2005 BMW M3

Equipment

Silver Grey metallic paintwork, Imola Red Nappa leather upholstery, 19-inch forged alloy wheels, 6-speed manual transmission, Electrically-adjustable sports seats with driver’s seat memory, Seat backrest width adjustment and lumbar support, Harman/Kardon HiFi loudspeaker system, Front central armrest, M Leather Steering Wheel, Professional satellite navigation system, Rear privacy glass, Rear parking sensors (PDC), Electric folding door mirrors, Xenon headlights, Headlight washer system, Rain-sensitive wipers, Automatic air conditioning, Auto-dimming rear view mirror, CD player, Anthracite headlining, Rear central headrest, On-board Computer, Front fog lights, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Alarm system, Spare keys.

Exterior

Beautifully presented in one of our favourite E46 M3 colour combos, this 70k mile example also happens to be one of the most collectable specifications with the manual gearbox, 19-inch wheels, and no sunroof. The Silver Grey paintwork is near immaculate and, having just been treated to a full machine polish and detail, the quality of the finish is excellent. There are no signs of corrosion in any of the common E46 weak spots and she’s pin sharp along both sides. The alloy wheels have just been fully refurbished to the highest standard with a striking diamond-cut finish, and the tyres are Continental all round. The lights are clear and undamaged, the seals and trims are first-rate, and the badges are unmarked.

Interior

The Imola Red upholstery looks sensational against the grey metallic paint, and much like the exterior of the car it’s in remarkably good order. Still notably soft and supple the leather sports seats show minimal wear on the outer bolsters, and the electric adjustments are all fully functional. BMWs of this era have a tendency to pick up a few interior scratches but in this example the plastic trims are all excellent including the driver’s door pull. The steering wheel still looks and feels like new, and glancing across the dash the switchgear and satnav screen are unmarked, but we do note some dead pixels when the monitor is switched on. The black carpets are spotless and are nicely protected in the footwells by genuine BMW mats.

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

The S54 is an iconic six-cylinder powerplant revving to 8,000rpm with an intoxicating rasp at higher revs, and in this M3 it’s paired with the lauded manual gearbox. We have just had the car fully inspected including the underside and the workshop were pleased to report no cracking issues to the boot floor/subframe area. The last service was carried out only 50 miles ago in May 2025 by M specialists, BMR Performance. We have all driven this one and can certainly vouch for just how well it performs; the S54 is as potent as ever and the 6-speed ‘box operates with precision.

History File

This fantastic manual M3 coupe was supplied new in December 2005. In the hands of only 5 registered keepers it has driven just 70,171 miles. The last service was completed in May 2025 and only 500 miles before that it received a major Inspection II service with a few other bits including a new front brake discs and pads – the invoice for this work totalling more than £3,400. The accompanying paperwork is complete with the original document wallet and all handbooks, the stamped service booklet (entries below), invoices and MOT certificates, a spare remote key, valet key, a clean HPI report, and the current V5C showing 4 former keepers.

28/12/2005 at 1,121 miles – Wood BMW

05/04/2007 at 12,699 miles – Cooper BMW

29/08/2008 at 24,493 miles – Cooper BMW

20/01/2010 at 37,309 miles – Cooper BMW

19/05/2011 at 45,900 miles – Berry BMW

10/04/2014 at 51,528 miles – Autobahn (specialist)

19/11/2016 at 58,268 miles – Gloucester BMW

07/10/2022 at 69,619 miles – BMR Performance Ltd. (specialist)

22/05/2025 at 70,121 miles – BMR Performance Ltd. (specialist)