*New Arrival* 2005 BMW E46 M3 6-Speed Manual in Silver Grey over Black with only 6,088 miles!
Picking the ultimate generation of BMW M3 is no easy task. For some, it is the small, high-revving E30, built to homologate the E30 chassis for DTM racing. For others, the newest and fastest G80 M3 is the one to have, with its twin-turbocharged power and supercar-like performance numbers. There is no right or wrong choice in this conversation but one generation that every enthusiast can rally around is the E46 M3. Built between 1999 and 2006, the E46 M3 was really the car that made BMW M in the United States. Although BMW has been selling M cars here since 1987, outside of the most diehard enthusiasts, it wasn’t a brand that got nearly the attention that it deserved. But the E46 M3 was different- unlike the previous E36 M3, this car got the same, highly strung naturally aspirated engine as the European market cars while still being competitively priced with many of the best performance cars of the day. Even though production sounds high, with 85,000 units sold worldwide over the car’s 7-year production run, the number of truly great examples is sure to be less than 10% of that original production.
This 2005 BMW M3 was sold new in March of 2005 and has been under the care of two enthusiast driven owners from new. In an effort to preserve the exterior appearance the front of the vehicle has PPF (Paint Protection Film) installed and is doing a wonderful job locking in the paint condition from the factory. Finished in Silver Gray, this car shows a truly remarkable 6,088 miles at the time of cataloging and has been kept in exceptional condition throughout. Silver Gray is an outstanding color for this car and should not be confused with the lighter Titanium Silver that is more common. This darker gray has some blue hues to it, and much like Porsche’s GT Silver, picks up the curves in a very dramatic way. This car is fitted with the M3’s standard 18” wheels with a Chrome Shadow finish- people frequently swapped these out for larger 19” optional wheels, but these are a perfect size for the car and make for a nice sidewall that is typically missing on other M3s.
We performed our comprehensive inspection and will be performing the following services to ensure this vehicle will arrive to its next enthusiast owner running as well as it presents cosmetically. Early Inspection I service with valve adjust in conjunction with a VANOS rebuild and supplemental fluid services so everything is new and refreshed. We will also be replacing the oil pan gasket based on the gasket's age and current seep that is forming commonly found on the S54. We will also be upgrading known components like the CPV (constant pressure valve) o-ring with a Viton material as well as RTAB (rear trailing arm bushings) with Powerflex's urethane bushings. All standard EAG Extra Mile services will ensure we have the opportunity to enhance the E46 M3 delivery process almost 20 years later.
It should come as no surprise that the interior is just as perfect as the exterior of the car. The black leather seats are free of any wrinkles or creases, and the black steering wheel retains its beautiful matte finish, with the red and blue M-color thread as vivid as the day it was installed. Stainless Steel trim was optioned on the dashboard, center console and door handles which provides a nice contrast against the black leather and keeps the interior looking modern and clean. It is difficult to describe the quality of the inside of this car, and even photos don’t do it justice- if you want to feel like you are stepping into a time capsule back to 2005, just slide behind the wheel of this car.
Undoubtedly, the S54 found in the E46 M3 is one of the best inline-6s ever produced by BMW. With dual overhead cams, individual throttle bodies, and VANOS on the intake and exhaust cams, the S54 feels like a proper motorsport engine in the high revs, but that maintains the ability to be happily used around town as well. This example is paired with a solid-feeling 6-speed manual gearbox, which offers great shift action and is really the ultimate way to enjoy the sublime powerplant. While under our care, we performed our standard list of checks, including inspecting the VANOS, rear subframe, and multi-point mechanical inspection.