The Scion FR-S was built to excite the kinds of people that make a holy pilgrimage to SEMA every year and never leave the house without their Hot Import Nights wristband - the same people that would soil themselves when realizing that this supercharged BMW M3 could've been purchased for less money.
This 2001 BMW M3 started out life with a naturally aspirated 3.2 liter engine producing a mind-numbing 333 horsepower, mated to a 6-speed manual Getrag transmission. It was good for a 0-60 sprint in a little under 5 seconds, which was astonishing in its time, and still relatively quick today, although the car could potentially take more. A lot more. That's why this M3 was fitted with a centrifugal supercharger and methanol injection system. The power level isn't disclosed, but I'd put my money on more than 400 horsepower at the rear wheels. In a car like this, it's metric ton of go.
On top of this car being in great condition, it has seriously low miles. Couple that with a clean title and some very choice and expensive modifications, you have a car that's drives a nearly unbeatable performance bargain. Here's a snippet from the description:
With less than 42,000 miles, this M3 has been beautifully maintained. Finished in its factory Carbon Metallic color, the body has been tastefully upgraded with a lightweight carbon fiber hood with four louvered vents, adding an even more aggressive look to the car. Although there is a stress crack in the paint of this hood, the original BMW hood comes along with the car and can easily be returned to original if desired. Under that racing-inspired hood lies the factory 3.2L inline six mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. Performance has been upgraded with an Active Autowerke Supercharger and Methanol Injection System. Exhaust gases are handled through a deep-toned Supersprint dual exhaust system.
I love the E46 M3. I had one for a short while, and it climbed the list of my favorite bargain sports cars in short order. That's why this car is such a searing hot bargain, although the reserve hasn't been met as of this writing. It's worth swooning over and it's worth having in your garage, just to scare your pants off on the weekends.
For more great performance values, check these out:
Tavarish is the founder of APiDA Online and writes about buying and selling cool cars on the internet. He owns the world's cheapest Mercedes S-Class, a graffiti-bombed Lexus, and he's the only Jalopnik author that has never driven a Miata. He also has a real name that he didn't feel was journalist-y enough so he used a pen name and this was the best he could do.
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