2005 BMW M3 Convertible (E46) Manual

Highlights

• Convertible soft top and hardtop 

• Only one former keeper

• Six-speed manual gearbox 

• Straight-six engine produces 338 bhp

• Clean and tidy throughout 

Overview

This shape-shifting E46 BMW M3 can be anything you want it to be. Which is great if you’re indecisive, or a bit of a worrier. Or maybe you just happen to live in a country with an Atlantic maritime climate which means you can experience all four seasons in one day. So when you want to be tucked up beneath a solid roof, this M3 has got you covered. And then when the sun threatens to shine for a few minutes, you can put the hardtop away and head out with the soft top down and the wind in your hair. 

All the while, you can enjoy one of the great modern classic motoring experiences: the drive of an E46 M3, enlivened here by the need to change gear yourself. The option to remove the roof also gets you closer to the delicious exhaust note of that award-winning straight six.

The accompanying paperwork states that this car only had one previous owner, who kept the car until April 2025. This was reportedly the current owner’s mother, so it has been owned by just one family since new. It comes with an impressive stack of paperwork, including original owner’s manuals and a good number of hand-written invoices from the same independent BMW specialist who appears to have regularly maintained the car for many years. 

To look at , too, It has clearly enjoyed careful owners, remaining in very good condition throughout. The smart grey paint retains a deep shine, and the matching leather interior upholstery is well preserved. It all appears to be original and unmodified, with no faults reported. And particularly impressive are the magnificent alloy wheels, which have been professionally refurbished and diamond-cut, meaning they shimmer in the light. 

If you’re looking for a fast and powerful way to dry your hair, with the option to keep it that way when the heavens open, then this M3 has a lot to offer. 

History and documentation

• Registered 9 Apr 2005

• Stamped service book with services as follows:  April 2009 @ 33,194 miles, Sep 2010 @ 44,694 miles, Jul 2013 @ 62,671 miles, Jul 2020 @ 97,985 miles, Mar 2025 @ 98,730 miles

• Full original book pack

• Collection of invoices and old MOT certificates

• Extensive hand-written invoices for servicing completed 

• Three sets of keys

• Additional emergency key

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 24 Sep 2025

• V5 present in owner’s name

• Only one registered former keeper — who the seller tells us was their own mother

• Current keeper since Apr 2025

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Timeless grey leather interior with black trim

• The leather upholstery remains very well preserved throughout 

• Deeply bolstered seats provide excellent lateral support 

• Very few scuffs signs of wear

• Heated seats  

• Electronic seat adjusters with memory functions 

• Matching grey carpets in good clean condition

• Deep-pile footwell mats 

• The leather upholstery continues onto the door cards and centre console 

• Leather-trimmed, multi-function steering wheel with cruise control and audio buttons 

• Climate control

• Simple, uncluttered dashboard

• Analogue instruments

• Original BMW Business stereo/CD player

• Rear seats for two passengers 

• A little fading to the rear seat base 

• Headlining clean and tidy

• Fully carpeted boot to the rear, with no obvious signs of use

• Original, mostly-complete, toolkit stowed in the bootlid

• The seller tells us that all the interior features function as they should do, including all the electric windows and the central locking system

Exterior

• Your choice of open-air motoring, soft top, or hard top

• Smart grey paintwork

• The paint retains a good shine, with a few small stonechips 

• There are a couple of small bubbles in the paint on the offside front wheelarch

• Body panels well presented, with no obvious damage that we could see 

• 19-inch alloy wheels

• The wheels have been refurbished and diamond-cut, so are looking magnificent

• Uniroyal rain tyres

• The wheels appear to remain free from scuffs and scrapes 

• Chrome badges front and rear 

• Headlights clear and bright 

• Both soft top and hard top feature heated rear windscreens 

• The soft top fabric is smart, with hardly any fading or creases

• Rear parking sensors 

• The underside of the car looks clean

• Quad exhaust tips

Mechanical

• 3,246 cc, six-cylinder engine

• Produces 338 bhp, and 269 lb ft

• Top speed 155 mph, 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds

• Six-speed manual gearbox

• Rear-wheel drive

• Engine bay clean

• Serviced in Mar 2025, including an engine oil and filter change 

• There are extensive hand-written invoices for servicing completed by an independent BMW specialist workshop

• The seller tells us that the car sounds excellent and doesn’t miss a beat 

• No warning lights or mechanical issues reported 

Summary

With its one-family ownership, extensive service invoices, and all-round smart appearance, this M3 has been well cared for over the past two decades. So it’s now in a very good position to enjoy the next two decades of adventures. 

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in London.