76 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 AUGUST 2019
ore high-speed express
than B-road hooligan:
that was our verdict on
the E92 M3 coupé of
2007-13 (there’s also an E90 saloon
and E93 convertible). Its 414bhp
4.0-litre V8 could still make your
spine tingle, said our testers, but
there were concerns regarding both
fuel consumption and the limitations
of its rear-drive layout.
That said, we praised its layers of
sophistication and ability to bring
a little happiness to the daily grind,
the latter being a quality that a good
u s e d one i s s t i l l c apa ble of t o t h i s d ay.
A nd b y ‘go o d’ w e me a n one w it h a
full service history which, to be clear,
must conform to the official schedule
using the correctly specified oils,
plugs, filters and f luids.
Tales of failing big-end bearings,
possibly caused by tired oil or even
low oil levels (there’s no dipstick, so
you’re reliant on the car’s less reliable
display to tell you how much there is)
are too numerous to chance your luck
with anything less. It should include
the 1000-mile running-in service,although some specialists say the
value of this is over-stated and was
only a warranty requirement.
Today prices start at around
£12,000 for a car which, in coupé
for m , c o s t f r om £ 51, 0 0 0. It a r r i v e d
in 2007 with a six-speed manual
gearbox, Variable M-differential
lock, dynamic stability control and
the choice of three engine settings.
Electronically adjustable damping
(EDC) was an option.
A seven-speed dual-clutch
automatic transmission (DCT) was
optional. It was the first time BMW
had used the new gearbox but it has
proved to be reliable. Its Drivelogic
feature allows the driver to fine-
tune gear shifts. Purists dislike it
but it was much more popular, more
efficient and is, frankly, a lot more
f u n. Ju s t c he c k , i f it ’s a n e a rl y M 3 ,that the 2008 recall concerning its
control unit was followed through.
The coupé’s carbonfibre-
reinforced plastic roof makes this
version even lighter than the porky
convertible that arrived, along with
the saloon, in 2008. That said, the
soft-top is a properly stiff motor with
l it t le s c ut t le sh a k e , a lb e it not a s sh a r p
a handler as its sister cars.
There are far fewer saloons (which
also has a carbonfibre roof ) for sale
today but it’s an appealing thing:
more practical than the other two
versions and more in keeping. We
found a 2008/58-reg, with 64,000
miles but only a ‘good’ BMW service
history, for £14,950.
In 2009 the M3 Coupé Edition
arrived sporting a 10mm-lower ride
height, a tweaked cabin and new
colours. It was followed, in 2010,
by the Competition package,withrevised EDC and DSC settings, and
later the same year by the GTS coupé
powered by a 4.4 V8 with 444bhp.
It sold out immediately and today
they’re serious bucks. The Limited
Edition, and the M Performance
Edition with lowered suspension,
launched in 2012 and saw out the M3
with a bang, the aftershocks of which
are still being enjoyed to this day.
The E90, E92 and E93 M3 saloon, coupé and convertible took BMW’s performance
icon to new levels of technical sophistication. John Evans investigates
IT WAS ALRIGHT IN THE ’9 0 s
HOW TO BUY A
BMW
M3 (E92)
M
Facelift