Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire picks up an E46 M3

[Obioban]

Non sunroof cars have always commanded a premium, for e46s and other/older BMWs-- long after people stop tracking them. If you're buying a car for resale, in order of importance:
Coupe
low miles
6mt
fun color
ZCP
fun interior color
post 2003
no sunroof
manual seats

Not listing that as my order of values, just things that influence long term resale, in order of importance.

[Sharocks]

Dude was so pumped about a NOS Dinan S1 kit.

LOL

[oceansize]

Sunroof, not an exterior or interior "fun color", yet..... $91,000. 6mt, coupe, manual, clean, low mileage trumps everything massively. I'm not saying a ZCP with the same mileage doesn't go for a bit more but I think negligible.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2005-bmw-m3-coupe-78/

[Obioban]

Sunroof, not an exterior or interior "fun color", yet..... $91,000. 6mt, coupe, manual, clean, low mileage trumps everything massively. I'm not saying a ZCP with the same mileage doesn't go for a bit more but I think negligible.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2005-bmw-m3-coupe-78/

Yep, that's why my top 3, in order, were coupe, low miles, manual.

[oceansize]

I'm in the camp that hates the rising values but for curiosity sake I'm waiting for a ZCP, fun color, no sunroof, manual, and sub 10k miles to appear on BAT.

[Obioban]

I'm in the camp that hates the rising values but for curiosity sake I'm waiting for a ZCP, fun color, no sunroof, manual, and sub 10k miles to appear on BAT.

My brother is list his up this spring. Not super low miles, but...
Coupe
<50,000 miles
6mt (though it's converted from SMG)
ZCP
Interlagos on Cin
no sunroof
2005
manual seats

... should do reasonably well...

[sina]

Silver grey is also an iconic color because of the CSL, besides the car just looking damn good in that color. It's probably the most desirable neutral color, maybe AW can compete. Low mile, fun color ZCP is basically limited to Imola, since LSB and PY were discontinued. Doubt there are many Mystic ZCPs since most people probably went with Lagos. ILB is very nice, but not sure it counts as a "fun" color, the only really shouty colors on this car were PY, LSB and IR - and even IR is pretty elegant as far as reds go IMO. So that would basically leave IR, ILB, and individual cars, which would probably be pumped up in price due to rarity as much as ZCP.

[maw1124]

Non sunroof cars have always commanded a premium, for e46s and other/older BMWs-- long after people stop tracking them. If you're buying a car for resale, in order of importance:
Coupe
low miles
6mt
fun color
ZCP
fun interior color
post 2003
no sunroof
manual seats

Not listing that as my order of values, just things that influence long term resale, in order of importance.

I think part of what's so interesting to me about this car is how these preferences vary so much from "classic" classic car preferences, which would say:
a. Latest model year;
b. Low mileage;
c. Coupes over sedans, convertibles over coupes
d. Manual over Automatic, then
e. Color Combo

I think part of the difference is the real or imagined track focus of today's would be collectors of this car.

I think part of it is this car being available in so many different configurations. Obviously part of the world thinks the number of configurations means only some will be valuable, and part of the world thinks the number of configurations means all will be valuable. I'll be interested in seeing how (@obioban I think) wagon S54 does when it goes for sale, hopefully on BaT. On balance I'm torn between this being like the Porsche 928 / BMW 850, where pretty much only the manuals matter, the 911's where there's a slight difference for Sport Chrono v Manual, or the MB R129 SL where the manual got lost in the sauce over engine choices and no AMG ever came in a manual, despite it clearly being a track focused heritage.

For me it's an idle curiosity thing -- I chose what I chose and I'm ahead either way.

maw

[Obioban]

I think part of what's so interesting to me about this car is how these preferences vary so much from "classic" classic car preferences, which would say:
a. Latest model year;
b. Low mileage;
c. Coupes over sedans, convertibles over coupes
d. Manual over Automatic, then
e. Color Combo

I think part of the difference is the real or imagined track focus of today's would be collectors of this car.

I think part of it is this car being available in so many different configurations. Obviously part of the world thinks the number of configurations means only some will be valuable, and part of the world thinks the number of configurations means all will be valuable. I'll be interested in seeing how (@obioban I think) wagon S54 does when it goes for sale, hopefully on BaT. On balance I'm torn between this being like the Porsche 928 / BMW 850, where pretty much only the manuals matter, the 911's where there's a slight difference for Sport Chrono v Manual, or the MB R129 SL where the manual got lost in the sauce over engine choices and no AMG ever came in a manual, despite it clearly being a track focused heritage.

For me it's an idle curiosity thing -- I chose what I chose and I'm ahead either way.

maw

To my knowledge, there's only been one M3 converted e46 wagon on BaT recently:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-bmw-325i-touring-10/

I'm hoping mine does better since it's "lower mileage" ("only" 210,000) and better done (well, IMHO anyway... but I'm clearly biased).

[lvm3sm46]

I'll be interested in seeing how (@obioban I think) wagon S54 does when it goes for sale, hopefully on BaT.

maw

I honestly hope it doesn't go on BAT. I think for sale on here it would do fine.

[maw1124]

...and better done (well, IMHO anyway... but I'm clearly biased).

Yours has the proper M3 fenders, correct? How did you handle the rear muffler (duals on both side or something else)?

Of course an on-Board sale is best. It just won't let you compare BaT hype, which is perhaps less important.

maw

[Obioban]

I might list it up here for a similar price that that one sold for one BaT... but if there's no takers, going to list it up over there before reducing the price over here :P

[shibui]

My brother is list his up this spring. Not super low miles, but...
Coupe
<50,000 miles
6mt (though it's converted from SMG)
ZCP
Interlagos on Cin
no sunroof
2005
manual seats

... should do reasonably well...

That's bound to fetch a high price. What would be the "unicorn" US M3 out there that would fetch the highest premium? I'm thinking either:

2003.5
LSB
Manual
Slicktop
30k miles >
Manual seats
Imola/Cinn/LSB interior or rare color (personally I'd like plain old black but these bright interiors seem like they're loved)

or

2006
ZCP
Silver Gray / Interlagos
Manual
Slicktop
30k miles >
Manual seats
Imola/Cinn/LSB interior or rare color

Maybe one of the individual-order colors would fetch more?

Just wait til we get some CSLs in the the US after the 25-year rule...

[heinzboehmer]

What would be the "unicorn" US M3 out there that would fetch the highest premium?

2006
ZCP
LSB
Manual
Slicktop
Low miles
Manual m texture interior
No options (no HK, no heated seats, no nav, etc)

I don't know if such a car exists, but if it does, I think it would sell for more than $100k on BaT.

[shibui]

2006
ZCP
LSB
Manual
Slicktop
Low miles
Manual m texture interior
No options (no HK, no heated seats, no nav, etc)

I don't know if such a car exists, but if it does, I think it would sell for more than $100k on BaT.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the m-texture interior. That would probably be the best interior option if you're trying to sell a car. Ditto on the no options.

Could one individually order a LSB car after 2003?

EDIT: I guess all of these + a dealer-installed Dinan kit (S2 since the S3 came with a supercharger) would be the unicorn.