e30 M3 & e46 M3 prices

[m3ben05]

I was recently asked if i would consider swapping my M3 + 6.5k for an e46 M3. I said no because i dont want to sell but it got me thinking - the prices of e46 M3's are crashing, there are a fair few tidy low mile cars for well under 20k

How long will it be before a decent e30 M3 will be more expensive to buy than an e46?

Any of your guys getting tempted?

Personally i wouldnt sell my M3 for any other BMW except a CSL

[Conan]

Think i would have swapped if i were you

Maybe - i dont know - ooh it is a hard one..................!

[Royalratch]

Should have swapped.

I think your car is awesome but in the E30 bubble we live in, M3's and Sports are ludicrously inflated. The 'real' world doesn't care about these cars and in light of that the deal you were offered sounds very good.

Wait! You did mean he would give you his M3 + 6.5K right?

[m3ben05]

Thing is the e46 M3 is not a very special car, sure its fast but there not that fun to drive and they dont stand out like the e30 does. It will also continue loosing value, while the e30 is money in the bank.

Like i said, only a CSL would get the keys out of my hands

[SDM]

wont be long at all, especially with the new one round the corner, e30 m3s wont go down in price but the e46 is far too common.

[Bob_S]

agree with whitem3.. Very good point.
Too common and new one is almost ready, wait for the pounds to be falling and e30 M3 values to go back up as people who always wanted an e30 M3 have just had the thought train triggered - "oh I might be able to afford one now"

[Royalratch]

It's not always about what's the coolest and rarest for christs sake! We're talking 380+BHP, super-modern tech cruiser that looks pretty good and has everything you want.



It is about the coolest and rarest.

[m3ben05]

Thats the thing with the e30 m3 though, its different and it stands out. It may not be that fast or the most modern, but it never fails to put a smile on my face

Though im sure every M3 owner on here has a price that they would let their car go for, i know i do!

[harry_p]

It's not always about what's the coolest and rarest for christs sake! We're talking 380+BHP, super-modern tech cruiser that looks pretty good and has everything you want.



It is about the coolest and rarest.

ok then, why do people choose any e30 over an e36? i mean, for a while youve been able to pick up lower mileage, newer e36 m3s for less than an e30 m3. cars that command more money than they look like they should from their on paper specs.

the fact is, the e30 m3 is a piece of history as a homologation special for the most succesfull touringcar ever made. something unlikely to be repeated anytime soon given the way motorsport rules are heading. plus theyre from an era we're never likely to see again. cars reliable to use every day and which don't need sevicing every 5 minutes, yet arent bloated by extras and safety equipment.

there are plenty of people out there prepared to pay a premium for cars purely for what they are and how they drive rather than their outright performance.

i would NEVER buy an e46 m3 because they don't do anything for me at all (csl excepted) i' one of those strange people that has to want and like a car before they will buy it.

e30 m3 prices have been rising steadily over the past few years, and no reason why there should be a sudden crash.

e46 m3s on the other hand are getting cheaper by the day. i actually counted e46 m3s on a visit to norwich last week (hardly a haven for fast cars, or particularly big) and couldnt be bothered counting any more when i got to 10. on the other hand, i've seen 2 e30 m3s on the road since buying mine in september.

e46s are just consumables, owned for a bit then sold on when something newer and faster comes out. the e30 is beyond that already because there are already plenty of faster, newer cars you cann get for the same money.

take the 'newer faster' conclusion further, why is a ferrari 250 gto worth several million pounds when you can pick up a brand new, faster, more comfortable, more powerful, better equipped, more reliable ferrari 599 for under 200k

[oldroydsr4]

Harry p,

100% correct little else needs saying.

Royalratch: e46 m3 make no where near 380bhp, infact your be lucky to produce the Bmw quoted 343bhp

[harry_p]

most seem to make around 320 on the rollers...

[m3ben05]

Well said Harry, the exact reason why i declined the offer.

I see several e46 M3's every day and i hardly even bother to look at them. I can count on 1 hand the amount of e30 m3's iv seen since iv had mine (meets and track days excluded)

Dont get me wrong, im not one of these blinkered 'e30 is the best car ever' people, but all the cars i would consider to be better are out of the price range of a 22 year old student.

When i can afford a weekend car in the 30k bracket i will think about selling it for one of the following -

M3 CSL
TVR Sagaris
Arial Atom
Lotus Exige
Noble M400

[bootyman]

It all comes down to what you want the car for! I've owned several E30 M3's over the years and loved them, but i wouldn't rush out and buy one now simply cause my requirements have changed now. After years of playing withthe E30's i enjoy the modern comforts and practicality of the E46 and in fact i'm going to try and save up for a E46 M3 cab. I currently own a E30, E36, and E46, and they all serve a different purpose. My E30 is my baby cause of all the money spent on it, but if they were all standard and i had to choose, i'd pick the E46 anytime

[playo]

I sold my e36 M3 evo to buy the e30, After just 1 drive in one!

By far not the fastest car i've ever owned/driven, but the feeling driving it through the
welsh mountain roads is something else!!!

[Royalratch]

340... 380... same thing.

There were a couple of E36 Specials no? An E36 M3 Touring or am I worng.

And one of those GT type racers?

One day, we'll be saying the same thing about the E46 M3 and how quaint it is because it doesn't hover and can't even top 500Mph.

Just needs to get old...

[billgatese30]

340... 380... same thing.

There were a couple of E36 Specials no? An E36 M3 Touring or am I worng.

And one of those GT type racers?

One day, we'll be saying the same thing about the E46 M3 and how quaint it is because it doesn't hover and can't even top 500Mph.

Just needs to get old...

don't think there was an m3 touring

there was a limited run of m3 gt's though

and can i start using your maths when i'm down the pub so i can have a 220bhp sport.... after all, 170-220 BHP.......whats the difference

[Royalratch]

Dude, my iS totally pushes out just a tad over 185bhp.

When the suns out.

[oakey]

the e46 m3 will never be regarded as a classic. i would be tempted to bet my life on it!
i doubt very much that with all the modern technology/gadgets/components anyone will bother spending the money or time to keep them in good working order for 20 or so years.
the e46 is not a car that people develop a passion for.

[bootyman]

I'm sure that what they said when the E30 M3 came out as well!! Besides who cars if it's a classic or not, as long as it's a good car

Judging from the Sales figures, hundreds love them and i'm sure that's all BMW care about

[billgatese30]

I'm sure that what they said when the E30 M3 came out as well!! Besides who cars if it's a classic or not, as long as it's a good car

you can imagine all those 3.0csl and capri owners sitting there with their string backed driving gloves saying just that

[Royalratch]

Capri's are rad.

Was almost my first car - got a black Mazda 323GT instead.

Lasted a a few months till I got hold of my first E30.

Probably the gayest one ever a made - A rusty, bog standard WHITE 316i coop.

Nasty.

[bootyman]

If i buy a car, it's cause i like the look and perfomance. How many people buy modern car's now because they think it will be a future classic? Buy it and enjoy it and worry about 20 years time if you're lucky enough to live that long!

[hubble]

[quote="m3ben05"]Thats the thing with the e30 m3 though, its different and it stands out. It may not be that fast or the most modern, but it never fails to put a smile on my face

Just want to get a couple of issues off my chest...

I don't actually own an M3 but will have to agree with almost all the posts written here.

In my opinion the E30 M3 is a classic BMW along with the old M6 and E28 M5 and set the bench mark for other performance BMW's.

There are some BMW's out there which simply don't cut the mustard. There's nothing wrong with an E46M3-beautiful car, but it will never be a classic. It's too young and most (hence the word 'most') people who drive them don't appreciate what they've got. They'll keep it a year or two and move on to the next model without a second thought. £45,000 just like that.

I've had my Sport now for almost 5 years and love every moment of driving it. It never fails to impress more than enough for what I need.

15-20 years ago cars were different, they were built to last, had a something special about them. Now all cars literally look the same. Mass produced. In today and gone tomorrow. I'm not bothered about 600 bhp twin turbo, supercharged cars that will do 60 in 2 seconds. That's just simply bullshit. People have forgotten what a true car is supposed to be.

Most of you will know what it's like to get an acknowledgment from other older BMW cars when you pass them by or perhaps a compliment when filling your car up. I've lost count how many times that's happened to me. That to me says everything-it's priceless. What we have is something special, heritage, and doubt very much it will happen again for a very long time.

[bootyman]

This is getting long now. My E30 couldn't be further from standard. I cant ever remember pulling in a petrol station without someone coming to ask about the car or wanting to take a picture of it. Hell even when i go to the dealers, they flock out to come and look at what i've done to the car. I guess the point i'm trying to make here is that a car doesnt have to be a classic to be likesd or appreciated. We all like different things. Some like classic cars, some like practical modern cars and i personally think the E46 M3 is a great looking car. Like i said, look at the sales figures.

I wonder what people will say in 15 years when lots of 446 M3's have died and there are only a few thousand left

[hubble]

Buon giorno bootyman. Come va? Tuto bene?? - hope my Italian is ok

[bootyman]

Ciao. It's not bad, but your speling needs a bit of work

[oakey]

I'm sure that what they said when the E30 M3 came out as well!! Besides who cars if it's a classic or not, as long as it's a good car

Judging from the Sales figures, hundreds love them and i'm sure that's all BMW care about

When the e30 m3 came out it was a legend straight away. Highly desired by car fanatics.

The e46 ISNT the same- it is loved by businessmen who want to look rich or for posey dudes with sunglasses and spikey hair to look cool. (especially converts). that explains youre sales figures as there are far to many people like that in our world. as soon as the something better comes out, or theyre car looks 'old' they will chop it in for whatever is more "fashionable" at the time.

this arguement of "i'm sure thats what they said when ........ came out" is irrelevant


(ps. i exclude the CSL from all my above statements)

[hubble]

Hey come on, It's not that bad is it.??

[bootyman]

Whats so special about the CSL? If speed is not important?

I hope the value of the E46 dops like a stone, then i can get one

[bootyman]

No it's not mate. Better than what i can do and i bloody live there!

[oakey]

i never said speed wasnt important! if i ever got an m3 i would have to get it goin alot faster.
the csl is made for driving hard and little else which is IMO how cars should be made

whats so modern and wonderful about an e46 that you couldnt do to an e30 anyway?

[hubble]

Thanks friend. You had me worried there for a minute. Parents both Italian. Well my Mother is and my Father's Sicilian.
Love Italy, lots of class and 320Is too. All the best from a Sunny North Yorkshire

[bootyman]

You can mod a E30 to be better than an 46. I have and it cost me 80k. Ok, that's the extreme's of things, but it would still cost you an arm and a leg. Like i said, i have a E30 cab, E36 and a E46 cab and when it comes to practical use and just pure comfort, neither cars can touch the E30, but at the weekends i like to get my E30 out and go Woosh

Bottom line is lots of people like the E30 and even more like the E46.

I love Italy mate. Beautiful ladies and wiiiiiked food

[fowler]

i would still have the E30 M3 dont ask why but i doo have to say i think the prices are dropping very rapidly on the E46 saw one in a dealership on a 56 plate for 28K i think. not sure of the miles

[oakey]

have you got some pics of youre e46 cab bootyman? have you gone as mad on it as the e30 ?