E46 M3 - Too common?

[Mikedav]

E30 M3: Rare car, loved by enthusiasts, almost exotica
E36 M3: Not really rare but not exactly common, loved by enthusiasts and others alike
E46 M3: Still an awesome car, but there are thousands of them; Not just enthusiasts, but every rich kid in LA. Even my neighbour, a 60 year old real estate agent who has an S80, is trading up to one.

Maybe Im being cynical, but the E46 seems so common now- they are everywhere, which is odd for a £43,000 car. Anyone see that picture of the shipping terminal with over 500 Laguna Seca blue models waiting to be moved? Its crazy. What does everyone else think? Has the M3 lost any appeal?

[Betray]

more people have money these days... and ya know what? ITS A GOOD CAR =)
i do agree it is to commen though, which kinda sucks.. but its good for my future because i can buy one later on!!

and with the crash rates of M3's i think it will go down =)

[blur212]

the car is only 1 year old. there was so much hype about it years before it came out. everyone is going to want what is newest and baddest on the streets. granted i may be biased becaues i put money down in july of 2000.

when the e36 m3 came out i bet it was the same thing. everyone rushing to get one. i wanted a e36 even before i could drive. damn, i still want an e36 m3, they make anything for it. give me a year. unlike my e46 which they make nothing, right now. its just evolution and age. the next step up will replace the e46, the e46 will replace the e36 and the e30 will be more rare than ever.

but my dream i still to own all three of 'em.

rob.

[BimmerSteven]

Originally posted by Mikedav
What does everyone else think? Has the M3 lost any appeal?

Yes, it has definitely lost it's appeal. No longer is it a homologated racecar sold in limited numbers to meet regulation requirements. It's a watered down, weighted down, "evolution" of what it once was. Compared to other cars in it's class, it's a blast. Compared to the E30 M3, it's a dump. *shrug* That's what happens. That's why people aren't limited to owning just one car (or just one ///M).

[///Samson]

What does it matter if they are too common? It means so much about how great the car is. I don't have one. You don't have one. Why are you complaining? I still drool every time one passes. Would you rather they all vanish? I really don't get it. You sound tired of them...that's not a true enthusiast stance.

[RX-7]

A yea everyone has the car because the cars GOOD!!
I might even get one..

[blur212]

Originally posted by RX-7

I might even get one..

can i have your rx-7 then?

[///M AZING]

I have had mine for about 14 months now, I live an
hour north of Seattle, and have only counted 3 driving
since then. When I bought it, in Hermosa Beach, it didn't
stand out like it does here. Doesn't stand out like my
NSX did, but it's close.

[blur212]

well i live in nyc and princeton, nj. and i can still count on one hand how many unique e46 m3's i have seen.

[UltimateOne]

I believe its definitely location and BMW has been having its best
years as of 2000.

[Rob ITR1035]

Originally posted by blur212
unique e46 m3's

ha, 'unique' and 'm3' in the same sentence. i dont think having a 'unique' m3 is possible, unless you spend $100k on the car


talking about the e36 and e46 of course...

[BimmerSteven]

Originally posted by ///Samson
What does it matter if they are too common?

Too common and they become a Honda Accord. They lose their uniquity.

Why are you complaining?

Not complaining, just explaining myself.

Would you rather they all vanish?

Not at all.

I really don't get it. You sound tired of them...that's not a true enthusiast stance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not tired of them at all. The M3 is still one of the best all around performers on the road. It's just more of a street car than a track car nowadays. I wouldn't kick one outta the garage for dripping oil...

[///Samson]

It is sort of like that first time you discover a band...fall in love with their music. You essentially love them for being unknown. One day your local radio station airs a song off their label. You think, "Ok, no biggy". Next you see it on late night MTV. "Hmm", you start to think... Finally it hits TRL and everyone and their mom is listening to the CD. Abercrombe boys are playing it in their wranglers and teeny boppers at their slumber parties. You still like the music, but you feel that YOUR band isn't that wonderful secret anymore. But did their songs lose quality over this small stint? Do you not like the music because Joe Cock plays them in his 16th birthday present: Defender 90? For me that was Dave Matthews Band. I saw them play in a highschool gym on their very first tour - back in 93. I loved them. Still do. But I won't abandon them for the sake of their extreme popularity.

I totally agree with you though. Totally. But a lot of the feeling comes from the internet where an average of one person a day is getting an M3. It is CRAZY!!! Sort of like Hamann rims. See them all of DTM, but none in my Minnesota area.

They won't be like Honda's,,,,I hope....

[Sean M3]

I live in Northern VA (Fairfax), and I barely ever see an E46 M3. I see E46 3 series all the time, like 40 a day, but never the M3. I have seen a total of about four E46 M3's since the beginning of the year

[Andy]

I feel the same way. The E465 M3 is WAY too common. I don't get excited when I see one anymore.