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Tag: S52

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Pre-Production: 1998 BMW M Roadster with 41,000 Miles

A few weeks ago I went on a rant regarding production numbers, and while I thought I was going to be chastised by the masses the reaction was rather surprising – it seems I’m not the only one ticked off by the over-use of “rare”, “limited”, and “1 of X produced”. I have to admit, I think I’m even guilty of it; there are many uncommon cars that we write up that we often refer to as “rare” when the reality is that the company just didn’t sell many. Perhaps it was a bad choice of colors, or bad market conditions, or any number of factors combining into low sales numbers, but not often were these cars limited to only a few examples. Does that make them less or more desirable? Well, that depends a lot on the customer I guess; to me, I really like having something that everyone else doesn’t have. Phoenix Yellow is a great example of this; a polarizing color that I love on the E46 M3 but many hate. So what we have here today is a claimed 1 of 1 that’s just cannon fodder, right? Well, not today – this is a legitimately neat car; a pre-production M Roadster in a ultra-rare color combination of Evergreen and Kyalami:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 BMW M Roadster on eBay

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2000 BMW M Roadster with 38,000 Miles

We’ve been sitting here at GCFSB in half wonder and half horror, watching the E30 market explode. It probably shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise; the E30 has always enjoyed a loyal following, it’s a smart looking design with an enthusiastic aftermarket, sourcing replacement parts is easy and the performance is quite good. But the days of owning the best of the bunch – the E30 M3 – have slipped through the fingers of most who didn’t jump on the bandwagon early. So what’s an enthusiast to do? Well, truth be told there are plenty of desirable options, some with some real long-term potential as collectable. One of the most affordable right now is the first generation M Roadster; offering the stellar S52 engine in a fun to drive platform, a good example can be had for well under $20,000, such as today’s low mile Dakar Yellow example:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2000 BMW M Roadster on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1998 Dinan S3 BMW M3 Sedan

If earlier’s Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 911 Turbo didn’t quench your lust for all things purple, I’m happy to offer another Barney-colored treat for you. However, unlike the friendly and more than somewhat irritating children’s star, the object of interest here is the very popular and quickly become a classic E36 M3 sedan. Offering practicality, a stiff chassis with lighter weight than the coupes, this car has turned into one of the more sought after BMWs in recent history. This is especially poignant considering the current state of the rest of the 1980s M market; if you don’t jump on the bandwagon now, you’re likely to miss out. Further heightening the appeal of this sedan is the more rare shade of Techno Violet; a polarizing but popular color, and of course the full spectrum of Dinan S3 upgrades. Take a look at this purple people eater:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Dinan S3 BMW M3 Sedan on eBay

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10K Friday: E36 or E46? 1998 M3 Sedan v. 2002 M3 Convertible

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:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 BMW M3 on eBay

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1989 BMW M3 Convertible Replica

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:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 BMW M3 Convertible on eBay

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