2001 BMW M3 Convertible (E46)

Built in July 2001 and first registered by Bates BMW in London the following month, this BMW M3 convertible with 6-speed manual transmission is an example of the pre-facelift E46 drop-top and has covered just under 74k miles.

The current owner, our vendor, has had three E46 M3s - this is his second convertible but the first with a manual gearbox. He bought the car back in April this year to enjoy and improve over the summer, which he has done - spending around £5k with a well-known M3 specialist.

Such a great, long, hot summer as this year’s - driving around with the top down - will be hard to beat so he thinks it’s time to pass it on.

The model-appropriate registration number - M3 UAM - is included in the sale.

Finished in Titan Silver metallic, with a matching hard top, at first sight this M3 looks pretty good for a 21-year-old performance car. Closer to, there are some signs of rust bubbling up through the paint in a handful of places such as around the wheel arches, the bottom edges of the front wings, inside the doors and on the rear corner of the hard top.

We also noticed that the rear wrap-around bumper panel is slightly misaligned with the leading edges down the sides appearing slightly loose. There are the occasional but inevitable scratch and stone chip from being used and enjoyed, but none of the issues described appear significant, nor do they detract from the overall look of the car which is still impressive.

With the hard top removed - a two person job - the navy blue power-folding fabric roof can be deployed. It works well and is in very good, unmarked condition - although to afford some rear passenger headroom it doesn’t have the same sleek profile as the hard top.

The car sits on 19-inch CSL Style 163M alloy wheels in silver, which all have a few parking scuffs around the rims but otherwise appear straight. All four are fitted with Pirelli PZero tyres dating from 2019-20 and have good tread depth. Through the alloys, the red-painted brake callipers and vented discs can be seen and look in good order.

The light grey interior, as important as the outside on a convertible, is mostly upholstered in leather with black on the A-pillars, dash and the instrument binnacle. Punctuating a light grey interior with a contrasting black steering wheel, gear shift and controls helps to tone down the glare inside, especially when the sun is shining.

The seats are in reasonably good order with no major damage, but with typical increased wear and patination on the driver’s seat side bolsters. The gear knob and steering wheel are shiny and worn, no doubt through enthusiastic use, and the stowage nets on the rear of the front seats are a little saggy but functional.

In terms of equipment, this M3 has all the toys you would expect such as cruise control, trip computer, air conditioning (blowing nice and cold), rear parking sensors, headlamp washers and electric seats. It also has the premium option Harman Kardon audio package with sat nav (working but rather dated), an option to connect a CD changer, what must be one of the last of BMW’s cassette players and a mobile phone cradle under the central armrest.

The carpets look to be fairly clean and undamaged and have protective fitted overmats in the front and rear footwells. The hard top headlining appears clean and taut, although there’s a little trim panel missing or detached around the roof release mechanism.

As with most modern engine bays, there’s not a great deal of interest to see under the bonnet, although some of the engine is at least visible. Around it, most things are black plastic which look clean and tidy with no obvious signs of deterioration to either them or the metal around the engine bay.

An invoice in the history file shows that the undersides were waxoyled around 5 years ago, although with undertrays fitted it is not so easy to see. What is visible are the subframes and suspension and steering structures which all seem to have established rust across them. This wasn’t enough to concern the MOT inspector in April but something to keep an eye on. There is also some underfloor damage - possibly from grounding on speed bumps - which has started to rust.

Under the bootlid, the toolkit is present and almost complete (just the towing eye missing, although there is another under the floor). The rest of the luggage space appears tidy and intact with just a little staining on the floor board. Around the edges are compartments for the GPS disk drive and the battery, and under the floorboard is a foam insert built to contain a tyre inflator (not present), below that the boot floor is starting to rust around the drain hole.

This M3 has a current MOT, valid until April 2023, which it passed with no advisories.

The car comes with its original owner’s book pack including the service record which contains the following entries from main dealers and marque specialists, including the all important running in service:

Aug 2001 - PDI - Bates BMW, London

Sep 2001 - 1,914 - a/a

Jul 2003 - 11,025 - a/a

May 2005 - 23,142 - J Gracie BMW specialist, Clydebank

May 2008 - 33,383 - Menzies BMW, Stirling

Jun 2012 - 43,765 - M-Tech BMW specialist, Kirkcaldy

Mar 2014 - 52,557 - a/a

Nov 2018 - 64,977 - Darren Wood BMW specialist, Stockport

Oct 2020 - 69,220 - unknown

Sep 2022 - 73,209 - Total Track Solutions (Everything M3s), Banbury

The history file contains several past MOT reports and a number of invoices dating back to 2015. The most recent and significant work was done back in August this year by Everything M3s in Banbury who carried out a full service including almost £5k of maintenance and renewal to the following:

- Beisan systems VANOS seals kits, anti-rattle kit, sealing plate kit, updated cam bolts, updated hub springs, new timing chain tensioner guide rail, rebuild VANOS Solenoid, VANOS microfilter, new cam cover gaskets, modified oil pump drive, camshaft timing optimised, valve clearances checked and reset, new brake lines, AC belts, front wheel bearing, engine mounts, undertray, GEO setup and even a new aerial!

For those less familiar with BMW technology, VANOS is their proprietary variable valve timing system.

There are two original BMW keys present, one of which works as it should and the other does everything but start the car. There’s also a small cardboard box containing some interior trim pieces - a cup-holder and coin storage insert - to replace the redundant phone cradle inside if desired.

Following its recent overhaul at Everything M3s, the engine starts and runs sweetly with a nice rasp from the quad tail pipes when pressed. The vendor reports that it drives well too, giving the characteristic M3 pull at higher revs.

Although it is starting to show its age close up, this is still a good, clean-looking performance car with the flexibility of roof-choice depending on the season or weather conditions. A BMW M3 will always be a desirable and popular option for driving fun and we think this one will sell for between £15,000 and £20,000.

It is being sold with NO RESERVE, so whoever has the highest bid at the end of the auction could be driving away with a belting bargain Bimmer!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.