View Poll Results: What's Your E46 M3 Story? | |||
Current & Original E46 M3 Owner (had since new) | 28 | 11.02% | |
Current Non-Original Owner (but first time E46 M3 owner) | 68 | 26.77% | |
Current Owner; Returned to the E46 M3 platform after moving on | 18 | 7.09% | |
Never owned an E46 M3, but own(ed) other M3 generation(s) | 41 | 16.14% | |
Never owned an E46 M3, but own(ed) other BMW(s) or M-Car(s) (non-M3) | 38 | 14.96% | |
Never owned an E46 M3, never owned a BMW | 2 | 0.79% | |
Moved on to another BMW (non-M), no longer own E46 M3 | 18 | 7.09% | |
Moved on to another BMW M-Car (non-M3), no longer own E46 M3 | 9 | 3.54% | |
Moved on to an older generation M3 (E30, E36), no longer own E46 M3 | 2 | 0.79% | |
Moved on to a newer generation M3/4 (E9x, F8x, G8x), no longer own E46 M3 | 32 | 12.60% | |
Moved on to a different brand (non-BMW), no longer own E46 M3 | 3 | 1.18% | |
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 254. You may not vote on this poll |
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04-01-2020, 03:58 PM | #23 |
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Former owner of a 2003 M3. I purchased it in 2006 with 28K miles and kept it for 9 years, selling it with 59K miles. I spent close to 40K in modifications. Still miss her to this day.
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2003 11/02 Steel Gray Metallic on Red M3 - SMGII - VF570 - SUPERSPRINT - KW - BBS - CSL ROOF SOLD
2015 09/14 Alpine White on Red 435i xDrive MPPK - Expensive black vinyl with special lettering. SOLD 2020 12/19 Mineral Gray Metallic on Black Vinyl interior M340i xDrive Last edited by greekcs; 04-02-2020 at 11:45 AM.. |
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04-01-2020, 04:36 PM | #25 |
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Drives: LSB E46 M3
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Arcadia, California
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I picked mine up back on 5-9-11 and daily drove it for 4 years. After that, I drove my family's old Camry for 2 years until I leased a 2017 Camry. Just returned the Camry last month and picked up a 2020 G01 X3 M40i and couldn't be happier! Now I just need to find time to drive the E46....
Heres some pics of my car's evolution from when I got it, how it looked for most of the 4 years dailying it, what it looks like now, and my new daily. Cheers guys! |
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04-01-2020, 06:32 PM | #26 |
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Drives: 2018 M2 AW DCT
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I owned a 2003 E46 M3 for ten years. I loved that car but it became quite unreliable after 100,000 miles. I currently have a 2018 M Performance M2 since January 2018.
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04-01-2020, 07:08 PM | #27 |
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My love for the M3 brand runs deep. I gotta admit I'm not fully okay with the fact that the G will be going AWD, but I'm not opposed to change. Had the pleasure of driving every model except for the E30, which I rode in when I was a young kid (brand new Evo at the time). Never owned an E46, but fell in love with them while I was in college and doing valet parking. At that time they were the new model and because I worked at a high end spot I got to drive several. Always wanted to buy one and pretty much convinced the wife to let me buy one on several occasions. I ended up getting a great deal on a new F80 while I was in Germany and that was my first M3. I still envision myself owning a Mystic Blue E46 (manual) one day, but we'll see. I'm planning on keeping my F80 for a long time, since I love it.
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04-01-2020, 07:34 PM | #28 |
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Drives: 2002 E46 M3. 2018 F80 M3 CS
Join Date: Mar 2019
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Current original owner of a 2002 E46 M3, Sterling Gray/Imola Red Coupe, 6MT, 18" OEM wheels.
Daily drive for all these years. I am now on the list for a M2 CS. Wish they had better colors though. Wife has a 2018 M3 CS, San Marino Blue. Now, that is a blue! My son wants the E46. |
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04-01-2020, 07:56 PM | #29 |
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Coming from two prior E36 M3's, I've had my E46 M3 for a while now. Can't get rid of the car lol.
I just keep adding, hence the sig lmao |
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04-01-2020, 08:17 PM | #30 |
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I have owned an E36 M3, 2 E46 M3s and now own an E92 M3. E46 was by far my favorite. Last one was a 2006 Imola red on M-texture slicktop 6MT. Told myself I was never going to sell it but ended up selling it a close friend who is now selling it as well!
Here are some pictures right before I sold it and some of the E92
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04-01-2020, 08:28 PM | #31 |
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Got an e39 M5 back in 2013 and daily drove it for about 2 years before unloading it due to unreliability issues despite putting loads of preventative maintenance into it (only car to EVER leave me on the side of the road - it happened multiple times in fact). I put so much money into that car and the new owner basically stole it for the price I sold it for, but it was just a relationship that just couldn't recover. Bought an e46 ZHP sedan (manual), but dumped it after 2 months as I couldn't live with the lack of power. Picked up a 2003.5 Silver Grey e46 M3 (manual) and had it for about 3 wonderful years and dumped tons of money into it in preventative maintenance as well. After 3 years, I just wanted something more "comfortable" and somehow ended up in a Gen 1 CTS-V - great car for what it is and loved the V8, but I missed the e46 M3 size and wanted adaptive dampers and all the new technological jazz.
So here I am today in a 240i slicktop manual that is comfortable when I want it to be, has loads of torque that I missed from both the e39 M5 and CTS-V, and is relatively the size of the e46 M3. For me it's the Goldilocks zone and I didn't even consider an M2 as I daily all of my cars and I know that is a better car, but for me personally is a little too rough. |
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04-01-2020, 09:18 PM | #32 | ||
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04-01-2020, 09:24 PM | #33 | |||
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2011 ///M3 Lemans Blue on Black 6MT ZCP - Current 2006 ///M3 Imola on M-Texture Alcantara 6MT Slicktop - Sold Journal 2002 ///M3 Imola on Dove 6MT - Sold 1995 ///M3 Alpine White on Dove 5MT - Sold |
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04-01-2020, 09:26 PM | #34 |
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Time to add my story...
I have dreamed of an M3 ever since.I saw an E30 in flesh back in 1990. When an E46 came out, I dreamt of it and has a CSL picture printed on my desk. In 2011, I finally managed to find exactly what I wanted after two years of searching. Mine is a Silver Grey 2006 M3 Coupe, 6-speed manual, Competition Package, manual seats, no sunroof, Florida car that is stored every winter. I absolutely love it and have zero plans to ever sell it. I would like to get an OEM CSL boot and high quality CSL rep front bumper at some point. But I also wonder whether I should keep it all original. The only thing I changed was the interior. It came black and swapped in a Cinnamon interior. |
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04-01-2020, 10:06 PM | #35 |
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For ///M cars I've owned E92 DCT M3, E90 ZCP 6MT and now E46 M3 SMG.
Non-original 3rd owner, Eisenmann Sport Exchaust, Bone stock. My favorite car of all time. Imola Red is mine |
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04-02-2020, 12:33 AM | #36 |
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Current owner, I got my M3 this year as an addition to the F82 I got two years ago. That’s how my journey with M started and just couldn’t miss the opportunity to try the previous-gen experience 😭
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04-02-2020, 04:33 AM | #37 |
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I've never owned an e46, but in 04... my coworker and I became roomates. We had just been moved from contractors to full time, and being both 24 thought this was a time to buy our first new cars and civics and altimas (which is what we had at the time) were not what we were doing again...
I bought a new 2005 infiniti g35 coupe. I stayed in the nissan family... and german cars were supposedly "not worth the money / expenses" It was well basically a japanese mustang, it was loud and had a great exhaust note, but definitely muscle car like. He bought a used 2001 e46 m3.... Well , the only thing they had in common was they were roughly equivalent in a straight line and I do drive a bmw now. |
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04-02-2020, 10:48 AM | #38 |
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I owned a 2004 M3 from Jan 04 to June 09. Titanium silver with Imola Red interior and manual transmission. Got a lot of compliments on the car especially the interior.
I guess I'm in the minority of folks that absolutely loved the car but don't miss the car now - because I got everything from it in experience - drove it like it stole it, took it to the track, went on road trips with friends, a one month Vanos repair, etc. It's always amazing to see it on the streets more than 16 years later - I hope it rises in value and gets the true collectors treatment it deserves! |
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04-02-2020, 01:31 PM | #39 |
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I had 04 , 6MT. I loved that car but it got totaled in Hurricane Sandy. I tried to find another but could not find one at the time. I bought a E92 6 MT. Comparing the two cars, the E92 was too cushy in every way, the E46 reminded me to respect the car and the speed. The shifter was kinda sloppy but I changed it to a Rogue shifter. It was a great improvement.
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04-02-2020, 03:10 PM | #40 |
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Never owned an E46 M3, but current owner of a (Euro) E36 M3 3.2.
I've always been an E36 guy and even though I like the E46 M3 very much, I never 'connected' with it that made me want one. Although I would take a CSL any day, but these have gone for out of reach. I'm the 4th owner. First one in Holland as I imported mine from Germany. It's 1 of 12 LHD AW on black M3 3.2 cabrio's.
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04-02-2020, 03:34 PM | #41 | |
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Drives: M3 E90 JB 6MT, M2 MG DCT, 525d
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04-02-2020, 03:45 PM | #42 | ||
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88? M3 15? M3 84 R100 RT Café Racer Past: 2005 E46 ZCP M3 Silver Grey 6MT 1998 E36 M3 Silver 5MT 1968 E10 2002 Roundie Grey 4MT 2018 F87 M2 BSM 6MT |
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04-02-2020, 07:04 PM | #43 |
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Drives: 11 E90 M3 Individual
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Location: Houston, TX
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I have had my E46 M3 since 2/2013. It's since been cut up and turned into a caged track car.
It's actually pretty reliable as long as you stay ahead of the VANOS, rod bearings, subframe and maintenance. I love driving it but I love my E90 M3 a little more.
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04-02-2020, 09:21 PM | #44 | |
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Drives: LSB E46 M3
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Location: Arcadia, California
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