2003 BMW E46 M3

Built in October 2002 and first registered in June 2003, this BMW E46 M3 with the SMG paddle-shift gearbox has been upgraded with a CSL engine map. This is just a software update that delivers improved low down power, higher rev limit and smoother gear changes with rev-matched downshifts.

Having had previous owners in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Scotland, Cornwall and Kent, its current owner from Shropshire, bought the car in February 2019.

He had owned a manual E46 M3 some years before and had recently sold another car freeing up some capital, so he set about looking for a good M3 to enjoy at weekends on the roads around Shropshire and North Wales.

He found this one at Biddenden Motor Works of Dartford - a BMW and Porsche specialist garage - who were related to the then owner of the car. They’d gone through the M3 and done everything that needed doing.

He’s enjoyed some weekend fun and the occasional school run in the M3 but with a holiday home renovation and a Porsche 930 cabriolet competing for attention - and funds - the BMW is sadly having to go.

The exterior is finished in BMW’s Carbon Black Metallic, which presents in a good condition but shows a light peppering of stone chips on the front bumper and nose as well as the usual age-related marks that you’d expect on a 20-year old performance car.

The bodywork is in good order too with no obvious bumps or dents, and the panel fit is - as you would expect - very good, including where the new front wings have been fitted.

The front headlamps have been updated to the “corona ring” or “halo” type - more commonly known as “angel eyes”.

The M3 sits on 19-inch “Style 67” diamond-cut alloy wheels, which are in reasonable order with just a few scuffs and marks here and there. All are fitted with matching Kinforest Sport tyres.

The interior is upholstered in a light grey leather with a darker covering across the dash top to reduce reflected glare. The seats have the creasing and patina that you’d expect from a car with 100k+ miles - driver side especially - but there is no damage that we could see. The less frequently used rear seats are relatively unmarked.

The light grey carpets are clean and intact and have protective overmats in the footwells. Up above, the anthracite coloured headliner looks tight and in good order.

Elsewhere the alcantara on the steering wheel has lost its matte finish and there are a number of scuff marks on the harder surfaces including the sills. Otherwise, the interior of the car wears its age and mileage well.

Being a premium model - albeit of a compact executive size - the M3 came with a good deal of equipment including heated seats, rear parking sensors, air conditioning, rear window sunblind and the BMW Business stereo system.

In addition, subsequent owners have fitted a few choice upgrades like larger aluminium shifter paddles, alcantara steering wheel trim, an Xtrons infotainment system with DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, Sat Nav and reversing camera. They’ve also fitted aftermarket cup-holders, although the original centre console tray has been retained - as has the OEM screen.

The vendor reports that everything works as it should, although the air con is a little tepid, so he’s having that re-gassed before the sale completes.

Under the bonnet, all looks generally clean and in good order and from the evidence in the service booklet and history file, it has been well looked after by BMW main dealers and marque specialists. The vendor reports no known mechanical faults and no dashboard warning lights.

He believes that the SMG gives a better drive than the full manual - he should know, he’s owned both - and the rev-matching gearbox mapping results in some delicious downshift blips. With the sport button engaged, you can even get the pops and crackles on the overrun if that’s your thing.

Inside the boot, the factory tool kit is still present on the underside of the boot lid and looks largely complete with maybe a small spanner having been mislaid. In the luggage space itself, the linings and carpet look undamaged but slightly stained, especially across the floor.

Issues with a couple of LED lamps stopped the M3 passing its MOT a week or so ago, but the seller has replaced the light unit and will ensure that the car has 12-months MOT prior to sale.

The car comes with an extensive history including garage bills and its original owner’s book pack including service booklet which contains the following service stamps:

• Oct 2003 - 1,645 - Sytner BMW, High Wycombe
• Jul 2005 - 15,471 - a/a
• Mar 2006 - 29,540 - a/a
• Mar 2007 - 43,750 - Haynes of Thame (BMW specialist)
• May 2008 - 59,990 - Annfield Road Motors, Dundee
• Dec 2012 - 74,742 - Klassicks, Coatbridge nr Glasgow
• Aug 2013 - 76,669 - a/a
• Nov 2014 - 82,109 - a/a
• Nov 2015 - 85,310 - Grahams Garage, St Keverne Cornwall
• Nov 2017 - 92,397 - Biddenden Motor Works (BMW specialist), Dartford

Additional garage maintenance includes:

• Jan 2020 - 100,145 - High St Garage (BMW specialist), Whitchurch

(inspection plus replacement of lower suspension arm bushes)

During recent ownership, our vendor has changed the engine oil and filter themselves, along with having the rear springs, brake lines, wheel speed sensors and rear underside cross brace replaced.

Additionally, in 2020, the front wings were replaced due to the typical problem of corrosion caused by the wheel arch liner rubbing. The inner wings and other hidden structures were found to be corrosion-free and at the same time the sides of the car were repainted to address stone chips and other age-related marks.

Despite being what many consider to be the best-driving M3 of them all, prices of the E46 have languished for years, possibly because no matter what they might have said in public, most car enthusiasts are just as interested in what a car looks like as they are in its dynamic performance.

That said, we think that the E46’s neat, understated design has gained more fans with age and has quietly matured into a more popular option. This is starting to be reflected in asking prices too. We’ve seen a slow increase in value year-on-year with the very best examples topping £40,000 a while ago.

We believe that this attractively specified example, with a number of sympathetic upgrades adding to the excitement of an already sonorous straight-six, will sell for between £14,000 and £18,000, which sounds like very good value indeed.

More than likely this will become someone else’s weekend B-road blaster, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t serve just as well as an awesome - and ULEZ compliant - daily driver.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Whitchurch, Shropshire; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.