M3AN

Noted and updated. ?

Thoughts... Most people will run a mile from red leather (or any unusual colour for that matter) SMG - for better or worse, most want a proper manual Since the gauge picture is ~70k kms old I wonder how recent the rest of the pictures are It's from the UK, needs a deep inspection for rust Imported and no info on subframe or VANOS mandatory repairs - bottom end should be fine because it's a 2005 Otherwise, I reckon it's a good buy at ~$30k if you're looking for an SMG and don't mind the red.

When they reassembled it after painting (presumably) they installed the side indicators on the wrong sides of the car... Common mistake on e36's as well (indeed they're the same design).

If BMW are going to introduce a M4 Gran Sedan, why did they split the 2 and 4 door M3's in the first place?

True, but I would get heaps of helpful advice in the Trademe Q&A section! ?

Okay, that's reassuring... a 'complicated' history is never in the seller's advantage. There were apparently only 4 RHD Lotus White on Estoril Blue E36 M3's ever made... wonder if I could ask 6 figures?!? ?

Sure is pretty, even by today's standards - far more attractive than the current 6 series! At $150k I think the owner needs to change the auction description from "fast appreciating" to "was fast appreciating" because it's not going up any further. You'd be silly to pay 150 unless you were putting it in a collection/museum (and even then?). Was it written off, de-registered and needed compliance to get it back on the road? Or have I interpreted that wrong?

I'd call City BMW and ask them, if they have them in stock you can pick them up before 13h. Need them for a warrant? Cut up a pool noodle and bang it on temporarily...

To be fair I don't think many people would consider it "handsome" or "pretty" but to my eye most new cars (BMW included) can't be classified as such so I wouldn't call this one out particularly. Many new cars, this one included, seem to also have a disconnect between the "aggressive" front on treatment and the rest of the car. All bark and no bite so-to-speak. Perhaps all the plastic trim is functional though? If it's clip on, customer replaceable then it's ideal for all those parking dings and scrapes you can get - no paint or panel required, just clip the old bit off and the new bit on. I'm not sure if I'm being too optimistic there? Would be pretty cool though. Black (carbon-look) roofs seem to becoming a trend, seems odd, is it a plastic panel also? Lagoon Blue = Laguna Seca Blue? Looks pretty close to me! Looks and personal preferences aside, I'm glad it's all worked out and you've got your own rubber back on the road. ?

But the seat covers... ?

S54 requires Xw-60 full synthetic. FTFY. They only recommend Shell now, if you buy a used e46 M3 from a BMW dealer it will be full of Shell. If you take it to BMW for a service it will be filled with Shell. Although of course we know it makes no difference so buy it (any good brand) from Repco or Supercheap when it's on special.

Kiss my arse!

I would hazard a guess that an enormous percentage of customers (BMW or otherwise) wouldn't even know, let alone care what wheels were driven. That's gotta factor into the equation too. I consider this lamentable because I'm in the other, tiny slice of the population. ? I see the next M3 is apparently 2+2 (~500hp). I don't know how far down you'll be able to dial the front split but possibly not 0%. So, soon it may be the end of RWD BMW's period. Entry level or not. Whatever the reasons, this makes me sad. ?

That looks good who did it for you and where did you source the material?

4 years in and no looking back. There's a small blemish on one side where I rubbed it when it was really hot from the sun but that's about it and I'm the only one to notice it. I don't treat it any differently when I wash it either. So, still happy with the outcome.

I'm sort-of glad you decided to keep it as you know how to treat it. I suspect your ownership will uplift the value anyway, so I don't think you'll lose from it.

Many companies sell the bushes alone, you don't need to buy the entire lollipop (e.g. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-strut-mount-hd-31126754547). And yes, if you go the bush alone route you need to press them in so they need to come off the car. A shop pressed mine out (old) and in (new) for loose change and then I replaced them myself, took about 30 mins to do both sides. It's even easier of course if you buy the whole lollipop assembly but that'll cost you more than twice as much for the parts.

That's lovely, and one of my favourite liveries (I used to smoke B&H at around the same time). Not sure about those rear guards though... very difficult to see from the photos but they don't look as puffed as regular M3 guards (whereas the fronts look fine). I realise it's a rep kit but I'd want a better shot of those. In my mind, that price doesn't seem terrible either... but I'm not a very good assessor of race shells.

Or proper driver training...

Same ^ applies to any SUV, they're all inconsiderate. Everything over two ton should be classed as a truck and subject to additional regulation. Just bad luck if you have a Maybach and get caught up in the tide.

If you're paying retail for the MPE as a dealer (as opposed to factory) option then make sure you keep the stock exhaust. Two (or more) brand new cats and a barely used muffler and tips should be worth 100's. Heck, the full exhaust may even be a bolt-on upgrade for a lessor 1er.

A lot of the value in these things rests with how much the owner (or documentation) knows about the life of the car and maintenance... a poorly maintained low-km M3 will hurt you in the long run. Having owned mine for coming on 18 years and knowing pretty-much everything that has happened to it, along with good original options, makes it more valuable (IMHO). Not that that means much (except more expensive insurance) because I'm not planning on selling it.

The purple one is good actually... I think it's probably priced about right - at least for the start of a negotiation but if i were selling that one I wouldn't want much less than 20k. Probably the best I've seen for sale in a while.

I have no idea but... tools... ?

S5x...