BMW

Date Acquired:

27 Dec 2008

Year:

2003

Cost:

12900

Fuel consumption:

Odometer:

70,000

Servicing:

£250 average

Annual Insurance:

£625

Other costs:

none

It was coming up to Xmas 2008 and I was just about to lose my company car and we needed another car, Ok we could have had just any car but as I had sold my wife's 330ci convertible a year before to fund an M5 purchase... Bad boy I know, but hey she knows she can trust me to come up with something pokey and fun to replace it with.

I kept being drawn to the M3 coupe, and having had the roadster, the E36 Evo, etc...the E46 was on the list to have - just at the right price.

So now prices had just fallen to the floor on all cars, and I found this one with a Jag/AM dealer and the owner had px'ed it for a DB9 - yes he was not affected by the downturn. He was a doctor.

The spec was Mystic Blue, 18" alloys, one owner, BMW warranty in place, black leather, HK speakers, wind deflector, manual, FSH etc etc.

A good find but on at £13,500, and needing the following:

- 3 new tyres

- New front discs and pads

- New suspension arm

- Service

- Scratch repaired on door

...and as I purchased it in Christmas week, the dealer said "whatever needs doing we will do" so some £1.5k - £2k of work later, the car was fixed and ready to rock and roll with a 12 months warranty at £12,900. I paid them and then ran...

Yes truly an upside to the downturn, as it's now worth £14k some 18 months later...

Ownership keynotes:

Mpg 20.5 around town and 28 overall if you are lucky.

Engine - Lovely sound but requires revs for go, and the right fuel makes a hell of a difference

Rear tyres - well 9k miles on and the tyres have worn out, and the wife is not known for her DSC-off powerslides - Don't buy Pirelli tyres...

Faults - just a faulty bulb that requires the old whack and then it's fine.....happens 1-10 start ups, and the tyre flat monitor is a bit funny

Gearbox - 2nd is a bit BMW, i.e. notchy

Overall  - For me I find it OK on a warm day, but the chassis is not as good as you think it will be, compromised by the loss of the roof. I would have sooner bought either a Boxster S or an M3 coupe with sun roof.....but value for money and the wife's over the moon - as Mastercard say ...priceless.

Scuttle shake is the issue with this car, commit to a corner and then the feedback puts you off repeating that move...torque is low and getting out of the M5 to the M3, you feel you could be driving something a lot less, almost hot hatch like...

Ah one other problem...the k**b who one day drove around our close and clipped - well took off the whole front wing of the M3 while it was parked and then drove off...after only 6 weeks of ownership...

The future - for the moment it's staying as it's a great allrounder and a good find...and the wife is happy...

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