A beautiful blue E46 BMW M3, seen at FB City in Beijing, standing next to an equally pretty Nissan Maxima. The speedy Bimmer was in a perfect shape, and easily the best example of its species I had ever seen in the capital.
The E46 BMW M3 was made from 2000 until 2006, in coupe and convertible form. Only 86.000 examples were ever built.
Power came from a naturally aspirated 3.2 liter straight six, producing 343 hp and 365 Nm. The engine was mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed SMG. Top speed was limited to 250 kilometers per hour, and 0-100 was gone in 5.1 seconds.
The E46 BMW M3 was not officially sold in China, so seeing one is a rare pleasure. The first M3 to be marketed in China was the successor of the E46; the E92 coupe, with sales starting in 2009.
The car had seat and steering wheel covers, like it was in for maintenance, and there is indeed a large BMW dealer just across the street, so I guess this was one of theirs.
It was fitted with the SMG II, the second generation of BMW’s Sequential Manual Gearbox. Not the M M in SMG.
The system uses an automated clutch, controlled by computers and hydraulics. To change gears, the driver selects the desired gear, and the system automatically operates the clutch and throttle to match revs and engage the clutch again. Explanation via wiki 😉.
The coupe was marketed as a four-seater, and while the seats are wide enough, the passengers better don’t have any legs.
Subtle spoiler on the boot lid. Fender flares of exactly the right side. The E46 is a beauty that never bores. On the left a red E92 and a silver blue E60 BMW M5. More on these monsters in a later article.
See that black thing in front of the E92? That’s a Mercedes-Benz 190 AMG, from before the time AMG was part of Daimler Benz. More on that car soon as well. Beijing’s car scene keeps me busy…
One of the best blue M3 Bimmers you will ever see, without a doubt.
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