2002 BMW M3: I Miss It. Do You?

I miss this and the Ferrari. and 7driver's suggestion of a Maser spyder is a excellent thought (Fourports are cheap too) or instead of going for an affordable exotic how about something plain affordable like a 1.8 liter 1st gen Miata and see how that is to live with on a daily basis (and maybe tune).

Another kewl budget sportster would be the S2000.
That said, PLEASE stop mentioning the E46 M3; I still kick myself for passing on a CPO Sterling/Imola M3 that was only optioned with 19" wheels, H-K sound, and Xenons. Manual seats, no stupid hole in the roof- the perfect track rat...:(

I kinda miss the M3... but as srlracing said, it's the Ferrari that I really miss. The Love/Hate relationship that all of the editors without it was entertaining... as well as the classic April Fools Day post about the Ferrari.

I'd love to see a 2002 Z06 or 2011 (with the Coyote V8) join the fleet.

Stop talking up the M3. I have an e46 with Sport Package and want to move up to an e46 M3 someday. But with all the love from owners and the net they aren't depreciating fast enough. Not even new generations of the M3 depress the prices of the e46 version. I beg you, please reinforce everyones fear of of the bad window regulators, sun roof shades, Vanos seals and expensive service costs!

The e46's are crap....trust me!

What about a Trailblazer SS for the LT fleet.

I'm with n_tesla. The E46 M3's are terrible cars.

If you have one, I'll do you a favor and take it off your hands for you.

subaru123,

You mean a used one? I can only hear it now... sea of grey plastic, unsupportive seats, should have manual shift, 4 spd auto not enough, Thank God the TB/Envoy/Bravado/etc are dead, this is a case of too much badge engineering...

I say this as my mom has had a TBSS since 2005 and I love it dearly, so the pain would be too near...

Actually my dad has a Trailblazer SS. Great truck. He got RWD so he can do big burnouts, and trust me that truck does big burnouts. I have the stripes in front of my house to prove it.

Best,
Scott Oldham

I too miss the E46 M3 a lot. Everytime someone posted about that car I read it immediately because I wanted to hear another reason about why it was so wonderful and why I should buy one regardless of how impractical it is. It remains one of my favorite cars of all time.

Meanwhile, I rarely read about the new M3. It does absolutely nothing for me; it isn't particularly attractive and its high-strung V8 just isn't appealing.

I miss my B5 S4.

My wallet does not.

Scott,

My mom's is RWD as well. Has your dad gotten the Vector Tune and CAI? It makes an awesome difference and causes even bigger burnouts.

It's a great vehicle that people who know what it is understand just how badass it is.

I believe some performance cars from BMW M, Porche, Ferrari, Honda and various other brands have a certain rare emotional connection that sticks with the owner well after the car in question is gone. The M3 is no different.

With my S2000, every time I get in it just wants to be driven and the harder I drive it the better it gets. The shifter, steering, brakes, drivetrain and chassis come together as one and provide an unparalleled driving experience. Few cars cars old or new, regardless of power are able to deliver that.

My wide choice for used performance cars for IL:

- 97-00 Acura NSX-T 6MT
- 00-02 Honda S2000
- C5 Corvette Z06
- C4 Corvette GranSport/ZR-1
- 1st gen Dodge Viper
- 03 Mustang Cobra

I love my M3...even more than I do my CLK63 AMG Black....it's easily one of the best cars ever made....

I have to admit that I love my old 99 F150 its not a performance car or even truck but it has just enough to make it great the big 5.4L V8, 3.55 LSD in the back and 4 wheel drive.

Goes to show that it doesn't have to be a supercar or high performance luxury car for someone to be attached to it.

If you guys miss the M3, you might try getting a Z4M Roadster - same hardware as the E46 M3 with competition package in a 2-seat roadster, and prices are falling like a safe. On Jupiter. Interest is growing in them since the new Z4 has given up all pretense of being a sports car and gone down the luxury boulevardier route.

Ack, another e46 m3 post? I got sick of that thing a long time ago!

"it's an M3 with the Competition Package, which means its rides on a set of supercool 19-inch BBS wheels and packs other goodness from the Europe-only CSL model. It's the one the have. "

Scott, I'm not sure that I would go that far. The Competition Package (ZCP) includes a faster steering rack, the aforementioned BBS wheels (the fronts are 8" wide though, 0.5" narrower than the CSL, same size as the regular 19s though), and an Alcantera steering wheel. There were rumors of an upgraded suspension, but all 05-06 M3s got that. Unfortunately, you have to forego the manual (SMG only) and you lose the steering wheel controls. On that basis, I say you're better off buying the ZCP wheels aftermarket, like I did. They're about the best looking wheel for this car and they are very reasonable, for wheels that is.

"With my S2000, every time I get in it just wants to be driven and the harder I drive it the better it gets. The shifter, steering, brakes, drivetrain and chassis come together as one and provide an unparalleled driving experience. Few cars cars old or new, regardless of power are able to deliver that."

hondacura4, this definitely describes my M3. If I'm just putzing around and shifting at about 3k, it gets a little cranky and won't shift smoothly. But if I hammer it and throw it into corners like I stole it, it suddenly comes alive and everything tightens up like a sprinter in full stride.

A few questions for the Edmunds peeps: why didn't this post show up in the M3 section and will we ever get a wrap-up?

You should have been driving the G8 and you wouldn't have lost him.

Scott, you will never forget that car. Just enjoy your memories of IL's time with the long-termer. I have only had a test-drive of an E46 M3 and my hands and feet still tingle from the excitement.

brian60-

I believe we already got a wrap-up and a sad story of how the M3 left us (both Inside Line editors and the viewing public).

Would IL consider a long term 2005-2006 S4 for comparison?

...sorry I was distracted by that hideous Hummer.

"hideous Hummer" is redundant...

hmmm...i've never drive an M3 of any kind. I feel like a virgin reading about sex...

how does it compare to mx5? or legacy spec b with JDM/pink springs?