Help choosing E46 M3

[JohnnyJones]

Hi all, I'm going to spend up to about 13k on an E46 M3. I'm not bothered about the age I just want a low mileage one, well looked after with low owners and a good service record.

My question relates to the year of manufacture. Is there anything to choose between the different aged cars? Like I said I have no preference at the moment to age, I just want the best I can afford.

[Crusoe]

CS version would be the one to get if you can, if not a later 2005 onward one with upgraded steering rack, led rear lights and a cd player that can play mp3s is nice to have but most are getting on now so probably buy on condition more than anything. Look out for when the inspection 2 service is due, might be low mileage but could be due at 8 years old depending on how you interpret the manual (I would prefer the diff oil and gearbox oil to be swapped out even if they didn't do the full inspection 2 on a 8 year old car with low mileage). Plenty of buying guides out there, forums.m3cutters.co.uk is also a good resource.

Edited by Crusoe on Wednesday 25th February 16:30

[JohnnyJones]

Thanks, haven't seen a CS in the month or so that I've been looking. Is there any difference in the engines?

[cslwannabe]

No difference in the engines. They have CSL lookalike wheels, quicker steering rack and a couple of other improvements.

[Gruber]

I'm also looking. I'd love another CS, but... a CS with sub-70k miles seems to be £17k-plus. And most of them were SMG'd and I'd prefer a manual.

Good late (05/06) cars with solid history, unabused and without mega miles seem to be thin on the ground.

[ArmaghMan]

This looks nice.

http://www.usedcarsni.com/2003-BMW-M3-E46-14131125...

Not my kind of car but I can see the attraction.

[krisdelta]

Seems to be free! Perhaps I am going mad, but it doesn't appear to have a price. Personally, a well used and maintained car will beat a garage queen for reliabiliy / usability, but potential for locking in a vault for 20 years if that's your thing

[simes43]

Is there a difference between the standard car's smg box and the one fitted to the CSL?

[jayemm89]

simes43 said:

Is there a difference between the standard car's smg box and the one fitted to the CSL?

I think if there is any difference it will be in the software (as with the Ferrari 360 CS). Not sure there were any differences with the pump.

Personally I never got on with the SMG box but I have been told you do adjust to it and it gets better when pressing on

[krisdelta]

Gearbox is the same but gearbox ECU I believe was different until 2005 (IIRC).

[david_h]

Value wise these cars are extremely coloUr sensitive. Avoid silver or carbon black, they are far too common. Try and find a high spec indivIdual.

I never saw the value of a cs, totally overhyped. The upgraded brakes are still awful and need replacing with ap's. Even the front wheels are mising half an inch.

[simes43]

Thanks, a friend is looking for an e46 M3 and asked me about the boxes. I hated the manual box myself.

(I had a manual e46 M3 and then a CSL back in the day, but never drove a Smg equiped standard car).

[Wolwo]

Ive got a 2003 model, Silver without sunroof and no Nav. Pre facelift which didnt bother me in the slightest. Main thing when I bought it was around the subframe - I had an indpendent check done which it passed and I kept all the documentation for any future sale. Loads of info all over the usual forums.
Ive got a manual which is great - Ive driven the SMG which is also good but prefer the manual. Ive had larger BMW performance brakes on the front and Bilstein PSS10 suspension added so I can use it for the odd track day. I use the car everyday pretty much and it gets high 20's MPG on long boring runs and its still comfortable. I never particularly liked the E46 when it first came out but its massively growing on me. Unfortunately Im considering selling it to free up cash for an extension and getting into some contract hire thing on a Golf R or something like that......so let me know if you want any details.

[ArmaghMan]

david_h said:

Value wise these cars are extremely coloUr sensitive. Avoid silver or carbon black, they are far too common. Try and find a high spec indivIdual.

I never saw the value of a cs, totally overhyped. The upgraded brakes are still awful and need replacing with ap's. Even the front wheels are mising half an inch.

Everybody has their own opinion but I tend to agree that it's " resale silver"
For every one person who likes an individual colour my guess is that ther will be 10 who won't

[jayemm89]

ArmaghMan said:

Everybody has their own opinion but I tend to agree that it's " resale silver"
For every one person who likes an individual colour my guess is that ther will be 10 who won't

You can never win with these things

Selling one in silver all you get is "Well there's plenty of them about so they can't be worth much", trying to buy one off someone "Silver is the most desirable colour so must be worth more"

Ferraris in red are the same. Personally unless it is a really rare or individual spec colour I'd just go for one you like the look of. I think silver is dull as dishwater but that's me.

[neutral 3]

Just Has to be Carbon black / red.

[John D.]

david_h said:

Value wise these cars are extremely coloUr sensitive. Avoid silver or carbon black, they are far too common. Try and find a high spec indivIdual.

I never saw the value of a cs, totally overhyped. The upgraded brakes are still awful and need replacing with ap's. Even the front wheels are mising half an inch.

I thought the CS had a better steering rack too, which one of its selling points.

Quite fancy a E46 M3 at some point still. The market does seem a bit of a minefield of tatty or poorly modified cars, against others for silly money.

[bennyboysvuk]

jayemm89 said:

I think silver is dull as dishwater but that's me.

Mine was silver and I loved it for its ability to look quite clean when it was really quite dirty. That's the joy of a silver car.

If I'd been able to find one, Laguna Seca blue would have been my preference.

[david_h]

John D. said:

I thought the CS had a better steering rack too, which one of its selling points.

Quite fancy a E46 M3 at some point still. The market does seem a bit of a minefield of tatty or poorly modified cars, against others for silly money.

Fitting the csl sterling rack is not a huge expense. What I was most disappointed with on the cs is the revisions to the steeRing
Wheel that deleted the audio and cruise control.

Also silver and carbon black cars are in huge supply therefore more difficult to sell and worth less.

[John D.]

On the subject of colour there is an Oxford Green one in classifieds. Can't decide if I like it or not. The pictures are fairly poor which doesn't help.

Carbon black may be common as muck but does look cool.