1995 BMW M3

While it was the E30 M3 that I lusted over as a young teen, I came of driving age with the introduction of the second generation E36. I still remember the first one I sat in; a 1995 Avus Blue with gray manual Vaders. At nearly $40,000, it was about as far away from me as the moon landing, but it was my dream car. I didn’t really care that the engine wasn’t the special individual throttle body motor Europe got, or that the headlights weren’t as nice. I cared that it was in the U.S., it was a great color, and because they were being sold that meant that I might be able to get one some day.

Fast forward to today, and if I’m completely honest Avus Blue isn’t my favorite color from the early M3 lineup anymore. Given the option, I’d take either a Dakar Yellow or Daytona Violet example. All three are fairly rare to see among the first 10,000-odd 3.0 M3s brought in before the light revision to the 3.2, when the color pallet changed. And of the three, I’m pretty sure Daytona is the one I’d seek out. Today’s car reminds me why

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 BMW M3 on eBay

Year: 1995
Model: M3
VIN: WBSBF9327SEH01175
Engine: 3.0 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 113,700 mi
Location: Miami, Florida
Price: Reserve Auction

1995 BMW M3 coupe finished in Daytona Violet Metallic over light gray Nappa leather, and it is powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Options include an electric sunroof, Vader front seats, air conditioning, and cruise control, and modifications include adjustable Koni shocks and struts, Eibach springs, upgraded control arm bushings, a strut tower brace, and an Active AutoWerke exhaust. Recently acquired the car from its prior owner of 19 years, and it now has under 114k miles. An extensive Recent service ( May 2021 )included , an oil change and the installation of a replacement valve cover, valve cover gasket, the alternator, spark plugs, belts, and filters.
Replace fuel filter, cabin filters, both engine mounts , both transmissions mounts.
Left and right front wheel housing liners,, driveshaft flex disc, both wipers blades.
Both exhaust gasket from manifold to pipe, main battery , right fog light bulb, right reverse light bulb, right brake light bulb and third brake light bulb.
repair sewing on steering wheel and glue back the insulation on the driveshaft tunnel .
recover and recharge A/C system
Bumpers repainted , paint correction and ceramic work recently done .
The interior was thoroughly cleaned .
The car most recently passed a California emissions test in late April 2020.
The 3.0-liter S50B30US inline-six produced 240 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque when new, which is sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.
The sale includes factory literature and two keys.
$765 dealer Fee add and 7%Tax for Florida residents .

Condition is “Used”.

Man, do the pictures do this car justice. What a lovely example! If you are here to hope for good deals in the E36 world, though, this isn’t the car for you; clean examples of the E36 have been trending steeply upwards – and frankly, that’s not a huge surprise. They were strongly undervalued for a long time, just like the 944 Turbo. How about this one? Well, bidding is already at $20,000 with the reserve still on. If the wording sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because the car was listed on BaT and sold for that exact amount (plus fees) back in June 2020. Strange that it ended up at a dealer? For sure. If you want a good deal on a car, BaT is not the place to go on a budget. It’ll be surprising if the money is made back on this one, but it also appears that the reserve is set rather high.

-Carter