If you too are afflicted with an M passion, Munich Legends is a glorious place to visit. From
E34 M5 Touring
1 M Coupe
, every single car on the stock list is massively desirable and beautifully presented.
Anyway, we were there to talk with MD Dan Norris about everything E92 M3 from a buying and selling perspective (he bought an E90 M3 with his own money!). His answers were certainly intriguing.
Dan didn't believe, for example, that the new M3 and M4 will have a significant impact on the values of the E9x generation, at least outside of the main dealer network. Not only will they have a new M3 to sell, but the M235i proffers an interesting alternative to a used M3 now also. Moreover, because Munich's customers often add cars to collections or have had their eye on one car for a while (see our M3 owner and life-long V8 fan Jonathan), the arrival of those new M cars won't impact on his work with the E9x generation as much as the BMW garages.
The manual and DCT discussion was a fascinating one. In Dan's own words, he says 'nobody ever comes in just wanting a manual having driven a DCT'. And this even applies to owners coming from SMG-equipped cars, adamant they will never have another paddleshift.
Another key issue on spec seems to be the EDC dampers. Dan believes the passive set-up is perhaps a little too firm for some, an issue the EDC circumvents and helps at resale time. Facelifted cars are particularly in demand as well, largely because of the vastly improved iDrive. Ergo early manual coupes are left fairly undesirable as V8 M3s go.
From the customers Dan and Munich have dealt with, there is a clear demarcation between E92 coupe and E90 saloon customers. The latter, he says, would probably have bought an E39 M5 once upon a time and sees many similarities between the two cars. Furthermore, the (relatively) sober saloon is seen as easier to justify on practicality terms. This tends to mean four-doors are kept for longer than two-doors, especially as the latter is the default choice for those wishing to tick an M3 off the 'must-own' bucket list.
And who is buying M3s right now? Audi customers apparently. Dan is finding quite a few people are ditching RS4s and wanting the additional interaction (alright then, oversteer) more easily available in M3s. He finds most people in the market are either BMW or Mercedes fans, with few collectors having both brands. Funnily enough, that's a comparison the M3 will be facing imminently...
After all this, a swift browse of E9x M3s for sale on PH was in order. There are a few early manual coupes and saloons under £20K, with the earliest DCT cars under £25K. There's a wealth of choice between £25,000 and £30,000. Over £30K there are only four saloons from 75 cars available, and this E90 looks fantastic in grey with red leather.
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