• Only 46,429 miles from new • Just three owners • Desirable M-sport pack • Grey leather with heated front seat • Electric roof
The Appeal
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A departure from the rather boxy looking E36, the fourth generation of BMW 3-series, the E46, hit the roads in 1997 with a choice of four different body styles – estate, saloon, coupe and convertible. The design was overseen by Chris Bangle, with the convertible being penned by Erik Goplen. It was an instant hit and the styling has aged beautifully. It’s also a cracking car to drive thanks to BMW’s fastidious efforts to give it a 50/50 weight balance and near-perfectly weighted steering.
Prices of clean examples of the E46 are on the rise and this low mileage example looks the business thanks to being finished in glossy metallic black and coming with the much sought after M-Sport pack. This pack transforms the look of the car and includes sports seats (with a supportive moveable thigh bolster), lower profile tyres on 135-style alloys, the stylish M-sport bodykit and sports suspension.X72FGTopov7QrtoByUWCO87q34P6Uy6c57jEfbJy.jpeg2.36 MB
The History and Paperwork
• Only three owners from new • Current owner a BMW enthusiast
The current owner is a BMW enthusiast who owns three other examples of the marque and has them all regularly serviced by independent BMW specialist Noel Butler at Autokraft in Solihull. It’s thought that this BMW has always been serviced by Autokraft (with a stamp at 31,012 miles on 1207.12) having been supplied from new by Rydale Sutton BMW and first registered on 7 March 2005.
Sadly health issues have forced the current owner to sell the car as he’s now unable to drive a manual. He’s owned it for a year having bought it from Autokraft and has only covered around 500 miles in it during this time. It’s kept garaged when not in use.
The vehicle’s private numberplate is not included in the sale and it will revert to its original 2005 numberplate when it’s removed.
• Grey leather interior • Electric and heated front seats • Drivers front memory seat • Electric roof • Useful wind deflector included
The interior of an E46 convertible is a very comfortable place to be and the M-sport package means that it gets the upgraded front sports seats that feature deeper side bolsters and an adjustable thigh bolster section that makes them supremely comfortable.
Both front seats are electrically adjustable, with the driver’s seat having a memory function that saves the seat position for up to three different drivers. The drivers seat bolster shows a small bit of wear and has a small one inch abrasion in it – it would be worth having repaired as the rest of the grey leather trim is in excellent condition.
The black leather steering wheel is the more desirable M-Sport version and features buttons for the cruise control and audio system, while this model is fitted with the BMW Business CD head unit and digital climate control. The original fold-down toolkit is still in place in the boot.
A useful optional extra is the mesh wind deflector which clips in place over the rear seats and stops the wind ruffling your hair when the roof is down. It’s an expensive option from BMW.
The grey leather offsets the dark dashboard and black carbon-effect trim a treat and is a very pleasant place to be – the comfort of these seats really does take some beating.ycknrlPdtkPXPp2EOz7LyT7YK6nYMLm1OOzHfmPU.jpeg1.19 MB
The Exterior
• Full M-sport spec • Sapphire Black metallic paintwork • Only 46,429 miles
Standard-spec E46 convertibles look a little plain and sit at a rather ungainly height on the road. This example really looks the part as it’s the sharper looking facelift model (with upswept front indicators and LED tail-lights) and has the all-important M-Sport pack fitted.
This not only includes the subtle M-Sport bodykit which includes deeper side skirts and revised bumpers, but sportier and lower suspension and stylish 18-inch style-135 wheels. The exterior is all original except for one thing coloured plastic M-sport trim has been attached to the grille, but these items just clip in place and can easily be removed if they’re not to the new owner’s taste.
The Sapphire Black metallic paintwork really suits the car and is in good order. The only blemishes are a small pressure dint on the drivers door (a dent-master firm should be able to sort this without paintwork) and a couple of areas of lacquer damage on the bonnet together with a few stone chips.
This E46 presents very well and the combination of the light grey leather and the black metallic paintwork looks fantastic when the roof is down. It looks equally good when the roof is up and the windows are down thanks to the pillarless design. The roof is in good condition but would benefit from a good clean. It operated smoothly up and down at the touch of a button.
Fitted with the 147bhp 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, this E46 has a top speed of 129mph and can hit 60mph from rest in 10 seconds. More importantly, in these times of high fuel prices, it’s economical and can average 36mpg.
The front and rear brake discs look recent, while the tyres all appeared to have plenty of tread. Firestone Firehawk SZ90 in 255/35-R18 size are fitted to the rear (dated week 22, 2018), while Bridgestone Potenza 225/40-R18 tyres (dated week 7, 2016) are fitted to the front. All wheels have some minor kerbing marks on them, but they’re pretty good for their age.
The owner reports that the car drives perfectly and doesn’t know of any issues with it. It started faultlessly for the photoshoot and idled smoothly with no warning lights showing on the dash.AexQIVrInRZnv6sVkBhvH5neUuIvr3TyUlympKbk.jpeg1.61 MB
Summary
Low mileage E46 convertibles are rising in value and it is one of the best looking 3-series generations around. Despite being 17-years old, this E46 looks to be a great condition with only a few minor blemishes to sort to make it near perfect. Throw in the low mileage and low number of owners and it looks like a safe bet for appreciation.
The best thing is that is has the vital M-Sport package which makes these convertibles look ten times better than the lowly SE-spec models. With an electric roof, heated memory seats and the great combination of metallic black paintwork and grey leather, it really is a handsome vehicle. It’s all ready for you to enjoy some topless motoring this summer.
Notice to bidders
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