You ever see a car for sale and get nostalgic and want to spend too much money to bring it home? 

"E90M3" (e90m3) 10/02/2018 at 20:27 • Filed to: unnecessary car shopping with E90M3

2

26

Well that has just about happened with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I know it doesn’t have a real M engine, and is the least desirable US-spec M3; that doesn’t matter, I want it.

The car that turned me into a car person was a 2001 E46 M3, much like the one pictured. An uncle gave me a ride in his back in 2003 and I emerged a changed kid, that E46 did something special for me. It was alpine white with a grey leather interior, and I desperately needed one; however, this was preposterous as these cars were still very expensive. This caused younger me to drool over the much more affordable E36 M3.

I can’t recall if it was the fact that the sedans seemed to be slightly less expensive or if it was because it was because I preferred the sedan, but I wanted a 3/4/5 E36 M3. 3/4/5 being an M3 with 4 doors and a 5 speed manual. This is not a trivial fact.

When I finally had enough money to buy a BMW M car I basically ignored the E36, mainly because of the fact that the car is down around 70 hp on its European counterpart. I didn’t want to buy a watered down M car, but I wanted a white 4 door M car so much !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

I eventually came to my senses and got one !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! That said, after 4 years of owing my E90, holy shit I want this E36 M3, more than likely because 14 year old me wanted one.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:33

0

I recently drove a pair of 318Ti’s, one with the US E36 M3 and the other with the Euro engine. It’s amazing how big of a shaft we got in America.

dogisbadob > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:38

0

Who cares if it has less hp than the European version? First, the US spec is more usable and cheaper to keep on the road. Second, it still won top honors and is still good for driving and shit. Wasn;t it only off by a tenth or two? I remember reading somewhere the actual performance, actual 0-60 times weren’t that far apart. And finally, the Euro-spec is almost at the 25-year point.

The Euro-spec M3 may have been a better new car, but the US-spec definitely makes a better used car.

Also, FUCK BMW for not offering a 4-door E46 M3, and not selling the E90 M3 wagon over here.

E90M3 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/02/2018 at 20:38

0

The only good news about that is that the European car companies realized that the US wanted these cars and basically then made the cars to the same standard worldwide. The US-Spec E46 M3 is down 10 hp due to emissions and I’m pretty sure the E9X M3s were identical worldwide.

E90M3 > dogisbadob 10/02/2018 at 20:39

1

BMW never offered a 4-door E46 M3 or E91 M3 in any market. 

dogisbadob > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:40

2

Shame on them :(

daender > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:42

1

Current price is $6,666 so take that as a sign...however you want to interpret it.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:42

3

E36 M3 is on my list of cars to own one day. Because it is to me the best looking after the E90. That boxy and edgy shape is peak 3-series for me.

E90M3 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/02/2018 at 20:45

1

I assembled a model of one when I was 14; I still have it. They really do look fantastic, I would love to own one some day. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:54

1

i once sold a car.. and then bought it back an hour later for more than i sold it for

it was a toy bimmer at a flea market and i was just a kid then

but that was the day i realized i’d never be a salesman or a flipper.... i get attached to things

(also i hate haggling and will happily tell you everything thats wrong with what im selling)

WilliamsSW > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 20:55

1

To me, the E36 is the quintessential M3 - because it was the first M3 that I was really aware of, and because everyone around Chicago who owned one drove it like a complete asshole when they were new.

Yeah, only 240 HP, but when I bought my E46 in ‘00, it was the E36 M3 that I really dreamed about (the E46 didn’t exist yet).

Would really love to own a Euro-spec E36 coupe one day...

E90M3 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 10/02/2018 at 20:56

1

I get attached to things, but I get attached more to some things. I held out on my 3 series and got 3k off the price they were asking when I first inquired .

I could flip some things, just not my beloved E90. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 21:00

1

cars n bikes for me are lifers (granted... thats their life not mine)

other stuff... i just cant sell.... ill give it away and be fine about it... but somehow get wierd about selling stuff

nowadays i just tell the missus im ok with things getting gone and then not asking her where she got the cash from

E90M3 > WilliamsSW 10/02/2018 at 21:00

1

I’m still really conflicted on the E36 M3. It was a used car when I got into cars and then I discovered it was flawed on the performance front. That said, now driving experience wins out because it’s a 20 year old car and you can’t compare performance to a contemporary car, so it doesn’t matter.

Let me drive a well sorted one with a nice burbly exhaust and I might offer you 20k after the drive.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 21:02

1

actually... i sold my panda.... but that was nessecitiy... and i still regret it....lol

WilliamsSW > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 21:12

1

It seems to me that a Euro version would be stupid fun, though I’m sure they’d be stupid money in the US, too.

It’s funny - DD’ing a car that will do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds is spoiling me in many ways.  But at the same time, since I have that, I don’t really need a second car to be all that quick.  In the 5's would be fine for me, if it handles great - a US M3 would be able to do that (at least the 96-99 cars).

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 21:16

1

M car seat are great an all but if I had to choose I’d that this  https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-bmw-2002tii-22/

E90M3 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/02/2018 at 21:20

1

I would love a 2002, I would just be tempted to swap a modern BMW turbo I4 into it. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 21:25

1

I think I could live with the old engine. I’ve come to learn that I like slow cars. Even with the Rabbit I’m tore up about ALH swapping it because the old engine has so much “soul” and it suits the character of the car so well.

I didn’t think I’d ever feel this why but I think I like idea of keeping cars period correct. 

daender > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 21:37

1

I checked CL for other M3 and that BAT listing is a lot nicer (and half as many miles) than anything for sale in our areas. The best one I saw was that black sedan in Charlottle that’s been given some love (but needs to come down on price if they’re not going to replace that battery or fix the hood latch and passenger window): https://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/d/1997-bmw-e36-m3/6682799549.html

E90M3 > daender 10/02/2018 at 21:41

1

Might text this guy and offer 4k.

Trying to get my coworker/friend to swap an M50 into an E30 and the boost it. 

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > E90M3 10/02/2018 at 22:18

1

I like the E36 M3 and you can get about 1/2 the hp back with a intake manifold conversion. Which conveniently this guy had already done  https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/cto/d/bmw-e36-mslick-top-low-miles/6698870384.html

dannyzabolotny > E90M3 10/03/2018 at 02:46

1

People like to complain about the US-spec E36 M3, but I actually think they’re a better enthusiast car than the Euro-spec. Hear me out now:

The US E36 M3 is easily the most reliable M3 ever made. That stroked/bored M52 that became the S52 is rock-solid and can take a lot of abuse with no problems. Put whatever oil you want in it, tune it to rev to 7k, remove the cats + shoot flames, it’s all fine and dandy. Even when you do need to fix something, parts are cheap and readily available. There’s a reason you see so many E36 M3's with well over 200k miles.

The other factor is the huge aftermarket. There are so many bolt-on options for the S52, ranging from headers to intakes to performance camshafts. There’s a plethora of boost options as well, and the S52 loves boost. As for suspension options, there are more than you can count. Aftermarket angle kits, racing control arms, poly bushings, you name it and it exists. You can build an E36 M3 exactly how you like, without spending much money at all.

The general maintenance/upkeep on a US-spec E36 M3 is pretty cheap too. There’s no exotic double-Vanos system, no individual throttle bodies to worry about, and if you blow up the engine you can replace the S52 pretty cheaply with another one. That makes them great track cars too.

E90M3 > dannyzabolotny 10/03/2018 at 07:55

1

Those are all good points, I will agree that the US-spec E36 is a lot better to own that its Euro-spec brother.

wbizarre - OEM fetishist > dannyzabolotny 10/03/2018 at 11:25

1

Amen ! Additionally, the US car was geared differently from the Euro car to make up for the power loss, which resulted in nearly identical 0-60 times. The Euro car had longer legs, but hey, we don’t have the autobahn here.

You’re right about maintenance cost too. When  I was deciding between e36 and e46, and the average parts cost for the e46 was nearly twice as much.

Dru > E90M3 10/05/2018 at 10:25

0

The e36 M3 may not be the belle of the ball, but I maintain they are still an excellent value proposition.

For me the irrational nostalgia want is to spend too much money on an e39 M5.  Even as a youte I preferred performance sedans over coupes.  Half the reason I bought my ZHP is that, to me, it was a kind of watered down M5, with corresponding running costs.  I will still obtain an M5 at some point, but it might need more elbow grease applied than I would like.

E90M3 > Dru 10/05/2018 at 10:28

0

I also wanted an E39 M5, but it was 2013/2014 and the newest one would have been at least 10 years old. I really didn’t want to have to deal with all of that, I would have wanted the car to be perfect. If BAT had been like it is now, I might have been able to find one I would a perfect one. It’s the reason I got my M3, basically an 8 year newer E39 M5.