Cheap E46 M3 Turns Out to be an Insanely Good Deal
YouTuber’s recent E46 M3 acquisition might be the cheapest one in America but does that mean it’s a clunker? Far from it.
The BMW E46 M3 is one of the best sports cars in automotive history. Enthusiasts continue to lust after the 3.2 liter V6 and its incredible refinement and power. Additionally, BMW didn’t make too many of the performance variant, so they’re becoming quite valuable. That makes reasonably intact examples a pretty desirable find.
And that’s exactly what the guy behind the Vehicle Virals YouTube channel recently purchased, much to his delight. Although the M3 will need some work, it’s in very good condition and contains some very cool things that most similarly vintage models probably lost long ago. We’re hoping the influencer keeps it as stock as he possibly can, because it’s quite the gem.
Practically Stolen E46 M3
Vehicle Virals got a tip that the M3 was for sale and had a chance to talk to the owner. Unfortunately, it had been sitting for close to a year. There is a silver lining though. Cosmetically, it is in very good shape. The same goes for the interior, which is a matching black, something that makes it a bit more of a collectible. To make things even more impressive: the cabin is virtually flawless. It is basically brand new inside. Although once we get a shot of the interior, we get a taste of why the car sat for a year. “This particular E46 M3 is equipped with the SMG transmission. Which is pretty much the reason why I got this car for a really good price because this transmission is pretty shot,” says the influencer. The automated manual was definitely a problematic transmission. Fortunately, $3,000 for the car is an extremely good deal.
Professional Opinion
After checking over the car, the YouTuber heads over to his trusted shop so they can look over the car and give him an initial assessment. Before rolling it inside, they give it a quick powerwash. It turns out it is in great cosmetic shape, just like he surmised. Similarly, the car has about 175k miles on it, which was less than expected.
“So the car hasn’t been started in over a year and a half so this is going to be exciting to see if it turns on,” says the influencer. Initially, everything checks out pretty well but cars generally don’t do well if they sit for extended periods. With a charger hooked up, the car does come to life a bit, which allows everyone to explore the trunk. Turns out there are some pretty cool audio upgrades in there, along with the factory tire inflator and the factory tool kit. With a new battery, the car started right up!
Reviving the E46 M3 required the tech to fool the car into thinking it’s a true manual. “Three thousand dollars for this E46 M3. The engine’s fine, the transmission’s the only issue with it. Solid deal,” says the influencer.
His technician friends completely agreed. It’s a hot car. So hot that he didn’t even know what year the car was manufactured, which normally would be an issue with pretty much any other car. But the value of these models pretty much negates that lack of information. Ultimately, the M3 just needs some maintenance items to be stellar. Check out the video to see the practically stolen M3 in all its glory.