2006 BMW M3

First registered on the 3rd of August 2006, this much sought-after E46 M3 convertible left the factory painted Carbon Black. The vendor, who has owned the car since 2010, is something of an extrovert and had it professionally wrapped in Lamborghini Metalflake Orange.

Recorded as a Cat D following an incident that saw the driver’s door, offside front wing and offside rear quarter damaged, it has been professionally repaired. Off the road for around five years until 2015, the vendor assures us that he’s utterly confident that the recorded mileage is correct, something the MOT history supports.

Being offered with a very sensible reserve, the seller accepts that the Cat D status and colour will limit the market but points out that the low-mileage interior and mechanical components more than make up for that…

The Lamborghini Metalflake Orange wrap has been done very well, and stands up to closer scrutiny better than most we see. Of course, it could always be removed should you be more of a shrinking violet than the commissioning owner but we think it suits the car very well.

The mirrors and boot spoiler have been left black, a move that gives the car even more visual drama.

Speaking of which, the black fabric roof furls and unfurls as it should, and it’s free of rips, tears and other damage.

The optional black 19-inch alloy wheels are shod with a mixture of Michelin on the front axle and Continental tyres at the back. The wheels look okay but they bear witness to some clumsy parking, showing kerbing marks to the rears but only light scuffs to the front.

NB: The accident damage was light and only necessitated the replacement of the driver’s door and front wing, plus some repairs to the offside rear quarter. PHOTOS OF THE CRASH DAMAGE HAVE NOW BEEN ADDED TO THE GALLERY

Problems that might bother you are few but do include some ripples to the rear offside wing, a blemish on the bonnet, a missing badge from the offside front wing, and an untidy wrap near the front towing eye.

As with so many E46 interiors, this one has weathered the intervening years very well indeed. The fact that it’s only covered just over 35,000 miles helps of course but it’s impressively preserved nonetheless.

It’s got the full-leather option too, which adds another layer of decadence, as does the Harman Kardon sound system. You know, the one that rattles your teeth with high-fidelity sound waves.

The black leather seats are only gently creased and still as firm and supportive as the day they left the factory. It’s true that there is some colour loss to the outer bolsters of the front seats and the base of the driver’s seat but this could be sorted out fairly easily should it bother you.

The steering wheel is very good too, as are the carpets, headlining, door cards, and rear seats.

The boot is slightly less so; it’s a bit grubby and a couple of the tools are missing (although the tyre inflator is still there) but lifting the carpets shows good, solid and rust-free metal.

Faults? Well, everything seems to work bar the air-conditioning. Minor niggles include slow door mirrors, an untested TV - and someone has nicked the sat-nav discs. There are also a few minor scratches to some of the hard plastic on the lower door cards.

The servicing regimen comprises:

• 13.09.2006 and 1,209 miles – running-in check

• 25.09.2008 and 4,805 miles – oil service and fresh brake fluid

• 03.06.2009 and 15,106 miles – oil service

• 2010 – 2015 (approx.) – off the road

• 03.11.2016 and 27,737 miles – oil service including fresh differential oil

• 27.03.2020 and 35,676 miles – full service

The most recent service also included fitting new front discs and pads, refacing the rear discs and reinstalling them with new pads, fitting new rear suspension springs, and repairing the alternator.

The vendor tells us that it “pulls strongly, changes gear beautifully, and the VANOS is silent”. He goes on to say that he is not aware of any mechanical faults.

We’ve taken it on a short test drive and can confirm that it drives as it should. However, there is a bit of a list to the offside.

The BMW’s MOT certificate is valid until March 2021. It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus some old invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it recently.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, book pack, and storage wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

However, if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

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

And yet, we can’t help but thinking that the E46’s time has come; it’s a neat, understated design that just gets better with age; while so many of its Johnny-come-lately contemporaries are losing their gloss, the E46 just quietly matures; it’s Sean Connery, on 19-inch rubber.

This new-found popularity is starting to be reflected in the asking price, too. We’ve seen year-on-year gains throughout 2019 and 2020 and asking prices for the very best examples topped £40,000 a while ago.

Which makes the £9,000 to £15,000 we think this example will fetch very good value indeed.

Offered with an even lower reserve to reflect the need for a little cosmetic work and its CAT D status, we don’t think it’s possible to go faster in the sun for less.

And, who knows, if prices continue their upwards trajectory, you might do very nicely out of it in the long-term.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.