Is the 2006 BMW M3 E46 the Best M3 of All Time?

Imola Red, straight-6, manual transmission

On this episode of Dude, I Love My Ride! Former TFL employee, Dan Buxbaum, brought over his 2006 BMW M3, an E46 convertible. This one is dressed in Dan’s favorite color, Imola Red, and comes with a 6-speed manual transmission.

The Story

Dan got this car from his father in-law, who unfortunately had to sell it after a construction accident. When Dan got the M3, it had some mods that were not quite to his taste. Namely, some gold painted replica 19-inch wheels, wrapped in cheap rubber. Plus, a spoiler bolted into the decklid.

Dan went about returning many components to their stock form. Some factory wheels, all season tires, and a proper lip spoiler (and new decklid sans holes) brought the car back to a near-factory look. Though, the black plasti-dip remained on the kidney grille and side vents.

Straight-6 Heaven

Under the hood is a gem from BMW’s past, a 3.2L naturally aspirated straight-6. In this M3, it makes 333 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The E46 is rear-drive and came with two transmission options. There was the 6-speed manual like Dan has, plus the option of a SMG, single-clutch automated manual transmission.

The coupe is certainly preferable for track use, due to the inherent sloppiness of a convertible. However, Dan uses his E46 as a daily driver. For him, the ability to lose the roof, and the fact that he rarely tracks his cars, make the convertible a suitable choice for him.

Time to Part Ways

Dan is actually trying to sell this car at the moment, on Bring A Trailer. If you are interested in this M3, you can check out the ad here.

Dan also gave us the good, the bad, and the weird about the 2006 BMW M3. To find out more about this car’s quirks and features, be sure to watch the whole video.

Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for the latest news, views & real-world reviews and, of course, more episodes of Dude, I Love My Ride.

If you want to bring a car on Dude, I Love My Ride, send us an email at info@tflcar.com