bmw m3 e46

Exactly a year ago, we wrote a few comparison articles that draw a lot of attention and different opinions. It is safe to say that these articles were some of the most popular posts on BMWBlog and thousands of people cast their vote in.

At that time, we initially started to compare the not-yet-launched E92 BMW M3 with the existing and popular E46 BMW M3. The comments our readers left were split between “I love my current M3 and the E46 M3 will always be the best” and “The E92 M simply does NOT look “M” enough…”. In the end, the E46 M3 has won in our poll by quite a large number.

Just a few days later, we decided to go even further and compare the, again not-yet-released, BMW 135i and the new BMW 335i twin-turbo. As some of you might remember, the 135i was beginning to become a star, even before its release and many bimmer fans became 1-Series coupe addicts. Again, many different opinions, ranging from “I agree with several other responders that marketing the 135i here is a poor decision on the part of BMW. It too closely resembles the 335i and it should not be powered by the same twin-turbo.” to “ou get a luxury car and a sports car with the 335 which kind of makes it unique for the price, where with the 135 I think you’re getting more of just a sports car which you can get with plenty of other cars…”.

Fifty nine comments later and 5,051 votes in, the 135i won by a small margin, around 6%.

A year later and with the BMW 135i already launched in the U.S, I still see a lot of debates on which car to choose: the 135i coupe, 335i coupe or go for the classy E46 M3. They all somehow fit in the same price range for most of the buyers and they share similar performance.

Let’s break it down a bit more.

BMW 135i

Horsepower: 306.00 BHP (225.2 KW) @ 5800.00 RPM

Torque: 400.00 NM (294.9 Ft-Lbs) @ 1300.00 RPM

Speed: 250 km/h | 155.4 mph (limited)

Length: 4360.001 mm | 171.7 in.

Width: 1934.001 mm | 76.1 in.

Weight: 3440 lb

0-60: 4.7-4.8 sec

Base price: $35,675

BMW 335i Coupe

Horsepower: 300 bhp @ 5800 RPM

Torque: 300 NM @ 1400 RPM

Speed: 250 km/h | 155.4 mph

Length: 4579.62 mm | 180.3 in

Width: 1783.08 mm | 70.2 in

Weight: 3,571 lb

0-60: 5.1 sec

Base price: $37,535

BMW M3 E46

Horsepower: 333 bhp @ 7900 RPM

Torque: 365 NM ((262 ft-lbf) @ 4900 RPM

Speed: 250 km/h | 155.4 mph

Length: 4491 mm | 176.8 in

Width: 1781.00 mm | 70.1 in

Weight: 3,461 lb

0-60: 5.0 sec

Price: Anywhere between $30,000 – $40,000 based on year and mileage

 Bmw m3 e46

bmw m3 e46

The BMW M3 E46 has been my favorite bimmer in the past six or seven years. While I do love the E30 M3 we posted a few days ago, the previous generation M3 was one of those models that made me fall in love with BMW even more. 

I remember owning an E46 325i and always hoped that one day, I’ll move up to the more powerful and beautiful M3. Well, it didn’t turn out that way, due to the new twin-turbo engine, I jumped into a BMW 335i. Do I regret the decision? Probably not, but I still turn my head each time I see an E46 M3 passing by.

The M3′s S54 naturally aspirated engine produces 333 hp and a torque of 262 lb·ft.  It runs from 0-60 mph in 4.5/4.8 seconds in 6-speed Manual and 5.0/4.8 Seconds in an auto/manual SMG transmission. It has a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h) -electronically limited.

Bottom line, a beautiful, fast but still classy BMW, one of those cars that will be always remembered. So, when I received an email from Ian, asking us if we would like to post a continuation of the E30 M3 photoshoot, I had no choice other than sharing those gorgeous photos with you. Ian’s Imola Red M3 is one of those beauties that need to be showcased. I would like to thank Phil Small for the great photoshoot!

The red on red and the wheels make for a perfect bimmer! But, I can’t decide now which one I like more…E30 M3 or the E46?

Bmw m3 e46

Bmw m3 e46