Thinking about trading the 250 in soon..

I presume you know of the subframe issues with the E46 M3's which they are all potentially prone to? If not I can link you so you know what to look out for why buying one.

I've a Carbon Black E46 M3 Coupe (Manual) and a Silver Grey E46 M3 Vert (SMG-II) love them. The Coupe is pre-facelift and drinks more oil but nothing major, but defo worth going 2003 onwards.

 

I've a decent link at work I'd saved but can't find it on google but this gives an idea of the issue http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=65047

Also the M3Cutters forum is very very good for information! although I've not frequented it for a few years much now. The SMG-II boxes get a load of bad press but usually it's simple issues such as pump (you'll know from just by unlocking car if not priming), the salmon relay which is a £9 relay which is 2 min fix and worth keeping a spare in the car or a spring in the box which is 8p but takes hours to get to and resolve.

If tracking I'd say go manual for sure. If you test drive one from cold start they are a bit prone to a bit of juddering and 1st gear can be a pain sometime as it's a longer throw to get to so when cold can see sometimes awkward to get into gear.

 

I had a smg e46 before the rs250, pump failed left me stranded on the m25 for 4 hours!! Could not get any gears , manual would be be the choice . but to be honest preferred the Megane as e46 are costly to run and feel old now . Sub frames will fail at some point if not repaired , so buy one that has been done is a must , or buy 2005 onwards as the subframe issue was resolved on later models but if your gonna track then will have to be done. Service history is a must , and beware as e46s had dropped to a point where they were bought buy people who could not actually afford to maintain them properly so there are quite afew dogs out there. Would look to allow £2k a year to maintain one properly and get a good one then they are mega

 

I had a M3 CSL 18 months before my 250, the 250 is far far nicer on the road and imo equally as good on track. Mine had to have the rear sub frame replaced fortunately under BMW warranty so I didn't get the £5000 bill..!!

 

You will be underwhelmed with an E46 M3 after having a Meg with that spec

M3s of that age are costly to run and maintain, and not that quick

The SMG is oooold, fairly slow, and unless the car was driven with a lot of mechanical sympathy (unlikely given their age), you'll face the crack-in-subframe issue

Stay away

If you want RWD then look at something else IMO. Not sure if you need practicality but an old boxster would be good fun... Or turbo/SC MX5 (hilarious fun)

E46 M3s were good 7 years ago. Now they're a liability

Edit - or check out a 1 series. 130i can be turned into a great bit of kit

I had a 135i but they're lardy for track out the box. Good fun for motorway cruising and A roads though, but need work to be stable on bumpier roads

 

I would drive one first to confirm your want for one. As your car sits yes it will most likely be a better track car than a standard E46 but not my much, don't underestimate them, they are very capable once on track with little modifications. If you modify one to the level you have with your Meg then it will be a better track car in my opinion. SMG isn't as bad as people make out, the only major issue is that if the pump goes then you're stuck as it wont change gear. If you get the Evolve CSL map it makes a massive difference! As others have mentioned running costs can be high, especially if you buy a car that hasn't been maintained which is a lot of them. The boot floors can go on them too not the subframe, the subframe holds the diff! The floors usually crack from the spot welds, and they go regardless of the age, pre facelift/facelift it doesn't matter, but this can be rectified with reinforced metal plates.

 

The SMG, by modern standards, is utterly rubbish. Compare it to a current BMW or Porsche and it's awful

You're right re: boot floor, it's not the subframe at all

 

As many have said, drive one first!

I used to work on loads and drive loads at stratstone and used to love them then but they were fairly new then.

I personally wouldn't be swapping your 250 in for one mate, on track in standard form there miles behind my R26 pushs them out the way with ease.

Also they feel very old now to drive after driving some recently.

There also littered with inherit problems that cost a fortune to fix and M parts aren't cheap mate

Rusty wings and rear arches due to water trap.

Rear subframe mounting point boot floors cracking

Head Gaskets going between cylinders

And that's just a small list, I really fancied one at one point too but running costs put me off!


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If it's just going to be a weekend track toy, then unless you are well flush and just want to pump money into a BMW, there are other much cheaper RWD choices.

One of the best value and slightly left field choices is a decent 231 bhp Mazda RX8. Light, perfect weight distribution, easy to modify and make durable for the circuit. Surprises many of the regular track day fodder. Getting one with a good engine is the key.

Other options also exist, obviously......

 

About the e46 M3 subframe issue - they all suffer from it as far as I know.

If it hasn't been done assume it will need doing. Even if they tell you it's been checked - the only way to check properly is to remove the subframe.

I had one a few years ago and was lucky to get bmw to pay for the repairs. I used Vines Redhill and they said every single M3 they've checked had the problem and have been fixing them for years.

Be careful!

Driving wise they're nice on the road and ok on track - you can indulge in some rwd fun until they black flag you for drifting lol.

Brakes and suspension are far too soft though, the M diff is quite difficult to predict if you are planning to go sideways.

Little things go wrong that are expensive, inspection 2 services are nearly 1k regardless of where you get it done, it's lots of hours labour!

If you do get one and need parts make sure you phone a few different main dealers as the difference in price can be huge!

I did enjoy mine, did a few track days and ring trip, it always felt so soft for track though.

Here it is with the dsc off - muchos fun... Until I got black flagged

 

What year is the 250 ?

I've got a 2003 / 53 ,E46 M3 facelift in Carbon Black with black leather. Subframe was done by BMW about 4 yrs ago. Clutch , head gasket and water pump and Inspec 2 was done 2 - 3 yrs ago . Also had Vanos rebuilt and new plugs this year.
It's not used much , done about 1100 between last MOT's. New MPSS recently fitted and also has performance friction pads , braided lines and BMC filter.

It's in lovely condition with BMW history except for the last inspection 2. Scotts performance done this when doing the head gasket .

PM me if your interested.


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I can vouch for Super7 car it's a very clean example of a M3 and looks the part to


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One of my friends has a 275 plus and E90 M3. We do a lot of hoons and he's never taken his BMW to any. He says, for hooing the Megane is so much better. To quote 'You can back it in to corners and do things that you could never do with the M3'. i suppose it depends what you want it for.