Description
Reluctantly for sale is my very rare and incredibly sought after late BMW E36 328i M Sport touring. The vehicle is HPI clear and has only travelled 122000 miles in 18 years. It’s also late registered and bares an ‘S’ designation.
Those in the know will appreciate just how rare and hard to find the Sport packed touring models were. Even rarer is to find one with a manual gearbox as fitted to my example; sadly, any remaining manual tourings will have died their deaths as drift cars. For that reason alone I refuse to sell my vehicle to anyone intending to use it for such purposes as I believe it should be preserved as a classic car.
Let’s begin by listing the build specification on this example;
- Silver grey leather sport seats
- Electric front and rear windows
- Rear headrests and armrest
- Electric metal sunroof
- 18 button On Board Computer
- Headlamp wash wipe (fully functional and rebuilt)
- Factory M Sport package comprising of M Sport bumpers front and rear, M Sport mouldings, M Sport side skirts, M Sport clear light package, M Sport shock absorbers with M Sport springs, M Sport anti roll bars, anthracite black headlining, 16” M Sport alloys wheels with wider 225/ 50/ 16 tyres, M Sport steering wheel
- Manual 5 speed gearbox
- Central locking
- Centre armrest
- Auto climate control
- Roof rails
- Rear park distance control
I purchased the car from a gentleman who’d only owned it for a few months and had to sell due to it not being used enough to warrant keeping. Prior to him, the last two owners of the car (from 2007 to 2016) were both BMW Master technicians from a large franchise in Hampshire. There were only two other keepers with the very first being BMW Barons themselves.
Being as fastidious as I am, upon purchasing the vehicle I set about ensuring it was in peak mechanical condition by completing a rather comprehensive overhaul at my local BMW independent specialist. I’ll list the work below for your perusal;
- Inspection II service comprising of;
o Mobil 1 0W40 New Life fully synthetic engine oil
o Bosch oil filter
o Bosch air filter
o Bosch fuel filter
o NGK BKR6EQUP spark plugs
o Pagid DOT 4 brake fluid
o Replacement airbox to replace damaged original
o Castrol Syntrax MTL2 BMW approved manual transmission fluid
o Mobil 1 SHC Monolube 75W90 fully synthetic differential oil
o BMW D2 ATF steering fluid plus BMW reservoir cap seal
- Elring Germany camcover gasket kit
- Genuine BMW oil filter housing matrix gasket
- Meyle Germany auxiliary belt
- INA Germany auxiliary belt tensioner
- Febi-Bilstein Germany AC belt
- INA Germany AC belt idler bearing
- Hella Behr Germany radiator
- Genuine BMW radiator cap
- Triple QX pre-mixed blue coolant
- Brembo HC front brake discs
- Brembo front brake pads
- ATE front pad sensor
- Hankook V12 EVO rear tyres
- Magneti Marelli OEM rear hatch struts
- Genuine BMW M Sport radiator under-tray
- Genuine BMW M Sport front lower bumper ‘paddle’ trims and fittings
- Genuine BMW rear number plate illumination lamps
- Genuine BMW licence plates and all fittings
Additional remedial work completed within the last few years has also included a new genuine BMW water pump, thermostat housing and thermostat together with rear springs (BMW invoices to support).
With the afore mentioned remedial work the car drives as good as it looks boasting breathtaking performance combined with exceptional braking. Using V Power explicitly sees the car returns 32mpg on my daily commute which is simply phenomenal for a car of this age.
You will be surprised at just how quick these 328i’s are! They are equipped with the most fruitful of classic BMW straight sixes boasting exceptional low end torque (courtesy of the single VANOS timing advance) and lots of creamy mid range. They simply don’t make them like they used to.
The engine consumes no oil or coolant.
The car is supplied with a comprehensive full service history and an entire A4 lever arch file of invoices. I’ll summarise the history and documentation below;
- FSH from BMW main dealers until 2007 after which it was taken over by the first BMW Master technician (2007 to 2015)
o Every single receipt and BMW inspection report from new to 2007 (last BMW main dealer service)
o Original purchase invoice to first private owner as a demo vehicle for £30900!
o Every single MOT certificate from 2002 to 2008, then from 2015 to current (missing certificates are all covered by print out from VOSA website)
- Stamps in service book post BMW servicing indicate servicing completed by Master technicians and finally BMW independents
- Additional invoices from period between 2015 to current (second BMW Master technician 2015 to 2016)
- Meticulous documentation during my ownership
- Both sets of keys with working light fobs and plastic master key
- All BMW owners books in large black leather wallet
You’ll struggle to find a car of this vintage with such extensive documentation and I genuinely feel it adds a degree of provenance to the vehicle. As these classic models continue to rise in value, the vehicles supporting the most servicing records will be the most sought after.
The bodywork on the car can only be described as immaculate for the age and mileage. There is no visible rust on or under the car. The rear wheels arches are immaculate (some surface peppering on the very lower flanks ahead of the rear wheels easily repaired with DIY) and completely solid/ bubble free right the way around the circumference.
The jacking pads are all still intact in the floor and the sills are completely solid throughout. You can jack the car on all four pads confidently. The floor pan is also completely rust free and almost devoid of 17 years of dirt! A jet wash would leave it completely silver again (car appears to have been garaged for the first 10 years explaining the cleanliness of the floor and body).
There are no car parking dents on the car or any real scuffs/ scrapes on any panel or bumper trim. It really is that good!
There is however a small bubbling around the BMW badge on the tailgate (typical for this model). This can be easily and cheaply remedied however, for the right price I am willing to have this panel repainted to a very high standard.
The headlamps remain chip and crack free.
Moving onto the interior, I can only describe it as in excellent condition for a 17 year old car. Typically with this colour leather, the interior tends to become rather grubby and shows wear easily. My interior is almost perfect; expect some wear for the age but there is no real damage on any of the seats or door cards. The drivers lower bolster does have a small hole as most do but I’ll be having a new section of foam and leather fitted by my local BMW specialist trimmers.
The glove-box remains tight without any of the sagging associated with older BMW’s and all of the switchgear remains unmarked and functional. A genuine BMW battery is still fitted to the car together with a genuine BMW rear load liner. The carpets are also clean and unmarked complete with black genuine BMW mats topped with tailored rubber over mats. The full factory tool kit is still in its wrap together with the first aid kit.
The wheels on the car are the factory M Sport 16” and are in truly immaculate condition throughout without any bubbling, kerbing or damage. The spare wheel is also a 16” full size bearing an inspection sticker from the last BMW service.
The front tyres have around 6. 1mm even (Accelera Alphas) with the rear at around 6. 5mm even (Hankook V12 EVO’s).
With the price of good M3’s now well above the £10000 mark, its only a matter of time before collectors start hunting down the next model down in its rarest form. You really can’t lose with this car; all of the remedial work gives you peace of mind for some years to come and allows the vehicle to be loved and enjoyed without any of the pitfalls associated with older cars. The M Sport touring is also the rarest E36 model being produced in very small numbers at the tail end of production.
I have priced this car accordingly to its condition, specification, rarity and documentation. Please look for another vehicle if the price is not within your grasp and good luck finding one!
Available for viewing in London.
