1995 BMW M3 Lightweight

Better, faster, lighter. From competitive running to software, this is a mantra many strive after. And so it goes with motorsport, as teams seeking to shave a few seconds off a lap time instantly consider what could be left out of the equation in the constant drive to add lightness. As the second generation M3 got into full swing, BMW introduced a harder edged version of the fast 3er, dubbed the M3 Lightweight. With under 100 sold in the US, these are not for the everyday club racer, as many of them have been stashed away before the miles piled on. This M3 Lightweight for sale in California is one such car, having survived four owners and zero track use.

Year: 1995
Model: M3 Lightweight
Engine: 3.2 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 37,700 mi
Price: $54,990 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight on eBay

1995 BMW E36 M3 Lightweight (LTW / CSL)
Stock #0505

VIN # WBSBF9322SEH07255
37,728 Miles
Alpine White on Motorsport Cloth Interior
5-speed Manual

California Car

Carfax Certified

Clean and Clear California Title

No Accidents/Original Paint

Not very often does a low-production, race-bred, collectible come along at an affordable price. With approximately 120 produced for the world and only 85 coming to the U.S., it is no wonder these cars are becoming so sought after.

History of the Lightweight:

The 1995 M3 Lightweight (BMW NA model code 9520) was produced between 8/95 through 10/95. A small quantity of these M3 LTWs were produced, aimed at the performance purist and/or active competitor. This street-legal model (as delivered to the dealership) eliminated several comfort and convenience items for weight reduction purposes, which were normally found on standard M3 models. The M3 lightweight came with several performance upgrades based on the European M3 GT homologation series for worldwide GT racing. The U.S. models were homologated for the IMSA series and because of strict D.O.T. laws; they had to be sold with all the “go-fast” parts in the trunk. Also, it has been rumored that the motors for these cars were handpicked off of the assembly line and the highest output and lightest motors were set aside for the CSL/LTW program.

Unfortunately, many of these cars went to pro race teams or club racers and very few unmolested examples remain. Estimates of this number is around 2-dozen examples.

Differences to a stock M3:

Rear axle ratio of 3:23

Aluminum doors

GT front spoiler with adjustable wind splitter and aero underbody panel

Solid upper strut bar brace

Underside X-brace

Special sports suspension settings

Trunk lid spoiler with integrated third brake light

BMW sports seats, cloth only

Special interior materials and colors

Forged alloy wheels

Reduced sound and noise insulation

Alpine white with diagonal Motorsports flag

Carbon fiber trim

BMW Motorsport International logo integrated into doorsills, door rub, and glove box

No radio

No center console valet

Trunk lid tool kit deleted

No air-conditioning

No sunroof

This particular example is in remarkable condition and looks like new. It has never been in an accident or had any kind of paintwork done to it. It even still has a bit of that new-car-smell. Also, some very tasteful upgrades were made that are strictly bolt on in order to preserve originality. These upgrades include: Aluminum control arms, steel brake lines, H&R lowering springs, Polyurethane bushings including motor mounts, Remus exhaust and wrapped headers, Group N intake, aluminum shock mounts, and GT Motorsport steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara suede (we still have the original steering wheel)

The car was original sold out of a San Francisco Bay Area BMW dealership in January 1996. This owner only put around 700 miles on the car over the next 4-years before selling it. The 2nd owner kept the car until 2002 and put around 10,000 miles on it before selling it. The 3rd owner was a service writer for a BMW dealership in Los Angeles. He kept the car until 2009 before selling it with 30,000 miles on the car. The current owner is a BMWCCA (BMW Car Club of America) member who is a big German car enthusiast. He lightly used the car for the next 4-years. He mostly used it to attend car shows. The car has never been tracked or abused. All the services were done at the proper intervals.

Recently, the car was invited to be displayed at the prestigious Quail Motorsport Gathering. This car is very complete with all of the original documents including the factory build sheet, letters from PTG, rare ltw/csl manual, and the original window sticker.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or paul@autokennel.com. For tons of photos, go to: www.AutoKennel.com

To think that this car never turned a wheel on the track is a shame, as these are utterly capable machines in competition. But with so few produced, people have viewed them as museum pieces more than usable classics, preferring to modify standard M3 coupes to fit the Lightweight mold. The price for this one is probably a bit high considering what a normal M3 coupe of this vintage would bring. For this price you could get into a clean Porsche 964 Turbo like the one we featured yesterday. If it was me, I’d probably modify a standard E36 M3 to my tastes, but there will always be those collectors out there who want the real deal.

-Paul