Used BMW M-3 Deluxe E36 - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle automotive... for sale in Kaneohe, HI

A rare and collectable BMW M-3 with low miles. I've used it as a third car driven on the weekends or nice days. Garage kept and always used Synthetic Mobile 1 oil. Upgraded UUC Motorwerks, Titanium Exhaust, Track Pipe, Headers, K&N Active Autowerke E36 BMW 3.5" Cold Air Intake Kit, Dinan Springs, Sachs shocks, Front and rear strut braces, Lower sway X brace, Larger throttle body, intake. A very noticeable HP and handling improvement. Tires are like new, paint looks great, Leather interior, upgraded stereo and speakers. Very reliable and great car. I've owned for close to ten years. Car came from the mainland so no rust. Current registration. Here is a review of the Car from 1995.

From Motor Trend Magazine's Bob Nagy writer Nov 2, 1995
It's no secret that we're huge fans of BMW's spectacular M3. Few cars can even come close to matching its ability to deliver performance and practicality at a reasonable price. Our recent encounter with the limited-production Lightweight variant (Aug. '95) showcased the pur sang side of its multifaceted personality. This time, we've opted to sample a version far better suited to real-world driving conditions: an M3 with the Luxury package and five-speed automatic transmission. Designed to meet the needs of sybaritic city dwellers who still answer the call of seldom-traveled twisty backroads in their spare time, it sacrifices little in the way of sheer driving competence, but gains a good bit in the way of enhanced ambiance.

This particular M3 is one of the best looking we've seen to date. A subtle silver metallic paint job and the lack of a rear spoiler help impart a splendidly stealthy quality, and several of our staff members found its unique five-spoke alloy wheels to be even more attractive than the standard-issue M3 rims.

Stepping up to the Luxury package adds $3000 to the $37,950 sticker price of a regular M3. For that extra hit, you get a sizable handful of cosmetic and functional enhancements. In addition to the aforementioned wheels-the same 17x7.5-inchers also fitted to the Euro-spec M3 sedan-exterior changes include more-subtle sculpting on the lower body panels, a front air dam bereft of a rubber extension lip, and a more stylish lower intake opening with a two-bar grille in place of the expanded mesh insert used on the base model.

Inside, the M3 Luxury is differentiated by supplemental leather upholstery accents on the door panels and a generous helping of wood trim to set off the already well-turned-out passenger compartment. Functionally, the Luxury package brings cruise control, a center armrest, onboard trip computer, and eight-way power adjustment for its front buckets. The seats, by the way, are the optional sport units available on the 325i-quite comfortable and supportive, but not as severely contoured as the seats used in the other M3 models.

Despite what its Luxury appellation might connote, the underpinnings on this upline offering are identical to those of a normal M3. Like any garden-variety 3-Series coupe or sedan, the suspension hardware consists of MacPherson struts up front and BMW's multilink layout in the rear. For M-duty, however, specific tuning of the components results in a considerably tauter character. The transformation comes courtesy of lower-profile coil springs (M-cars sit 1.2 inches closer to the ground than their 3-Series brethren), slightly wider track dimensions, stiffer gas-pressure shock absorbers, and larger-diameter anti-roll bars, front and rear.
Steering gear on the Luxury version also is common with other M3 models: a rack-and-pinion unit with variable power assist (found on all 3-Series cars) plus a variable-ratio element (15.4:1 on center to 19.8:1 at the margins). The combination results in steering that's quick, responsive, and provides great feedback to the driver.

BMW always had intended to offer an automatic transmission option on M3s headed for the U.S. market. The ZF five-speed it finally settled on-the first autoshifter ever fitted to an M-car of any series-carries a rather stiff $1200 tariff. But it's an ideal partner for the vehicle's potent 3.0-liter inline-six, requiring no reduction in output. That means the free-revving all-alloy 24-valve twin-cammer still makes a stout 240 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 225 pound-feet of torque at 4200 revs, while retaining its ability to go from docile to dynamite at the tap of the throttle. Also used on the 5-Series, this gearbox shares the same internal ratios found on the 530i sedan and wagon models, but has different software and several functional variations when pulling M3 duty.

Although the transmission remains electronically interfaced with the engine, it's been stripped of the ability to adapt shift programming on the fly in response to a specific driver's style. BMW engineers felt that M3 owners would prefer consistency over the ability to "learn." However, with Economy and Sport modes, plus full manual capability, it's always ready to take on everything from mileage-maximizing cross-country treks to impromptu autocrossing on a deserted section of two-lane switchback.

Another key difference in the M3 application is that fifth gear remains operational when the Sport program is selected (it's locked out in all other fitments). One final drivetrain variation: a limited-slip differential stays standard, but the automatic combo carries a 3.23:1 rear gear (also borrowed from the 530i Touring) versus the 3.15:1 cog found in M3s with a manual transmission.

As the performance comparison chart indicates, even in Luxury trim the autoshifted M3 remains a formidable piece of work. Choosing the automatic adds 66 pounds to the curb weight, bringing the total to 3241. And while it does exact a modest penalty in absolute acceleration times, our tester still managed a heady 6.6-second 0-60-mph blast and 14.9-second/96.6-mph charge through the quarter mile. What's more, fuel economy actually improves with the automatic. It merits 19/28 city/highway EPA mpg numbers compared with the 19/27 figures earned by the do-it-yourself gearbox. Shifting action is quick and clean in all modes, and the computer controls prevent those unpleasant spit-you-off-the-road upshifts when you imprudently lift off the throttle midway through an increasing-skill corner.

An impressive list of hardware is great, but the true measure of success is how well it all works together. The blatant synergy that permeates this package must be experienced firsthand to be fully appreciated. No, it can't match the sheer intimacy of an open-wheel single-seater, but this iron fist in a deep-nap velvet glove engenders a degree of man-to-machine interaction that comes admirably close. Formidable powertrain capability is matched by phenomenal handling prowess. A near-50/50 weight distribution ensures excellent balance, while the well-sorted suspension and grippy 235/40ZR17 Michelin Pilot SX radials collaborate to optimize vehicle dynamics. Although its 65.6-mph slalom best and 0.88g reading on the skidpad provide a good reference index, the upside handling potential of this highline M3 doesn't really become apparent until you start hammering through serpentine stretches on the limit, tossing and collecting it with the flick of a wrist or the touch of a pedal.

Like beauty, value is often measured in the eye of the beholder. Along with its Luxury package and automatic transmission, our test car-a '95 model also fitted with a power sunroof and heated seats-totaled $44,320 including destination fees; that figure can be expected to rise by 2-3 percent for '96. While hardly bargain basement, the new M3 has proven eminently successful in the U.S., currently accounting for nearly 10 percent of the roughly 60,000 3-Series cars BMW expects to sell here this year. Even more to the point, four out of 10 M3 buyers have opted for the Luxury package, and one in four has fallen prey to the lure of the new automatic transmission. Having spent a thoroughly enjoyable week with one of these scintillating sport tourers, we wouldn't be surprised to see both of those percentages rise even higher in the months ahead.