Tuesday 10th June

BMW M3 (E90) | High Mile Club

Not very high miles perhaps - but consider how this particular M3 accrued them

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Buying a high-mile, bargain V8 isn’t the work of a moment. You’ll have read countless horror stories of blown engines and pricey consumables costing more than the car itself, and every trip to the pumps will be accompanied by the thought of ‘I’ll be doing this a whole lot more when the V8 comes.’ But then you factor in the happiness eight rumbly cylinders will bring and how every twist of the key will be infinitely more joyous than any ‘normal’ car, and those nagging doubts are swiftly drowned out by the sound of thunder. Besides, the price of petrol isn’t nearly as high as it has been in recent years.

Naturally, you can minimise the peril of budget V8 ownership by finding a car that has been on the receiving end of much TLC. Stacks of service history is a must, while recent specialist care brings extra peace of mind. A seller who knows as much of the car’s background as possible is always a plus, too, and it’s useful to have an expert on hand to check the car over before paying up. Then it’s a matter of waiting for the right car to come along with all the aforementioned boxes ticked. A car like this E90 BMW M3.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘isn’t a 112k-mile V8 M3 a recipe for disaster?’ And you’d be right to reach for the barge pole. The E9X M cars were known for rod bearing and throttle body issues that, if left untreated, could result in your wonderful S65 V8 going up in smoke. What’s more, M3s of this vintage have been relatively affordable for some time now, which does make them susceptible to the kind of owner that likes to run things on a shoestring budget. 

However, this example isn’t like any old high-mile 3er. It’s up for sale at Munich Legends, one of the nation’s top M specialists, and has been in the company’s possession for the last 13 years and 94k miles. During that time, it has featured in numerous publications, including Top Gear (you can watch it being driven alongside the BAC Mono here) and the firm reckons it has been ‘driven by princes and rock stars’, too. So yes, it’s an ex-demo, but it’s picked up some incredible stories along the way.

But above all, its long stint in the ML locker means it has been looked after by the same folks who prepare cars for historic racing and concours events, so while it’s undoubtedly lived a busy life, it’ll likely have been pampered along the way. Keeping its E90 in ‘great condition’ has always been a priority, the company says, with recent work including restoration work on the underbody, while the bearing shells and throttle body niggles have all been sorted in-house. The wheels are due a refurb, too, though the firm will only do so when a buyer emerges and a finish is decided upon (silver would go very well with the purple paint, if you ask me). 

Then there’s the price. At £18,500, it’s priced towards the low end for an E9X M3, which puts it in the same territory as some Convertibles and other cars in the 100k-mile club. For a point of reference, this Audi RS4 of similar vintage and mileage can be had for a £3k discount, while this C63 is even more murdered out for a further £2k off. A great mix of bargain German V8 muscle for the price of a lightly-specced Dacia, but I’d gladly pay extra for peace of mind. 

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SPECIFICATION | BMW M3 (E90)

Engine: 3,999cc V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 420@8,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@3,900rpm
MPG: 22.2
CO2: 295g/km
Year registered: 2008
Recorded mileage: 112,000
Price new: £51,440
Yours for: £18,500

See the original advert

[fantheman80]

pampered? Looks ratty as fook

[Bencolem]

I’d say that’s Ruby Black Metallic rather than purple?

[Turbobanana]

Mileage wouldn't put me off.

The fact it looks duller than Milton Keynes in November - that puts me off.

[Avus Blue]

Looks like Jerez black to me, same as my E92 M3. It's got a blue pearl to the paint that shows through when the sun hits it.
I wonder if this is Dan Norris' car (the boss at ML)? I know he used to have one as he talked about it regularly in his monthly column in the BMW car club magazine. I think he has an M6 Gran Coupe these days.
As for the mileage, it's not really that high is it? Mine is on 108k now and I've barely used for the past 2.5 years. I think I managed 1600 miles between the last two MOT tests and it's on course to be less than that this year. Must do better and get it out of the garage a bit more often!

[cerb4.5lee]

Avus Blue said:

Looks like Jerez black to me, same as my E92 M3. It's got a blue pearl to the paint that shows through when the sun hits it.

I'll never forget test driving the dealer principle's Jerez Black E92 M3 back in 2009 at Stratstone Doncaster. The salesman was kind enough to let me wind it around to 140mph, because I told him that I drove a TVR Cerbera 4.5, and I enjoyed going quickly when the opportunity presented itself.

I didn't end up buying that one at the time, but I did eventually buy an Alpine White one in Jan 2013 though. I still have fond memories of that test drive though.

[GreatScott2016]

How much better would that look with silver wheels! I don’t have a problem with black wheels but when matched with a black or very dark exterior, I think it just looks wrong

[Loplop]

As far as I can recall ML cars have always been a mixed bag.

They're either best of the breed, or overpriced.

I'd suggest looking into M539s video on his E92 if you want a true idea of what preventative maintenance needs to be done for a headache M3, then question ML on if that extensive list has been carried out.

[SDK]

Fuel cost
112,000 miles at 22.2 mpg using Super Unleaded
£34,219 - ouch !


Buy a used i4 M50 (530bhp) for £34k, run it for the same miles, costing £2,240, and you will have recovered the cost of the buying the car, Vs fueling this M3

Edited by SDK on Tuesday 10th June 13:46

[MrGeoff]

fantheman80 said:

pampered? Looks ratty as fook

I wouldn't say ratty, it's the black wheels that bring it down in my opinion.

It would look far nicer with silver wheels, or a set of the competition wheels:

[Cheese on Toast with Worcestershire Sauce]

£18.5k

LOL

[Chris Peacock]

I don't understand why they would even advertise that with battered black wheels. They absolutely ruin the look of the car and it would take minimal time and money to fix them back to silver.

[7 5 7]

112K, high miles....?? That isn't even high for one these - sorry but those wheels do nothing for it

[stuart100]

Cheese on Toast with Worcestershire Sauce said:

£18.5k

LOL

It's a 4 door saloon. So they are rare. So the reason for a high price. Coupe would be a bit less. Convertible would be more like £12k as they are not sought after.

[fantheman80]

MrGeoff said:

fantheman80 said:

pampered? Looks ratty as fook

I wouldn't say ratty, it's the black wheels that bring it down in my opinion.

It would look far nicer with silver wheels, or a set of the competition wheels:

Quite right, its the wheels I was drawn to - rest looks ok..! Like the above poster, surely a dealer and a special M one at that has the ability to sort that before advertising

[Angelo1985]

Is it techno violet?
Either the pics don t do it justice or it s a different colour altogether. Anyway, I prefer the coupe of this model of M4 but it s tempting nonetheless

[Robertb]

fantheman80 said:

Quite right, its the wheels I was drawn to - rest looks ok..! Like the above poster, surely a dealer and a special M one at that has the ability to sort that before advertising

To be fair, the ad acknowledges the wheels need refurbing, but ML are leaving it to the buyer to decide the finish.

[The Pistonsdead]

fantheman80 said:

MrGeoff said:

fantheman80 said:

pampered? Looks ratty as fook

I wouldn't say ratty, it's the black wheels that bring it down in my opinion.

It would look far nicer with silver wheels, or a set of the competition wheels:

Quite right, its the wheels I was drawn to - rest looks ok..! Like the above poster, surely a dealer and a special M one at that has the ability to sort that before advertising

True, what's hard about prepping it properly. Especially a recognised BMW specialist.

[Richard-390a0]

Bencolem said:

I d say that s Ruby Black Metallic rather than purple?

Yep it's Ruby Black when you go into the specs of the car from the Reg No. on the Top Gear clip.

[Mahalo]

Always amazed by these car adverts from garages which showcase a car in what I would call a shoddy state. You can see in quite a few of the photos that they have not bothered to prepare the car properly for sale and as the saying goes if they can't be bothered to get the small presentation things right them what else lurks underneath.
Black wheels very easily look shabby and do the car no favours, the colour is probably Ruby Black Metallic (as noted above) - black cars in particular need careful prep in order not to look shabby.

[Magikarp]

cerb4.5lee said:

I'll never forget test driving the dealer principle's Jerez Black E92 M3 back in 2009 at Stratstone Doncaster. The salesman was kind enough to let me wind it around to 140mph, because I told him that I drove a TVR Cerbera 4.5, and I enjoyed going quickly when the opportunity presented itself.

I didn't end up buying that one at the time, but I did eventually buy an Alpine White one in Jan 2013 though. I still have fond memories of that test drive though.

Disappointing you didn't manage a respectable speed, but at least it's into three figures I suppose.