Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
BMW has done much to advance the notion of a sport sedan throughout history, but few embody the concept better than the E36 M3 Sedan. Available for just two short years here in the US, a four-door M3 wouldn’t reappear for another decade until the V8 engined E90 M3 arrived on the scene. A lot of these M3 sedans are equipped with the automatic gearbox, but this Alpine White example for sale at Enthusiast Auto Group has the desirable 5-speed manual gearbox and has covered less than 100,000 miles.
Last week’s M3 v. S4 10K showdown wasn’t particularly a success, I’ll admit. No one wanted the question marks behind those two modified cars that were arguably overprice and too-high mileage. I’m back today with another duo, and as always I’ve tried to spice it up a bit. Today we’re going to look at a E36 M3 Sedan versus a E46 M3 Convertible. No brainer? Ah, but the sedan has an automatic and is the semi-polarizing Techno Violet. Not to let the E46 run away with things either, the E46 is the less-desirable convertible with the less-desirable SMG transmission with many, many more miles. Yet, they’re offered around the same price, which begs the question “Which would you choose”? Let’s look at the sedan first:
Yes, here I am writing up another Phoenix Yellow M3. Although I seem to be the only one who likes this color, the E46 is still considered one of the last true “M” cars by enthusiasts across the board. I find this feeling a little silly; the argument that BMW “sold its soul” after the E46 and E39 M cars just doesn’t hold much weight, in my opinion. They’ve always been there to sell cars, and while the engineering has changed the result – cars that define their respective categories – hasn’t changed much no matter what the engine is or how many were produced. Indeed, one could argue that the neutered E36 M3 that BMW sent to the United States was as much a signal of the “end” of the “true” M cars as any. But it’s all opinion based upon what you own, and none of it really matters, honestly. M cars will be cherished by their owners no matter what generation or platform, and I’d like to cherish this one:
If you look hard enough, it’s amazing sometime what you can find. Take, for example, today’s E30 convertible that’s been modified with both the body pieces from an E30 M3 and the engine from an E36 M3. In the “best of both worlds” scenario, this isn’t a bad option – but to find it, you had to have a little faith. Personally, I was interested in both the widebody AMG SEC and the modified E24 6 that were in the ad’s cover photo, so I sought more information. What was inside is what seems to be a well built and very presentable box-flared E30 convertible with some serious motivation:
In an era where successive generations of vehicles get larger and heavier, lightweight specials crop up occasionally to cater to the purist. Porsche has a penchant for lightweight specials, such as the 911 GT3RS and various Club Sport models that have peppered the lineup throughout the years. BMW has been hip to this lightweight game as well, and saw the potential shortly after the introduction of the E36 M3 in the US market. The Lightweight (LTW) was a 1995 homologation special model that saw the deletion of luxuries such as air conditioning, a radio, some sound deadening material, leather trim and the sunroof. Aluminum skinned doors, sport suspension and a revised rear axle ratio gave the Lightweight an edge over the standard M3. A little over 100 of these LTW models were offered to US customers and are highly prized by Bimmer fans today. This M3 LTW for sale in Florida is unlike many in that it has a good amount of miles under its belt.