E90/E92 M3: is now the right time to buy?
Discussion
I find myself at a bit of a crossroads. I could afford to "upgrade" my 2010 MINI Cooper to something a bit newer and "better" such as an Abarth 595, Fiesta ST, Golf GTI, GT86/BRZ, M135i etc or keep the MINI/buy a 2 grand Focus/Astra/Golf/Civic etc for daily duties and buy one of my realistic dream cars, a BMW M3.
Now the E30 M3 ship has long since sailed and whereas I contemplated an E36 M3 around 10 years ago when they were down to about 5 grand, these seem to have shot up in value too. I remember the E46 M3 coming out and always admired it like many people on here but the nicest examples are still strong money and the cheapest examples have got into the hands of people that can't really afford to run them and they suffer from a number of "old car" problems.
I actually think that the (F80?) M3/M4 looks great but still out of my budget and still has quite a bit of depreciating to do. Which leaves me with an E90/E92 M3.
When it came out it looked a little tame and too subtle compared to E46 and although it was quicker, it was criticised for a lack of torque and not being as night and day quicker than the E46 as people were expecting. However in hindsight, I think that I actually prefer the E90/E92 over the E46. It looks a lot more modern both inside and out and marks a point in history before downsizing took over and M cars had a clearer distinction over lesser models becasue of their engines. Audi/BMW still had the V10 M5/M6/RS6/S8 and Mercedes were still using the 6.2 NA V8 in AMG models.
Prices seem to have levelled out at around 13k up to 25k for late, low-mileage examples and it seems like you're getting the last of its kind (a high-revving NA M motor) and it's still young enough to not experience too many "old car" problems. I've toyed with an E92 330i M Sport but they're pretty rare and still relatively expensive. In real terms, the M3 doesn't seem like significantly more and should hold its value fairly well in the long-term?
I know a few of you have run these as do-it-all dailies and been a little disappointed. They are quite expensive to run but perhaps feel a bit too much like a regular 3-Series when you're just sat in traffic? I wouldn't contemplate running a 20mpg car as my daily but I certainly think that an E90/E92 M3 manual would be pretty special for driving for fun and it's cheaper and more family-friendly than my other real-world dream car, a 987 Cayman S.
So, what are the potential pitfalls with an E90/E92 M3 and does now seem like the right time to buy?
Now the E30 M3 ship has long since sailed and whereas I contemplated an E36 M3 around 10 years ago when they were down to about 5 grand, these seem to have shot up in value too. I remember the E46 M3 coming out and always admired it like many people on here but the nicest examples are still strong money and the cheapest examples have got into the hands of people that can't really afford to run them and they suffer from a number of "old car" problems.
I actually think that the (F80?) M3/M4 looks great but still out of my budget and still has quite a bit of depreciating to do. Which leaves me with an E90/E92 M3.
When it came out it looked a little tame and too subtle compared to E46 and although it was quicker, it was criticised for a lack of torque and not being as night and day quicker than the E46 as people were expecting. However in hindsight, I think that I actually prefer the E90/E92 over the E46. It looks a lot more modern both inside and out and marks a point in history before downsizing took over and M cars had a clearer distinction over lesser models becasue of their engines. Audi/BMW still had the V10 M5/M6/RS6/S8 and Mercedes were still using the 6.2 NA V8 in AMG models.
Prices seem to have levelled out at around 13k up to 25k for late, low-mileage examples and it seems like you're getting the last of its kind (a high-revving NA M motor) and it's still young enough to not experience too many "old car" problems. I've toyed with an E92 330i M Sport but they're pretty rare and still relatively expensive. In real terms, the M3 doesn't seem like significantly more and should hold its value fairly well in the long-term?
I know a few of you have run these as do-it-all dailies and been a little disappointed. They are quite expensive to run but perhaps feel a bit too much like a regular 3-Series when you're just sat in traffic? I wouldn't contemplate running a 20mpg car as my daily but I certainly think that an E90/E92 M3 manual would be pretty special for driving for fun and it's cheaper and more family-friendly than my other real-world dream car, a 987 Cayman S.
So, what are the potential pitfalls with an E90/E92 M3 and does now seem like the right time to buy?
I think that E92 is the most appealing version of M3 out there. I much prefer the idea of a proper V8 over an 6-cylinder, so i never really got the E46 for that matter and i believe that the E36 was seen more as just a cruiser. I do like the F80 actually as a better all-rounder though and is much quicker and more effective than it's predecessors.
The best advice i can give is to go in with your eyes wide open. They're not cheap to run. Much more than a standard model, put it that way. It comes across as a bit of a marmite M car, as many on here who have owned them have said that the performance is frustrating and the manual gearbox isn't great. Others have absolutely loved them.
I'd honestly give the M-Lite a go. They are more than quick enough on the roads and won't be as costly to run as a proper M car. They are starting to look like a bargain on the used market now. I'd still love an E92 M3 one day, but you really need to be prepared for that kind of ownership proposition. Normal BMW's can be expensive enough.
The best advice i can give is to go in with your eyes wide open. They're not cheap to run. Much more than a standard model, put it that way. It comes across as a bit of a marmite M car, as many on here who have owned them have said that the performance is frustrating and the manual gearbox isn't great. Others have absolutely loved them.
I'd honestly give the M-Lite a go. They are more than quick enough on the roads and won't be as costly to run as a proper M car. They are starting to look like a bargain on the used market now. I'd still love an E92 M3 one day, but you really need to be prepared for that kind of ownership proposition. Normal BMW's can be expensive enough.
If you really want one then I would say go for it and as mentioned it's the last of the line and mated to a manual gearbox make it desirable, plus used as an occasional car would help keep it feeling special.
I loved mine when you could stretch it's legs on quiet open roads and changing from third to fourth with the manual gearbox at 8400rpm was a nice buzz.
As I've said a million times though I pretty much hated mine as a daily because it felt like any other 3 series inside and was very muted to me for a V8, and because it doesn't really come on song until 6k rpm it's not an easy car to exploit it's performance, plus it felt it's weight at slow speeds too(yet didn't when pushing on as much only under braking).
The induction noise and chassis are lovely, but I found it very torque light but that's mostly because I was used to a much lighter car with similar power(TVR), and a 330d that had more torque than the M3 so the M3 felt very limp to me low down, others I'm sure don't feel the same as I did.
I loved mine when you could stretch it's legs on quiet open roads and changing from third to fourth with the manual gearbox at 8400rpm was a nice buzz.
As I've said a million times though I pretty much hated mine as a daily because it felt like any other 3 series inside and was very muted to me for a V8, and because it doesn't really come on song until 6k rpm it's not an easy car to exploit it's performance, plus it felt it's weight at slow speeds too(yet didn't when pushing on as much only under braking).
The induction noise and chassis are lovely, but I found it very torque light but that's mostly because I was used to a much lighter car with similar power(TVR), and a 330d that had more torque than the M3 so the M3 felt very limp to me low down, others I'm sure don't feel the same as I did.
culpz said:
I think that E92 is the most appealing version of M3 out there. I much prefer the idea of a proper V8 over an 6-cylinder, so i never really got the E46 for that matter and i believe that the E36 was seen more as just a cruiser. I do like the F80 actually as a better all-rounder though and is much quicker and more effective than it's predecessors.
The best advice i can give is to go in with your eyes wide open. They're not cheap to run. Much more than a standard model, put it that way. It comes across as a bit of a marmite M car, as many on here who have owned them have said that the performance is frustrating and the manual gearbox isn't great. Others have absolutely loved them.
I'd honestly give the M-Lite a go. They are more than quick enough on the roads and won't be as costly to run as a proper M car. They are starting to look like a bargain on the used market now. I'd still love an E92 M3 one day, but you really need to be prepared for that kind of ownership proposition. Normal BMW's can be expensive enough.
I hear you. The E46 engine does sound fantastic but rust, rear subframes, VANOS issues, I don't really want to be dealing with that and if you get a nice once which has had all those jobs done, you'll be paying E92 M3 money. The latest M3/M4 would certainly make a great do-it-all car. Very fast but not too bad on fuel if you're just cruising but way out of my budget. A high-revving NA V8 does seem more special though and if I run a cheap daily alongside it like my MINI, which is a great daily driver, fuel costs wouldn't be too much of an issue but the bork factor might!The best advice i can give is to go in with your eyes wide open. They're not cheap to run. Much more than a standard model, put it that way. It comes across as a bit of a marmite M car, as many on here who have owned them have said that the performance is frustrating and the manual gearbox isn't great. Others have absolutely loved them.
I'd honestly give the M-Lite a go. They are more than quick enough on the roads and won't be as costly to run as a proper M car. They are starting to look like a bargain on the used market now. I'd still love an E92 M3 one day, but you really need to be prepared for that kind of ownership proposition. Normal BMW's can be expensive enough.
I accept your point about the M135i. Every time I see a review, I think that they look like great fun and they appeal more than any of the other hot hatches this side of the new Civic Type R/Focus RS but I still haven't come around to the styling, particularly the rear lights post-facelift. I like the look of the M235i much better but they are a lot more rare and not the bargain that the M135i is. Still, the drive may well win me over, so probably worth trying one out...but it's not an M3 and I always feel like I'm compromising between what I want and what I get in terms of purchase price, practicality, running costs etc, so I was wondering whether now was a good opportunity to buy one of my "dream" cars.
cerb4.5lee said:
If you really want one then I would say go for it and as mentioned it's the last of the line and mated to a manual gearbox make it desirable, plus used as an occasional car would help keep it feeling special.
I loved mine when you could stretch it's legs on quiet open roads and changing from third to fourth with the manual gearbox at 8400rpm was a nice buzz.
As I've said a million times though I pretty much hated mine as a daily because it felt like any other 3 series inside and was very muted to me for a V8, and because it doesn't really come on song until 6k rpm it's not an easy car to exploit it's performance, plus it felt it's weight at slow speeds too(yet didn't when pushing on as much only under braking).
The induction noise and chassis are lovely, but I found it very torque light but that's mostly because I was used to a much lighter car with similar power(TVR), and a 330d that had more torque than the M3 so the M3 felt very limp to me low down, others I'm sure don't feel the same as I did.
Yes, I remember reading about your experience with the E92 M3. I've had lots of high-revving NA cars (Hondas and the like) and my current MINI is hardly torque rich, so maybe the relative lack of torque might not bother me too much. Did you have any major problems/expenses with yours other than routine servicing?I loved mine when you could stretch it's legs on quiet open roads and changing from third to fourth with the manual gearbox at 8400rpm was a nice buzz.
As I've said a million times though I pretty much hated mine as a daily because it felt like any other 3 series inside and was very muted to me for a V8, and because it doesn't really come on song until 6k rpm it's not an easy car to exploit it's performance, plus it felt it's weight at slow speeds too(yet didn't when pushing on as much only under braking).
The induction noise and chassis are lovely, but I found it very torque light but that's mostly because I was used to a much lighter car with similar power(TVR), and a 330d that had more torque than the M3 so the M3 felt very limp to me low down, others I'm sure don't feel the same as I did.
white_goodman said:
Yes, I remember reading about your experience with the E92 M3. I've had lots of high-revving NA cars (Hondas and the like) and my current MINI is hardly torque rich, so maybe the relative lack of torque might not bother me too much. Did you have any major problems/expenses with yours other than routine servicing?
No problems although I only did 10k miles in it, I believe throttle actuators can be problematic so be good to get one that's had them done. My brother has one & it's a great car he has the saloon which sold in small numbers & would be my pick of the variants as they're already holding their money a little bit stronger than the other two variants.
As has been said earlier the throttle actuators can be a bit troublesome, also another car that holds it's money well is the Lexus IS-F.
As has been said earlier the throttle actuators can be a bit troublesome, also another car that holds it's money well is the Lexus IS-F.
ZX10R NIN said:
My brother has one & it's a great car he has the saloon which sold in small numbers & would be my pick of the variants as they're already holding their money a little bit stronger than the other two variants.
As has been said earlier the throttle actuators can be a bit troublesome, also another car that holds it's money well is the Lexus IS-F.
Good to know. I wouldn't be averse to a saloon at all. Do you know how much the throttle actuators cost to sort? IS-F is pretty cool and very reliable too I would imagine. Auto only though and I would prefer a manual in my fun car! As has been said earlier the throttle actuators can be a bit troublesome, also another car that holds it's money well is the Lexus IS-F.

Throttle actuators are probably the most common issue, many have been dealt with by now.
Less common but known is premature big end shell wear. Quite a few have had remanufactured engines due to crankshaft related problems which most likely relates to this. Not much change from £15k at a main dealer which is scary !
Anything for sale at the £13k mentioned by the OP isn't likely to be one that you would want to own - it's going to be a previous total loss and / or mega miles at that price point.
£17.5k - £18k is currently bottom of the market for anything reasonable and even then its not easy.
If you can get above £20k the market opens out with some much more decent stuff.
They could well be at or near to being as low as they will go price wise.
Get one if you want one !
Less common but known is premature big end shell wear. Quite a few have had remanufactured engines due to crankshaft related problems which most likely relates to this. Not much change from £15k at a main dealer which is scary !
Anything for sale at the £13k mentioned by the OP isn't likely to be one that you would want to own - it's going to be a previous total loss and / or mega miles at that price point.
£17.5k - £18k is currently bottom of the market for anything reasonable and even then its not easy.
If you can get above £20k the market opens out with some much more decent stuff.
They could well be at or near to being as low as they will go price wise.
Get one if you want one !
From memory the big end shells were revised spec from 2011 and these can be fitted to the earlier engines. Bed and sump off (obviously) to do.
Main reason given has been that tolerances are too tight to allow sufficient oil supply to the big end shells. Supercharging puts the shells at far more risk.
The V8 is derived from the earlier V10 which has seen the same issues.
Main reason given has been that tolerances are too tight to allow sufficient oil supply to the big end shells. Supercharging puts the shells at far more risk.
The V8 is derived from the earlier V10 which has seen the same issues.
I purchased a E92 M3 M Performance Edition in frozen blue, back in March last year. The M3 had not been on my radar when I was considering a replacement for my 996 GT3. I wanted something that was a bit more of an all rounder, then came across a frozen silver car at a dealer in Sussex, whilst viewing their stock. I was really taken by it and started looking at all of the limited edition models that BMW brought out as 'run out' models.
Fortunately I came across my car at Lloyds BMW Newcastle by chance. On the phone I was advised they had several people interested and I didn't have a chance to view for a few days. I therefore placed a deposit on the car to secure it. When I did travel up from Kent to see it, I wasn't disappointed. It's beautiful...
It is 1 of just 30 M Performance Editions that were brought out to coincide with the London Olympics. They came in 'frozen' red, white and blue. They all have a matte / satin finish and 10 of each colour were made.
I am drawn to performance cars that are made in limited numbers as they often hold their money well, or go up in value. I suspect that any limited edition comp pack M3's with low miles and a good spec should be a sensible buy. They are the last of the V8's and the last M3 coupe.
I have enjoyed the M3 immensely, it is a very capable all rounder. I was initially not keen on the idea of the DCT box, but it is awesome, it's very quick and the auto blip on down change is infectious !
Unfortunately I find myself having to sell my car, as I never sold the GT3 and I can't afford to keep both!
It's currently with Targa Florio Cars on SOR but feel free to send me a PM for more info or photographs!
Fortunately I came across my car at Lloyds BMW Newcastle by chance. On the phone I was advised they had several people interested and I didn't have a chance to view for a few days. I therefore placed a deposit on the car to secure it. When I did travel up from Kent to see it, I wasn't disappointed. It's beautiful...
It is 1 of just 30 M Performance Editions that were brought out to coincide with the London Olympics. They came in 'frozen' red, white and blue. They all have a matte / satin finish and 10 of each colour were made.
I am drawn to performance cars that are made in limited numbers as they often hold their money well, or go up in value. I suspect that any limited edition comp pack M3's with low miles and a good spec should be a sensible buy. They are the last of the V8's and the last M3 coupe.
I have enjoyed the M3 immensely, it is a very capable all rounder. I was initially not keen on the idea of the DCT box, but it is awesome, it's very quick and the auto blip on down change is infectious !
Unfortunately I find myself having to sell my car, as I never sold the GT3 and I can't afford to keep both!
It's currently with Targa Florio Cars on SOR but feel free to send me a PM for more info or photographs!

stroller said:
I purchased a E92 M3 M Performance Edition in frozen blue, back in March last year. The M3 had not been on my radar when I was considering a replacement for my 996 GT3. I wanted something that was a bit more of an all rounder, then came across a frozen silver car at a dealer in Sussex, whilst viewing their stock. I was really taken by it and started looking at all of the limited edition models that BMW brought out as 'run out' models.
Fortunately I came across my car at Lloyds BMW Newcastle by chance. On the phone I was advised they had several people interested and I didn't have a chance to view for a few days. I therefore placed a deposit on the car to secure it. When I did travel up from Kent to see it, I wasn't disappointed. It's beautiful...
It is 1 of just 30 M Performance Editions that were brought out to coincide with the London Olympics. They came in 'frozen' red, white and blue. They all have a matte / satin finish and 10 of each colour were made.
I am drawn to performance cars that are made in limited numbers as they often hold their money well, or go up in value. I suspect that any limited edition comp pack M3's with low miles and a good spec should be a sensible buy. They are the last of the V8's and the last M3 coupe.
I have enjoyed the M3 immensely, it is a very capable all rounder. I was initially not keen on the idea of the DCT box, but it is awesome, it's very quick and the auto blip on down change is infectious !
Unfortunately I find myself having to sell my car, as I never sold the GT3 and I can't afford to keep both!
It's currently with Targa Florio Cars on SOR but feel free to send me a PM for more info or photographs!
Saw the photos on Targa Florio cars. That's a great looking car. Well above my budget though sadly but surely a solid investment in that spec. Fortunately I came across my car at Lloyds BMW Newcastle by chance. On the phone I was advised they had several people interested and I didn't have a chance to view for a few days. I therefore placed a deposit on the car to secure it. When I did travel up from Kent to see it, I wasn't disappointed. It's beautiful...
It is 1 of just 30 M Performance Editions that were brought out to coincide with the London Olympics. They came in 'frozen' red, white and blue. They all have a matte / satin finish and 10 of each colour were made.
I am drawn to performance cars that are made in limited numbers as they often hold their money well, or go up in value. I suspect that any limited edition comp pack M3's with low miles and a good spec should be a sensible buy. They are the last of the V8's and the last M3 coupe.
I have enjoyed the M3 immensely, it is a very capable all rounder. I was initially not keen on the idea of the DCT box, but it is awesome, it's very quick and the auto blip on down change is infectious !
Unfortunately I find myself having to sell my car, as I never sold the GT3 and I can't afford to keep both!
It's currently with Targa Florio Cars on SOR but feel free to send me a PM for more info or photographs!


With what's on sale today these are the three saloons my brother rates.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
ZX10R NIN said:
With what's on sale today these are the three saloons my brother rates.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
In reverse order - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
The black one - looks nice, plate is a bit off putting and cannot make out if the alloys have been incorrectly refurbished to silver all over ?
The grey one - sure looks pretty on those wheels, the red interiors are always a bit Marmite though.
The silver one - its had a lot of paint and doesn't have full BMW history as claimed in the advert

Depending on your level of fussiness finding a proper good one is already a difficult task.
Edited by MuscleSaloon on Tuesday 18th July 11:38
MuscleSaloon said:
In reverse order -
the black one looks nice, plate is a bit off putting and cannot make out if the alloys have been incorrectly refurbished to silver all over ?
The grey one - sure looks pretty on those wheels, the red interiors are always a bit Marmite though.
The silver one - its had a lot of paint and doesn't have full BMW history
Depending on your level of fussiness finding a proper good one is already a difficult task.the black one looks nice, plate is a bit off putting and cannot make out if the alloys have been incorrectly refurbished to silver all over ?
The grey one - sure looks pretty on those wheels, the red interiors are always a bit Marmite though.
The silver one - its had a lot of paint and doesn't have full BMW history

The Silver one i'd buy with the view that I'd probably be supercharging it & the price reflects condition.
I'd probably buy the Grey one because of the interior the wheels would go & a set of SC6 alloys would replace them.

It's only a numberplate that can easily changed as for not having FBMWSH I'd rather recent full specialist history than main dealer.
ZX10R NIN said:
With what's on sale today these are the three saloons my brother rates.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Those all look pretty good to me actually. The grey one looks really slick and I actually don't mind the red interior! That's probably around where I want to be on price and although in my head I was picturing a coupe, the saloon looks a little more cohesive at the rear and its relative rarity might help long-term values. I also imagine that the average age of the owner of an M3 saloon might be higher than for the coupe, so one would expect for a saloon to be a bit better looked after maybe?http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
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