Is the E46 CS a future classic?

[QED87]

I've just got in from polishing the CS and having owned the car for a good number of years still can't get over how beautiful and good a drive it is...

but

.... I'm in the process of spending a small blooming fortune on it getting it ready for summer - insurance, MOT, TAX, service, brakes, battery, tyres... not a problem of course as it needs all of the above but I am wondering whether we could see values head north one day or I should seek help to stop me looking at it through ££ tinted spectacles and just enjoy it regardless of how financially poor it might make me!!!

[Alpinestars]

I think manuals will be sought after in years to come. An SMG less so in my view - it will always be seen as a poor relation to the CSL.

But that shouldn't stop you enjoying it! Great cars and harder to find good ones.

[Craigwww]

IMHO it's not special enough to earn classic status, just a compromise between the CSL and the regular M3.

[helix402]

I'm sure all M3s will one day be classics. The CS is a great drive, I prefer the manual as there is less to go wrong. There is also less stress on the drivetrain than letting the SMG bang the gears in.

[shim]

No.

[Mermaid]

shim said:

No.

+ 1

Very much preferred to the standard M3, but not a classic. A low mileage manual will probably be early 20's, I'd add a few more grand and buy a CSL.

& the E92 M3 is a better daily at price.

[M3CS]

I have to say yes.

[JsyM3]

Mermaid said:

shim said:

No.

+ 1

Very much preferred to the standard M3, but not a classic. A low mileage manual will probably be early 20's, I'd add a few more grand and buy a CSL.

& the E92 M3 is a better daily at price.

By "a few" you mean an extra £10k to get a reasonable one and a further £5-8k to get a low miler... And the CSL's are creeping up in value so this is a moving target if you want the full-fat M3.

[JsyM3]

The CS will always be a bit special but it'll never cause the hype the CSL does.

I expect it'd be reasonable to see CS prices firm up a bit but I'm doubtful you'll see them increase like the CSL's have. I hope for your sake I'm wrong but I'd not bank on any appreciation in value, especially nothing significant enough to cover running costs.

Maybe the only exception to this would be if you have a garage queen with next to no mileage but from the sounds of things you use your CS and enjoy it which is what these are all about at the end of the day.

[Mermaid]

JsyM3 said:

.

Maybe the only exception to this would be if you have a garage queen with next to no mileage but from the sounds of things you use your CS and enjoy it which is what these are all about at the end of the day.

The average CS will have much higher mileage than the average CSL- so much more useable, and that too will impact on values.

[manchild]

No ! it might be worth are few hundred quid more than a normal one but thats it.

[shim]

manchild said:

No ! it might be worth are few hundred quid more than a normal one but thats it.

[MOTK]

No, there are a couple of thousand in the world (it's really just the competion pack for the standard car, allbeit they are mostly LHD US as they never got the CSL). You'll surely be unlikely to make any money unless you've driven zero miles in all those years and keep doing that, then sell it in 10.
Since you've owned and sounds like enjoyed using it for some time I would suggest you keep on doing so, it's not going to lose a whole lot more from now on if you are really worried about such things.