There's only one thing worth discussing this week: if you can't buy a new BMW M3/4 because you find the 'bold' styling objectionable, what would you have instead? Now, obviously you could have an Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio or a Mercedes-AMG C63 and absolutely you should consider those. But if you're a diehard M GmbH fan and nothing but a BMW badge will do, what are the immediately available alternatives with £65k (the likely starting price for a new M3) burning a hole in your back pocket?
Helpfully the list is long, but distinguished. Prior to Grillegate, BMW M was on something of a streak. Sure, not every car it has built in the last twenty years could be called a categorical home run (X6 M anyone?) but there have been some fine contenders for future classics - and given there's no time limit on this thing, there's an additional twenty years of actual classics beyond that, should any of our contestants be so inclined. To the classifieds...
My love affair with the M3 CSL now stretches back 17 years, and presumably the second it was announced in 2003. It was already a great year for lightweight sports cars, with the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale and second gen of 996 GT3 launched. But then there was the CSL; I was 12, just about moving on from obsessing over the car stats to understanding what was being written them. And I lapped up everything and anything possible about the M3 Coupe Sport Leichtbau; I loved an M3 already because Dad had a 3 Series, and this just seemed more of the same. To this day, I think it remains the best-looking M car ever made after the M1. Nothing about the past week has made me think that's going to change anytime soon, either.
It's incredible to think now that the media blew hot and cold on the CSL back then, questioning the value in its chunky premium for a modest power gain. Then, of course, the CSL cult exploded, meaning there isn't a penny spare in the budget for this late (2005), 35,000-mile example. Handily, it looks just sublime, a CSL that's been cherished and cared for over the past decade and half.
So I'd be torn, quite frankly, if this were my CSL. Because it probably should be preserved like a museum exhibit, ready for future generations to revere and respect. But that manual gearbox conversion, and the opportunity to finally drive a CSL for real, would be hard to ignore...
MB
I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't really experienced many BMW M cars. Not through lack of desire, of course; the opportunities have just been few and far between. But of all the M cars on offer that I feel I could realistically afford one day, my heart warms the most to the M2.
Having owned almost everything this side of £20K that I've ever really wanted to buy, my time in the classifieds is gradually drifting more and more towards Caymans and M2s. Having recently become a father, the Cayman feels a bit selfish, so an M2 is almost inevitable. With a manual gearbox, of course.
Inevitably there are those who would choose something older and bang on about how great BMWs naturally-aspirated M cars were, but I'm not ashamed to say I love boost so the twin-turbocharged 410hp 3.0-litre S55 would do me nicely. I'm rather fond of an orange BMW, too, given that I had my Caterham 270R painted in Valencia Orange. This year-old example with just 6k is perfect, then - and comfortably cheaper than a new M4 would cost.
BL
Missing Le Mans last weekend due to you know what had me reminiscing about all the different cars I've driven down the D438 through the years. There are a few M cars on that list, from an immaculate but wheezy E30 M3 to a stiffly suspended Z4M, but there was only one of them I wanted for this selection: an M5.
The most memorable part of that trip was the noise, of course. Propelled by what is probably the best M-engine ever - the 5.0-litre S85 V10 - the exhaust tone echoed around the French vista, unbecoming in something which could still pass for a repmobile. It certainly confused those on bridges supercar spotting down the route, who heard an exotic sound only saw a 5 Series.
Really, I should have selected a saloon version to recreate that Le Mans trip. But I'm going Touring - it's more practical, plus I'm getting old and need to visit the local recycling centre at least twice a month for no reason at all.
The auto box is my only real gripe. And, to be frank, it is a massive gripe; this is a car that can pin you to the back of your seat and then instantly try to smack your face on the steering wheel when you select the next gear - the best M engine, with nearly the worse M gearbox!
But owing to nostalgia, I'm going to forgive it. The sound is what I remember the most and looking through the history I will also forgive everything for a good example, as this appears to be. A rear diff change, full BMW history and only 55k on the clock for under half the price of the new M3. Leaves you some change to do what some people have tried and replace that gearbox. If it was me, I'd stick a tow-bar on and make it the ultimate 'M' car all-rounder!
PD
Before the oversized nostrils of the new M3/M4 and before Bangle's bungling, the Z3 M Coupe was the ugly duckling of the BMW world. The production team had a hard time convincing BMW's board of directors to allow them to build a coupe version of the Z3 Roadster, but they agreed to it as long as they kept the costs down.
They achieved this by sharing the majority of body panels with the Z3 M Roadster, especially the front of the car, leaving only the rear for some... creativity. The car has been described as a hearse, a bread van, and American readers might know it to be compared to the car of a certain "ambiguous" duo.
To be frank, these cars didn't sell well compared to their open-topped siblings, but that short supply is also what has made them desirable. It's a rarity that people either love or hate and I'm certainly in the former category. I love those wide wheel arches and big chrome exhausts which give the otherwise delicate Z3 rear end a bit more aggressiveness.
This particular example has the highly-desirable 320hp S54 engine from the E46 M3, only available from 2001, which gives it a 0-60 time of just 5.1 seconds. And unlike some of my colleague's choices, this has a proper 6-speed transmission. So if you want a fast but characterful BMW M car, from before the times of the oversized kidney grille, this is a fantastic option.
MD
This car has been on the ownership wish list since its release almost a decade ago. Max at MMR Performance has one that we took down in convoy to Le Mans and I was sold from that point on. Admittedly it's getting on a bit now so perhaps it's slightly dated in terms of tech, but the flared arch exterior more than makes up for it - a design I feel the M2 never quite lived up to.
The 1M was a rare car, too, with only 450 ever made, although it's for this reason that it has remained frustratingly out of reach as an ownership proposition. Any expectation of significant depreciation was short lived; in fact I remember some were advertised at over £60k at one stage. The closest I got was around four years ago when I wussed out and bought an M135i.
This example is a bit of an oddity in primer grey as it's not one of the factory black, orange or white examples. Looking at the engine bay this is no wrap either with the suspension turrets perhaps the only clue to its original colour. I suspect this is the very car that PHer MattOz saw in Warwick back in 2011 as it appears to match his description.
Now if it was my real money, I'd probably go a bit safer and opt for Valencia Orange, but Ben has beaten me to it with his M2 choice. So I'm happy to lavish Monopoly money on something a bit more novel, and as the car also benefits from the Pro nav upgrade it won't feel too dated either. With only 12k miles it's still one of the least used examples out there, and as good enough reason as any to kick off the man maths again.
SL
This car is the wrong colour, too. A BMW M3 CS doesn't need Alpine White to standout. It should be the colour of tarmac or possibly the sky. But otherwise this is obviously the M car to buy in this situation. The last of any generation is typically worth a punt (because believe it or not factories and the people in them get progressively better at building cars over time) but in the F80's case it has become a virtual no-brainer; its replacement is the proverbial toad to its princely appearance.
It is also, lest we forget, rather good. The F80 didn't necessarily start out that way - it was distinctly underwhelming at its original launch - but it ended up ticking an awful lot of M brand boxes. The CS was just about the last throw of the dice, and earned its spurs by being the lightest and most powerful variant you could buy. Of course the hardware hadn't changed much and its output upgrade was marginal - but it had the badge, and it had some Alcantara, and by gum it had the look absolutely nailed.
Back in 2018 it had the crazy price, too (all £86k of it), but now the edge has been liberally taken off: our white knight only has a trifling 5k on the clock and has shed around £20k in value. If you're inclined to point out that it still seems pretty steep when compared with a Competition Pack model (which are £20k cheaper again) then I'd be inclined to agree with you. But if you gave me the choice between this and an incoming G80 M3, I'd push my hard-earned towards the run-out model and never look back.
NC
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