Subscribe
The beginning

Dream car
bucket list.

Every build is a step toward the next one. These are the cars this channel is working toward — why they matter, what they cost, and what it takes to actually get one on the drive.

E46 M3 · The one Long-term goal
Affiliate disclosure: E's Garage may earn a small commission when you buy through the SHOP links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Every product listed is something used on the cars or in the garage. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & disclosure details
First on the list · The forever car

BMW E46 M3.

Somewhat attainable, completely worth it. Not the finish line — the start of everything that comes after it.

BMW E46 M3 in the E's Garage workshop

Why this car.

The last naturally aspirated straight six M3. A 3.2-litre S54 that revs to 8,000rpm, a manual gearbox, hydraulic steering, and a chassis that talks to you. No turbos, no synthesised noise, no screens doing the driving for you.

It's the car that was on my wall long before I ever picked up a torque wrench. Project Sunseeker is how I learn to look after one properly — because buying an E46 M3 without knowing how to maintain it is an expensive way to find out.

The honest bit: good ones are appreciating fast and cheap ones are traps. The plan is to get the skills first, the money second, and the car when both line up.

The spec.

Engine
S54B32
Layout
3.2 NA Straight Six
Power
343 bhp
Redline
8,000 rpm
Gearbox
6-spd Manual
Years
2000–2006

The shortlist.

  • Manual, not SMG — unless the SMG pump and clutch have records
  • Coupe over convertible, for the shell stiffness
  • Full service history, and a folder thicker than the car is worth
  • Rod bearings already done, or priced in from day one
The rest of the list

Also on the wall.

Everything on the wall, roughly cheapest to dearest — from the car in the garage right now to the one that's pure daydream.

The criteria.

  • 2000–2014 era — modern enough to live with, old enough to fix
  • Mechanically straightforward, with parts and documentation you can actually find
  • Fun to drive — it has to be worth the work
  • No mad electronics to fight
  • Four seats, because there's a family to carry — one exception, and it wears a Lamborghini badge
  • Coupe first — if the car comes as a two-door, that's the one. Where there's no coupe, a wagon. Never a saloon.
  1. 01 In progress Mini Cooper S R57 Convertible · 2009 Project Sunseeker — bought with two broken engines and zero experience. The apprenticeship that makes everything below it possible. Convertible · 4 seats £3k+
  2. 02 Project Nomad · the next wagon BMW 330d Touring F30 · 2012–2014 The new family adventure wagon. Manual if one can be found, and the 3.0-litre straight six diesel for the mileage and the towing — no coupe in this generation, so the Touring it is. Touring · wagon £7k+
  3. 03 Ford Mustang GT S197 · 2005–2014 Simple, loud and honest. A pushrod V8 you can actually work on with hand tools. Coupe · 4 seats £12k+
  4. 04 Project Sunseeker · the next convertible BMW 420i F32 Coupe / F33 Convertible · 2014 The next Sunseeker, and a build for my wife — top trim, and most likely the F33 convertible. The roof is the whole point, and the N20 four-pot keeps it cheap to run. Coupe or convertible · 4 seats £13k+
  5. 05 Porsche Panamera 970 · 2009–2016 Four proper seats, a hatchback boot and genuine pace. The Sport Turismo wagon came later. Fastback · 4 seats £15k+
  6. 06 The goal · first target BMW M3 E46 Coupe · 2000–2006 The forever car, and the first one that's actually within reach. The last naturally aspirated straight six M3 — manual, hydraulic steering, and everything this channel is working toward. Coupe · 4 seats £18k+
  7. 07 BMW M3 E92 Coupe · 2007–2013 The naturally aspirated S65 V8, and it has to be the E92 coupe — never the saloon. Rod bearings and throttle actuators are the homework. Coupe · 4 seats £18k+
  8. 08 Bentley Continental GT 2003–2011 The most car per pound on this list, and the biggest gamble. W12 servicing is the whole story. Coupe · 4 seats £20k+
  9. 09 BMW M6 E63 · 2005–2010 The S85 V10 — 500bhp and an 8,250rpm redline in a four-seat GT. SMG III and rod bearings are the price of admission. Coupe · 4 seats £22k+
  10. 10 BMW M4 F82 · 2014 Twin-turbo straight six and the first of the modern era. Right at the top end of the window. Coupe · 4 seats £25k+
  11. 11 The real dream · out of reach for now Nissan GT-R R35 · 2007–2014 Honestly? More excited about this than the M3. Brutal, usable, and the rear seats mean it counts. Nowhere near attainable yet — but that's exactly what this list is for. Coupe · 4 seats £35k+
  12. 12 Lamborghini Gallardo 2003–2013 The one car allowed to break the four-seat rule. Lamborghini never built a four-seater in this era — the Espada and LM002 are decades out, and the Urus is off the table — so two seats it is. Coupe · the exception £70k+

Prices are indicative UK used-market guides used to order this list — not valuations, and not what any particular car will cost on the day.

How we get there

Start with Sunseeker

The Mini is the apprenticeship. Every torque figure, every mistake and every tool learned on it is what makes the dream car affordable to own.

View the build →

Follow the journey to the M3.

Every episode is a step closer. Subscribe so you're there when it lands.

Subscribe