation of the legendary M3 represents the pinnacle of the M divisions engineering prowess. A Swiss army knife of a car that can offer up practicality, reliability, desirability and exhilarating performance, all in equal measures.
Consequently, we have long searched for one, not a high mileage, modified and abused one, there appears to be plenty of them about, no, we wanted a collector quality car that we could present to the market as one of the very best available.
And here is the result of our search, a genuine 1 previous owner, 39911 mile, manual M3 Coupe in Titanium Silver.
The Car
Our M3 was supplied and registered to its first owner on 19th July 2002 by Sytner BMW in Slough. It was ordered in Titanium Silver with Black Nappa Leather and the option boxes for Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi, graduated tint windscreen and front centre arm rest were duly ticked. The first owner kept the car for 2 years before trading it back into the BMW group.
On the 12th of June 2004, our BMWs second owner purchased the now 2 year old M3 from Cooper Cobham BMW in Surrey. He was clearly very fond of his M3 because he then kept it for the next 20 years!
The car has been meticulously maintained by both owners and features a comprehensive service history which is documented in the original service book showing services at the following mileages, 1480, 10727, 17015, 22595, 28679, 33127, 35273 and 39668 Miles. There are also stamps for 3 brake fluid changes and 2 coolant changes. In addition to this is a folder with a raft of service and parts invoices, cataloguing nearly every penny that has been spent on the car throughout its life.
The Drive
At the heart of every M division car is the engine and the S54 was both the pinnacle and the end of an era as this was the last straight 6 to power an M3, and my word it’s a belter! 3. 2 litres of normally aspirated perfection, 343bhp and a 7900rpm red line, it was the first engine to produce a 10:1 horsepower to displacement ratio and unlike a lot of thoroughbred performance engines, it has shown itself to be incredibly robust and reliable. Add to this, perfect 50:50 weight distribution, a wonderfully supple and communicative chassis and razor sharp hydraulic steering, it’s no wonder the E46 M3 is considered one of the greatest M cars of all time.
Thanks to the very low mileage and attentive servicing, our particular M3 still displays all the aforementioned attributes in spadefuls! It drives completely without fault and we doubt it feels and drives any differently today to when it rolled out of the Regensburg factory.
The Exterior
When our M3 landed at Cult Classic’s HQ it was already an extremely nice example but we wanted to take it to the next level, so we handed it over to our resident detailer and gave him free reign to make it the best it could possibly be. The Titanium Silver paintwork was treated to a multi stage paint correction, the boot lid mounted sections of the rear lights were replaced as was the rubber seal at the bottom of the windscreen. Next on the list, the original 18”, style 67 wheels, these were stripped and powder coated in the correct Grey shadow chrome (A56) paint and all the centre caps and M badges renewed. They were then shod with a matching set of BMW star marked Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
Whilst the wheels were being powder coated we took the opportunity to refurbish the brake callipers and replace the disks and pads all round. All the parts used throughout were genuine BMW parts supplied courtesy of Ryebrook BMW in Worcester.
The next stage was to clean off the underside and give it a generous coat of Lanoguard, to ensure this M3 can be used all through the year.
The end result is nothing short of spectacular, the paintwork has a mile deep shine to it and is almost completely blemish free, the wheels are perfect and the new brake hardware glinting behind just finishes off the whole look perfectly. The underside is almost as clean as the top side and is fully protected against whatever our winter roads can throw at it.
The Interior
The Black Nappa leather contrasts beautifully against the Silver paintwork and is all in truly lovely condition even the drivers side seat bolsters are completely damage free. The dash, door cards and steering wheel are also in excellent original condition with an even, shine free texture throughout. The scratch prone centre console trims are mark free as is the illuminated M gear knob, in fact the only signs of wear any to any of the interior are some light scratches to the drivers side door pull. The carpets are immaculately clean and damage free as is the anthracite headlining.
Moving to the boot, again, it is all in near immaculate condition, no unsightly marks to the grey boot carpet and all the plastics are damage free. The original puncture repair kit is still with the car along with the original warning triangle. All in all the interior is superb and reflects our M3s very low ownership and incredibly low mileage.
The Conclusion
The car is serviced up to date and has a current advisory free MOT until 2025. The car is now sporting new number plates but we have retained the originals as these were its supplying dealership plates. It comes with the original leather folder containing all its booklets plus the dealer spec sheet. There are 2 master keys, 1 valet key and 1 wallet key, even the glovebox torch is there and fully functional!
In everything from looks to performance and mechanical excitement, the E46 M3 nails it all perfectly and this might just be one of the finest examples currently on the market.
As with all our classic, retro and future classic cars, we have described the M3 honestly and with transparency, drawing attention to the good points and the imperfections equally, allowing you to make an informed decision.
Viewing is highly recommended and can be done at our Tewkesbury HQ, Monday to Saturday by appointment.
