AutoHunter Spotlight: 2004 BMW M3 Convertible

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 2004 BMW M3 convertible.

BMW’s website says that “M” is “The most powerful letter in the world.” It goes on to say that “BMW M is part of an exceptional motorsport history and stands for a passion for high performance – one that can be felt every day, on the street or on the racetrack.” The M division’s origins date back to 1972; since then, the group has engineered some of the world’s most favorite driving machines.

One of the crowning achievements of BMW’s performance division was the M3 compact executive car. Before us today is a such a car in stunning Titan Silver that offers a color-matched hardtop, relatively low mileage, and an unmodified powertrain. It is being sold by a dealer in Jensen Beach, Florida, and the auction will end on Wednesday.

The E46 was the fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series, sold between model years 1999 and 2006 in North America. Throughout the 3 Series’ lifespan, the M variant has held the top rank as a high-performance car with upgrades from BMW’s motorsports division. Among the upgrades were stiffened dampers, modified axle geometry, and gas-pressurized shocks, all tuned to optimize handling on the street or track.

According to the CARFAX report, this car was sold to its first owner in Arizona almost 20 years ago exactly – on October 28, 2004. It remained in Arizona until 2017, when it was relocated to New Mexico and subsequently to Tennessee. The most recent record shows that the car was sold at auction in August 2024. Today, the odometer reads 98,291 miles, which means the next owner gets the privilege of hitting that highly anticipated 100,000-mile mark.

Niceties abound with this one: Among its features are a color-matched hardtop that accompanies the standard retractable soft top. The car is said to be free of imperfections and the CARFAX shows that service was performed within the last 1,000 miles by Grayson BMW in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Under the hood resides an S54 3.2-liter inline-six that sends power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. From the factory, this engine was rated at 333 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The powertrain of the E46 M3 was so praiseworthy that it received multiple “Engine of the Year” awards. Among its features were a Double-VANOS system, a carbon fiber intake plenum, modified camshafts, and an iron engine block.

A magazine ad by BMW for the E46 M3 boasted, “We looked perfection squarely in the eye. Perfection blinked.” Are you ready to experience perfection? Click over to the auction and place a bid on this iconic machine.