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Bmw E92 M3

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The current M3, introduced in 2008, is arguably the best of the bunch. The ingredients are simple: a thundering 414-hp, 4.0-liter V-8 and a lighter motor combined to make the E92 M3 special. The 4.0-liter V8 engine produced 414hp at 8,300rpm to deliver 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, putting it on a par with many contemporary supercars. Plus, the new motor weighed less than the previous six-cylinder engine, was more economical at 22.8mpg.

The E92 M3 was debuted as a coupe and then found itself losing its roof in the form of a hard top convertible then having to use Jenny Craig to shed a few pounds when it manifested itself as a four-door sedan to accommodate for skinny suburban children. A folding-hardtop convertible and a four-door sedan are offered alongside the standard coupe, and as with the E36, it’s hard to go wrong when choosing a body style, but wait…its easy to wrong when choosing an E92 M3, don’t buy the convertible unless you enjoy leisurely driving highway one. In our opinion the E92 coupe is the best followed closely by the children hauling E90 sedan and then bringing up the caboose the E93 hard-top convertible. To make thins simple just buy the coupe!

Engine

Interior - Exterior

Introduction

The famous BMW tagline ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ has had a few dubious applications over the years, but when it comes to the M3, it’s bang on – if you want one of the biggest adrenalin rushes you can get while still on terra firma, then the M3 is for you. Bmw didn’t hold back and shoved a massive V8 into the M3 giving it more muscle car than German engineering. But don’t let the V8 fool you; this M3 will still make you lose your lunch around a track.

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Finally we get to the interesting part, manual or automatic, that’s an easy choice for almost any other sports car, manual, but Bmw’s M division monkeys stepped up their game and brought out the DCT transmission. Available as a $2700 option on all M3 coupes, sedans, and convertibles, M DCT is the first double-clutch transmission that can handle engine speeds up to— thank you, BMW —a screaming 9000 rpm. M DCT adds about 45 pounds, according to BMW. The double-clutch arrangement also enables quicker and smoother shifting than in single-clutch automated manuals, such as BMW’s own sequential manual gearbox (SMG) found in the previous M3 and the current M5 and M6. If you’ve ever driven an SMG car, you know what we’re talking about. M DCT is no doubt a technical marvel, but we don’t yet prefer it to a traditional manual. First off, the throttle response from a standstill is annoyingly lazy. Most times we found ourselves pushing the pedal about halfway down just to get a reasonable response. Save yourself the time and expense and just buy the manual.

Transmission

Maintenance ce Now lets not get off on the wrong foot, as you know any Bmw M3 will have a higher maintenance then the average 3 series but don’t let that deter you buying the ultimate driving machine. As with any sports car a pre-purchase inspection is a must, and make sure to look out for wear on the tires and brake pads. These simple areas will eat up most of your lunch money. The onboard computer logs your driving sessions and how the car is handled including cold start-ups. This helps determine when the appropriate time is to change oil and other fluids. Check the maintenance records and make sure the correct oil has been use, which is Castrol 10w60. Now other oils can be used but make sure to check with your local tuning shop.

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Market Value The E92 M3 debuted in 2008 and since has been holding its value…until now. Since the Bmw M4 has been released the E92 M3 prices will likely take a hit depending on how the public responds to the new Turbo Bmw M4. The big V8 still draws a certain crowd that is willing to shell out dead presidents but their prices have continued to decline over the past two years. 2008 models can be found for around $30k- $35k which is a steal compare to their MSRP. With another year or two under its belt the value of the E92 will continue to drop until it bottoms out, but we believe that wont happened for another several years.

Market Value

Here is an average price guide for an E92 M3: Unicorn: Low miles, meticulously maintained, pervious owner extremely detailed - $60,000 - $70,000 Enthusiast owned: Driven but the owner(s) were considerate and did all regular maintenance, relatively low miles - $40,000 - $50,000 Swinger: Higher miles, multiple owners, service history average but not everything documented, driven hard - $30,000 - $40,000 Dumpster Fire: High mileage, multiple owners, very little service record, maybe a hipster driving it, $25,000 - $30,000

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Problems Ah yes problems, the section everyone reads first before they even think about buying a sports car. From our experience, which mainly means reading and driving a few E92 M3s, the V8 is practically bulletproof. Some issues the E92 M3 did have involved the headlights and building up moisture within the headlight housing. This can be expensive since Bmw likes to jerk around and install $2k headlights. The other issue the E92 M3 runs into is the idle air value issue and DCT Lag. If the car has more than 37K miles pull the maintenance records to make sure the spark plugs have been changed. The onboard computer learns your shifting patterns and adjusts to match your driving style. Now this seems nice in theory but occasionally owners have complained about jerky downshifts and lag. The M3 might need to “re-learn” the gears, which means resetting the transmission, basically erasing the adapted settings the car learned from your driving style. Once you complete that the DCT should have smoother shifts and less lag.