We all know German precision is synonymous with living the good life, but that doesn’t always have to come with a steep price tag. For example, this nearly immaculate BMW M3 coupe is the pinnacle of what’s possible when performance is all that matters - now yours for around the price of a base model Ford Mustang.
This 2008 BMW M3 Coupe does have a few silicone implants covering its analog heritage, but it’s still a far cry from the relative PlayStation that is the current generation. This car has a naturally aspirated 4.0 liter V8 engine which was derived from the E60 M5’s V10 engine, fed through six forward gear that you can manually change whenever you feel like it. The engine also pumps out 414 horsepower at an RPM that would likely seize the pistons in anything made ten years prior. Although the car commanded the better part of a six figure price tag initially, this one has an asking price of less than half of its original MSRP, within spitting distance of a base model Ford Mustang.
Although the car may have a bit more miles on it than what would be considered normal (110,000), as long as the recalls and technical service bulletins on the car were performed, I wouldn’t worry about the longevity of this engine and with its clean carfax and service history, I wouldn’t hesitate to at least check it out. It has nearly all of the optional packages that are available for the model which really do help if you’re the type of person to sell this car after you’re done with it, but you shouldn’t, as it’s possibly the last relatively analog M3 ever made.
As an alternative to a brand new pony car, this M3 beats it almost every single measurable aspect. If the miles don’t bother you (and they shouldn’t), this is a smart buy for the smart car enthusiast. Get it before someone from the Jersey Shore does. That’s still a thing, right?
Tavarish is the founder of APiDA Online and writes and makes videos 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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