Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire picks up an E46 M3

[Duck360198]

Silver has always been desirable, but when you look at total production, rarity is what drives the value. So colors like LSB and Phoenix are massive hits now. Most people care about how low production their car is and those colors help.

Actually, if I recall correctly, there are a LOT of LSB and PY cars in terms of production numbers...especially in 2001, 2002 and Pre-LCI 2003. Numbers dropped each year but production numbers especially took a nosedive for 2004-2006 cars.

But in terms of these youtubers and influencers or whatever you want to call them...hell, they could not care less about color. They care as much about color as I care about their opinions on any car. They've got their disposable income, they're told by their followers that EAG is the only place to go because they carry the cleanest cars (and they're not wrong), and they scoop up the cleanest one available that appeals to them. EAG will get tagged and gain more followers and subscribers. Car(s) will eventually be sold back to them. It'll then be touted as a celebrity-owned car. Yada yada yada. It's all part of the game.

Sign of the times in this social media world. But I can't complain too much since the cars are being sold and continue to increase in value, so I guess I should say "keep up the good work?"

[Maxima SE]

Cocky Farrahs ego doesn’t fit in a fiesta ST otherwise he would’ve gone with his first choice. He probably got a good discount from EAG to give them a shout out on his channel. They haven’t had a single PY in over a decade and with the way market is going, it’s only a matter of time before they swallow their pride and start cashing in on SMG and early model year cars.

[Slicktop]

Actually, if I recall correctly, there are a LOT of LSB and PY cars in terms of production numbers...especially in 2001, 2002 and Pre-LCI 2003. Numbers dropped each year but production numbers especially took a nosedive for 2004-2006 cars.

But in terms of these youtubers and influencers or whatever you want to call them...hell, they could not care less about color. They care as much about color as I care about their opinions on any car. They've got their disposable income, they're told by their followers that EAG is the only place to go because they carry the cleanest cars (and they're not wrong), and they scoop up the cleanest one available that appeals to them. EAG will get tagged and gain more followers and subscribers. Car(s) will eventually be sold back to them. It'll then be touted as a celebrity-owned car. Yada yada yada. It's all part of the game.

Sign of the times in this social media world. But I can't complain too much since the cars are being sold and continue to increase in value, so I guess I should say "keep up the good work?"

There were a little more than 1500 LSB cars made while TiaG Silver cars were around 9500. Those numbers are strictly US cars. While you are right that 99% of LSB cars are Pre LCI, silver cars were very much so more common. Phoenix btw was 731 for the US, so definitely not common by any stretch. Even dividing evenly you get a higher number of silver cars produced per year.

Most sports cars in the late 90s/early 00s were very popular in silver. Best example that comes to mind is the 996 Turbo. Nowadays, people want the car in yellow or green. Times have certainly changed.

[Obioban]

I think the usage case for the average M3 has also changed. People like boring colors for DDs, which is what most were used for when new. Many more people today use them for weekend cars, where people like fun/exciting colors.

[oceansize]

For me it is more about the combination of colors versus just the exterior.

The oceansize power rankings.

1. OG/cinnamon might be my favorite
2. Silver/red or cinnamon (classic),
3. imola/imola
4. JB/cinnamon or red,
5. CB/cinnamon,
6. white/cinnamon or red
7. estoril/cinnamon or black
8. PY/Black
9. LSB/Black (I'm one of the few who actually doesn't particularly care for LSB after I saw one in person).

[Slicktop]

For me it is more about the combination of colors versus just the exterior.

The oceansize power rankings.

1. OG/cinnamon might be my favorite
2. Silver/red (classic),
3. imola/imola
4. JB/cinnamon or red,
5. CB/cinnamon,
6. white/cinnamon or red
7. PY/Black
8. LSB/Black (I'm one of the few who actually doesn't particularly care for LSB after I saw one in person).

I see you hate the color blue haha

[oceansize]

I see you hate the color blue haha

No hate lol but I do think after seeing IB and LSB in person ownership is a definite no. However, I do appreciate what they bring to the e46 world. Topaz and the other lesser known blues are all "good" and if the price was right I would buy.

[Maxima SE]

Last year for LSB was 04. Last year for PY was February 2005. Silvers, blacks and white were offered throughout the production run and naturally the numbers are way higher, especially since those are the most common colors sitting on dealer lot ready for a new DD lease. People aren’t really buying these cars nowadays to go grocery shopping. And those who buy PY or LSB are probably buying it as a weekend cruiser/ collector car. Like mentioned already most were 01-02 cars and majority have been trashed. There is a 06 PY on BAT now. I’m curious to see how much it fetches given the mileage.

[usdmej]

I've no idea why hagerty has him in some of their vids

he is a reliable content creator that is competent around a racetrack which actually puts him in pretty rare company


when MF was building out his parking garage he was driving an LSB E46 M3, I assumed it was his. at this point i'm pretty sure he has the money to own DD and collector grade examples of the same car

[Slicktop]

No hate lol but I do think after seeing IB and LSB in person ownership is a definite no. However, I do appreciate what they bring to the e46 world. Topaz and the other lesser known blues are all "good" and if the price was right I would buy.

A mystic car fell into my lap and I couldn't say no to the deal so blues have certainly grown on me.

[Obioban]

he is a reliable content creator that is competent around a racetrack which actually puts him in pretty rare company


when MF was building out his parking garage he was driving an LSB E46 M3, I assumed it was his. at this point i'm pretty sure he has the money to own DD and collector grade examples of the same car

Pretty sure the car he was driving was Zack’s (which is either mystic or topaz, can’t tell).

[DJAM3]

TiAG/Imola is an underrated combo IMO (TiAG owner ). I hope whatever content he makes with the car is more interesting than OG. Just a side note for those wondering, Matt Farah already owned a Fiesta ST.

[usdmej]

Pretty sure the car he was driving was Zack’s (which is either mystic or topaz, can’t tell).

this looked pretty LSB to me

https://youtu.be/9z_NRIIngs0?t=215

but yes it could very well be someone else' car

[jet_dogg]

I bought mine last year. My dad had a deposit on one in 2001 (Silver) but the dealer had told him a 6 month wait to get the car in and he never followed through because of the wait time. If you remember most very early cars into the US were silver with no options because dealers were trying to desperately fulfill deposits.

Silver has always been desirable, but when you look at total production, rarity is what drives the value. So colors like LSB and Phoenix are massive hits now. Most people care about how low production their car is and those colors help.

Doctors and lawyers were 100% buying these cars new. The amount of street parked M3s I saw with MD designated plates accounted for a good % of the cars in the area. Funny enough I saw an original owner vert yesterday with those same plates.

I mean of course tastes will change because barrier of entry is totally different. Most cars are no where near MSRP value again and the demographic that originally bought them has moved on into other Ms or P cars.

Personally when I was looking for my car I wanted silver because of how much easier it was to find slicktop but I ended up getting a rarer color and I'm happy with that

If you remember, the cars took three months to build and arrive at port then dealer for pickup so six months was due to demand the first few years. You may not have been old enough to drive then but cars were selling for sticker if you knew people or a markup at that time. Most cars were not silver, they were an assortment of colors and silver never dominated any of the dealer lots or car meets I was going to at the time.

You're right thought, I did know one guy who was an attorney who funny enough tend to prefer convertibles.

[oceansize]

There is a 06 PY on BAT now. I’m curious to see how much it fetches given the mileage.

Looks as though owner is/was a forum member.

Diron05@aol.com