The E30 generation of the original M3 was unveiled in 1986, while the E36 generation was unveiled in 1992.
The E30 was actually a racing vehicle that BMW manufactured as a homologation special so that its M Performance division could compete.
Its tremendous popularity among buyers of performance cars and on the racetrack convinced the firm that it had a lot of potential. So when the second version of the M3 came out, BMW transformed it into a much more sophisticated, swifter, more comfortable car. Purists said that there wasn’t much of a difference between the E36 M3 and the ordinary model.
The business decided to go all out and design the E46 M3 nearly from scratch using a variety of unique parts and components.
The auto industry was shocked when the E46 M3 was unveiled in late 2000. It had classic yet aggressive styling, a powerful (by today’s standards) engine, and true M styling. The engine was paired with a fun-to-use six-speed manual and cutting-edge SMG II automated manual gearboxes, which produced superb handling.
First-round results showed that the E46 3-Series platform was a perfect fit for this version of the car, which drove as well as it looked.
The engine is the beating heart of any M vehicle, and in the case of the E46 M3, that engine was the S54, a 3.2-liter, straight-six with 343 horsepower and a redline of 8,000 rpm. It also produced 269 lb-ft of torque and took little over 5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph thanks to an aluminium block and head and electronically controlled throttle bodies. Although the statistics are acceptable even today, in 2000, they were very similar to the base Porsche 911 numbers.
The E46 was available in two unique versions: coupe and convertible, however BMW decided against making a sedan version similar to the E36 M3. BMW produced exactly 85,766 vehicles over the course of the six-year run, making the E46 M3 the most popular M3 to date.
In This Article...
less low
I started looking for E46 production figures. In search of E46 counts categorized by color, model, and trim packages. I only came across a few discussions with scant information on M models. None on non-M E46 vehicles. I spent hours looking. Then I discovered this five Google pages below. I hope someone else has never heard of this!
BMW AG’s Automotive Intelligence reported:
BMW brand automobile sales climbed by 5.2% to 1,185,088 units from 1,126,768 units in 2005. The BMW 3 Series continued to be the BMW Group’s best-selling model series last year by a wide margin. Overall, this model series’ sales volume increased by 17.1% to 508,479 units (2005: 434,342 units). Therefore, 43% of all BMW brand vehicles sold in 2006 were of the 3 Series model.
The redesigned 3-series was introduced in the summer of 1998. The vehicles will be made in Rosslyn, South Africa, as well as Munich and Regensburg, Germany. The anticipated p.a. volume is 400,000, with 50% being the 4-door model. The new 3-series is offered as a 4-door sedan, 2-door hatchback, and wagon. A deal will then be made.
There are 18 supply modules in its design. Four of these are constructed internally, the rest are external. The car has 2,700 part numbers in total, of which 25% are internal. 490 providers, divided into the following categories, provide the remainder:
A total of 30% of the price is spent outside of Germany. The Wackersdorf supplier park will be a crucial source of supply.
Creating the product took 24 months. The project was Dr. Ziebarth’s, Director Small Cars’, responsibility. There were 90 engineering teams working simultaneously. The project crew, which still consists of 100–120 individuals, will remain constant throughout the life of the car. 30 critical challenges were identified and worked on in teams of three to four individuals during the development of the product and process.
about $600,000,000. is committed to the 3-series’ manufacture. The presshop was updated for $90 million in Regensburg, and a new bodyshop cost $320 million. The cost to reconfigure the assembly in Munich was $41 million. and the body shop received a $ 160 million renewal.
350 robots are used in Munich, while 475 are used in Regensburg to weld the car in 5,000 different areas. Automation in body shops is at roughly 95%.
It’s not a big discovery or anything, but it beats the all-too-familiar Wikipedia statement that “the record selling year for the E46 chassis was 2002, when 561,249 vehicles were sold globally.” I apologize profusely if this has already been posted by someone. Discuss, my fellow fans, if this is new!
3 Series BMW (E46)
The E46 3 Series was the successor to the E36 3 Series, whose manufacturing terminated in 2000, and is the fourth generation of the BMW 3 Series line of small executive automobiles. It was manufactured by the German automaker BMW from 1997 to 2006. The E46 was first made available in sedan, coupe, convertible, station wagon, and hatchback body styles in November 1997. The 3 Series Compact has been the name given to the latter.
The 2-door coupe version of the M3 performance variant debuted in June 2000, while the convertible version debuted in April 2001. The BMW S54 straight-six engine powers the M3, which has a 6-speed manual or 6-speed SMG-II automated manual transmission as an option.
After the E90 3 Series sedans were released in late 2004, the E46 lineup began to be phased out. The E46 coupe and convertible body types, however, were still manufactured up until August 2006.
The quantity of e46s produced
That will happen with aggressive lease programs. With almost no down payment, almost everyone can afford the $350-400 monthly payment. A new BMW will be purchased by many people if they can “afford” it because they desire the badge.
I find it more intriguing that sales spiked at 142k in 2007 but have subsequently dropped to around 100k. And current total output levels are lower than they were before E46 (though US sales are still decent).
Numbers of BMW E46 M3s produced
A total of 85,766 BMW E46 M3s were made, including 29,633 convertibles and 56,133 coupes.
It was produced from 2000 to 2006, when the contentious V8-powered E90 took its place. Over 14,000 more units were produced overall than the E36 M3 that came before it and more than five times as many as the E30 M3 from the 1980s.
The E46 was immensely popular from the start and is still so thanks to its timeless looks. A short search of our favorite used car sales websites reveals a variety of vehicles for sale, with beginning bids as low as $12,000 in the US and PS10,000 in the UK. Excellent, a reasonably priced M vehicle; time to get the wallet out.
But wait, we ought to be aware by now that, in the world of investing in cars, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. You’ll need to look a little closer and delve a little further if you’re considering one of them for financial purposes.
But how are the figures divided?
103,704 people purchased the E30 3 Series Touring, which was a respectable amount for the late 1980s.
With a total of 130,611 units sold, its replacement, the E36 3 Series Touring, enjoyed around a 30% greater degree of success.
The 3 Series Touring didn’t start to reveal its true worth until the E46 generation. A total of 428,061 E46 3 Series Touring cars were sold, a 227 percent increase in sales. Impressive? I have no doubts!
The sales increase from the E46 Touring to the E91 Touring wasn’t as large, but it was still impressive. This was to be expected. With 588,863 units sold, over 37% more customers chose the brand to purchase the E91 3 Series Touring. As a result, the E91 platform has produced the best-selling BMW Touring model.
We now have the full sales figures, which come to 501,147 after the F31 3 Series Touring went out of production earlier this year. In other words, over 25% of all sales of the 3 Series.
As was to be predicted, Europe was the largest market, with 33 percent of models sold going to German consumers, 13 percent to British customers, and 10 percent to Italian customers. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia were other prosperous nations that imported the 3er Touring.
One statistic that jumps out is from Italy, where Touring vehicles made up 75% of all F3x 3 Series models. Or, as we say in the US, sports wagons.
After the 3 Series GT was discontinued, the new 2019 BMW 3 Series Touring G21 is now going into production. We anticipate it to outsell its predecessor in terms of sales.
Unfortunately, the lovely touring won’t be available on the US market anytime soon, so we opted to test the previous generation once more in the meanwhile.
Production data for standard models of the BMW E46 M3
In comparison to the 63,426 E46 M3 cars produced for North America, 5,300 E30 M3 models were made for the continent.
What followed the BMW E46?
The BMW 3 Series’ fifth generation began with the BMW E90. By the end of the BMW E46 period in 2002, the 3 Series had already had a facelift with brand-new headlights and taillights.
The BMW E90 3 Series Sedan and E91 Sports Wagon eras began in 2006, respectively. Along with it, the BMW E92 3 Series Coupe and E93 3 Series Convertible were introduced.
The fifth generation of the 3 Series has undergone significant mechanical and aesthetic improvements. First, a dimension increase was brought on by the switch from the BMW E46 to the E90. The new 3 Series E90 was more balanced because to its wider tracks, bigger wheelbase (1.4 inches wider than E46), and roomier cabin.
BMW E46: Is it collectible?
Looking back at what this model offers, it’s simple to understand why the BMW E46 M3 is gradually growing in popularity as a collectable.
Some of the craziest cars ever produced were first created in Germany. Mercedes-Benz created the crazy 300 SL Gullwing in the 1950s; it is now valued as hundreds of thousands of dollars. Porsche released its divisive Carrera GT in more recent years. But for the past 35 years, one Munich-based automaker has captured the public’s attention with a single model.
One German-built automobile, the BMW M3, stands out among the rest. Gearheads have had the opportunity to witness this German Shepherd annihilate rival sports cars both on and off the track since 1986. The E46 M3 is still one of the coolest M3s ever produced, despite the fact that it may not be among the most significant automobiles in BMW’s history. The E46 M3, which is sandwiched between the brutal E36 and the muscular E90 M3, is nevertheless a fantastic high-end sports coupe.