This 1990 BMW M3 Is So Clean That It Could Sell For More Than A New One

Few cars have the sort of historic presence of the E30 BMW M3. It was such an impactful car that today, the latest M3 is still a highly desired car. This 1990 example is up for auction and looks so clean that it might go for somewhere in the neighborhood of $140,000 or about twice the price of a 2022 model.

Offered for sale over on Bring A Trailer, this M3 actually has 73,000-miles on the odometer but you’d never know it by looking at it. The body is utterly stunning from every angle thanks in part to a refresh that included repainting and repair of the hood, front bumper, left mirror cap, and rear decklid just a few months ago.

The result is a stunning Diamond Black Metallic paint job that blends perfectly with the beige leather upholstery found in the cabin. Just like the exterior, the interior looks completely immaculate without even a hint of wear or weathering.

Read Also: For €65,000, You Can Own One Of The Rarest BMW E30s Ever, The Alpina B6 2.7

Inside, the buyer will find a power sunroof, heated front sport seats, air conditioning, cruise control, and of course an AM/FM/Cassette stereo. There’s even an onboard computer for the technophiles. Just don’t expect it to keep up with modern infotainment systems.

Of course, the car itself can’t keep up with modern M3s but that’s far from the point with a car like this. Under the hood is the 2.3-liter S14 inline-four-cylinder engine that helped put this model on the map. Factory rated at 192-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, it’s more of a punchy It’s mated to a five-speed manual transmission which sends power to the rear wheels through a factory-fitted limited-slip differential.

As of this writing, the car has been bid up to $50,000 and still has four days to go before the auction ends. That’s just $20,000 short of the cost of a brand new M3. Some of the cleanest classic E30 M3s have gone for more than $140,000 in the last year and while this one might not match that, it could very well come close.

Of course, for the person who owns this car, a lot of hardcore car enthusiasts will want to come close whenever it’s at a local cars and coffee or car show. We’re not sure that a new M3 would garner the same attention.