2002 BMW M3 (E46) | PH Fleet

Find out how Rob's five-month pursuit of a single-owner Imola Red M3 finally came good...

I always knew I’d find my way back onto the M ladder eventually. Letting go of my 2005 manual CS wasn’t so much a regret as a short-lived privilege, one made increasingly impractical by its mileage, value and the constant fear of actually using the thing. Hardly the recipe for carefree enjoyment, especially with my growing appetite for driving across the continent.

I very nearly scratched the itch with a Topaz Blue example showing 62,000 miles. It looked superb, right up until a paint-depth gauge, and my own eyes, agreed that roughly half the car had been refreshed. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to trigger my admittedly odd obsession with original paint. I made what I felt was a sensible offer. It wasn’t accepted.

So instead I diverted. The Z3 3.0i Sport became mine, and what would later be christened under the title “A 3000-Mile Z3 Odyssey" as my dream drive last summer. But even before heading off in June, I received a call from a client with whom I’d struck up a great relationship through PH auctions, following the sale of his rather Layer Cake-esque RS wagon. My attention was immediately piqued.

The car

The key details were as follows: 79,000 miles, Imola Red, manual, ordered new in 2002 by her late husband. With change on the horizon and a move north pending, the ongoing requirement for an M3 was waning. From that point on, I pestered this particular client weekly, at a minimum, pleading to be first in line for a viewing.

Long story short, with a close call involving a Z3M Coupé that I promise I’ll come back to, in November I finally drove the car home, with big plans already forming. Sliding back into an S54-powered motorcar felt instantly familiar, and it didn’t take long to realise just how much I’d missed that unmistakable rasp. There’s a sense of theatre to that engine that modern equivalents just don’t replicate.

I was sold on its originality and the provenance. It absolutely drips with soul, having been owned and driven by the same custodian from new. A large part of the appeal is the spec itself. Right-hand-drive E46 M3s with a manual gearbox are becoming thin on the ground, and finished in Imola Red they’re rarer still with around 400 coupes in RHD. Numbers aside, it’s the unmolested character that really gives the game away.

Even the badges tell their own story, hinting at the pride taken in polishing that multi-coloured chevron/stripes we all quietly notice. The history file itself is inches thick and even includes the original sales invoice. A recent main-dealer Inspection II in September, along with a full set of new brakes, means it’s genuinely turn-key. This is one of those cars you can simply get in and enjoy.

With a slightly daft idea on the horizon, I decided to explore the winter range of our favourite rubber manufacturer. As said plan snowballed, I landed on Michelin Pilot Alpin 5s for maximum cold-weather bite. I’m eager to see how these perform in the harshest environments, as I’ve never dabbled in winter tyres previously.

Autotyres in Shrewsbury, a firm family favourite with Dave and his team taking superb care of the reheeling task. A must for Shropshire-based readers.

EverythingM3

The car was thoroughly inspected by Darragh Doyle at EverythingM3, where I was given a very positive nod. This is a genuinely original car that simply needs fresh enthusiasm to take it to the next level. Thankfully, as an early car, it had its rod bearings replaced by BMW under a factory warranty campaign. Moreover, the boot floor was confirmed to be in remarkably good condition and, crucially, not cracked.

Following this pre-purchase inspection - which I’d highly recommend to anyone considering one of these - I booked it in to have a few minor items addressed. A differential seal and a rattling window were all it required. The setup at EverythingM3 is enough to make any M enthusiast drool, and the knowledge base Darragh and his team bring to bear speaks for itself. I have never seen so many correctly dated M cars together. Adding to the confidence, Chris Harris’s Z3M was on the neighbouring lift at the time, which suggests it was in very good company indeed.

As it sits now, the M3 feels perfectly poised for its next chapter - which begins imminently, in fact. Winter-prepared, freshly inspected and shod with proper cold-weather rubber, the car is no longer a garage-kept indulgence but a tool with a purpose. Over the course of the next three weeks, it’ll be asked to earn its keep on a winter dream drive that promises big miles, challenging conditions and the kind of memories only an M car can deliver. More on that next time.