Can the relatively-unloved E34 M5 start reaching towards the $20ks now that pretty much every other generation regularly commands more than that? We’re at a funny point in the market for every model number of M5. The E28, E39, and E62 are all fetching mid-$20ks for solid examples, with outliers entering the surrounding price decades. The E34 stands alone, seemingly stuck in the teens for anything decent, from 245k-mile survivors to examples like today’s 93k-mile, black-on-black business machine.
Tag: Black on Black
The E36 M3 is hands-down one of the performance bargains out there right now. Even as we’ve seen E36 prices come up a little, they’re still pretty much the cheapest entry point into an ///M car – of any generation. This 1995 Coupe exemplifies this value, looking nearly perfect in black on black after 114k miles, but asking less than $9k. E24, E28, E30, E34, E36/8, E39, E46, E92, etc… all of their ///M models, in this condition, would cost significantly more. The only blemish I see here is some worn paint on the front of the engine, but the interior and exterior both look pristine. I may be partial towards the E36 sedan, but I could do without a couple doors for this price.
Click for details: 1995 BMW M3 on eBay
3 Comments
One of the things I’ve liked about moving back to Washington State from the SF Bay Area is that seeing rare, expensive cars is special again. Living next to the most expensive zip code in the country meant that pretty much every luxury car was the top-of-the-line model, from BMW M5s and Alpina B7s to Audi S8s and RS7s to Mercedes-Benz E/S/CLS/SL/ML/G/GL63s and 65s. I got desensitized and disdainful, scowling at the 80 year olds puttering around El Camino Real with 500-600hp on tap. The Mercedes AMG 65 models always caught my attention with their gunmetal wheels as the main giveaway besides the badges, a nearly $200k car just hanging out next to the yoga studio and completely unnoticed by the general public.
Well, they were roughly $200k when new. Depreciation hits them harder than their (transmission-limited) 738 lb-ft of torque and now this twin-turbo V12 GT is roughly a third of its original price. They’re not the most attractive roadsters, but it’s certainly a more balanced design than the “umm… copy-paste-update new shape here!” look of the current R231 SL. This R230 looks a bit more classic in black on black and has the Panoramic Roof option on the folding top so you can see the sky without exposing yourself to the commonfolk. Carbon fiber puts a performance veneer on the interior, but this will never be a canyon carver. It’s a 604hp highway bomber, and hopefully having covered fewer than 12k miles will keep scary-expensive maintenance on the V12 at bay for a while.
Click for details: 2007 Mercedes-Benz Sl65 on eBay
Comments closedWhether it’s rarity or aesthetic taste, the Canadian E28 M5 has some serious cache in the E28 community. Most easily identified by the black interior,…
2 CommentsI can’t fully explain my recent E28 fascination. Maybe it’s maturing, maybe it’s just an evolution, but my E30 lust is firmly in 2nd place.…
3 Comments