When it comes to high mileage classic cars, I am a major fan of vintage machines that have racked up big miles. After all, if you buy a driver’s car, isn’t it meant to be driven? The BMW E30 M3 is an example of a special vehicle that has shot up in value, but at one time these were considered disposable track cars that were the epitome of being ridden hard and put away wet. The seller’s car has accumulated an impressive odometer reading of over 500K miles and still looks like a very presentable driver. Find this 1988 BMW M3 here on eBay with bids to $36,100.
That bid number absolutely floors me. As much as I know these cars are worth far more than they used to be, high mileage is usually the one entry point where an enthusiast of normal means can purchase a collectible car. Of course, this M3 has a laundry list of improvements attached to it that will render any mechanical concerns due to the mileage a moot point, and that may be driving some of the interest here; after all, if the car is essentially brand new underneath, does it really matter what the chassis mileage is? This M3 was also treated to a respray a few years ago, so cosmetically, it still looks quite sharp.
Here it is: the actual odometer reading, with the iconic red needles that only came on the M3. This, to me, is the essence of what these vehicles were meant to do: they were meant to be driven! The one fly in the ointment with this car (for me, anyway) is that the original, high-strung S14 engine is gone. Like so many of these competition-grade motors, it eventually needed a rebuild, which was done by the previous owner. It was rebuilt once more by the previous owner before needing rebuilding again, at which point the current seller decided to sell the numbers-matching engine and install an S50 block with an S52 head, both of which came out of a later E36 M3.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I wouldn’t want to stare down the cost of rebuilding an S14, as it’s been known to cost well in excess of $15,000. The price goes down if you do it yourself, but even so, the parts are growing scarcer by the day. Many enthusiasts have gone the route of installing driver trains from later M3s, which offer increased performance, reliability, and significantly improved parts availability (often at a lower price.) However, these cars are all about provenance – for me, anyway – and I would love to find a car with the modern engine swap but the original S14 still sitting in a crate so I have the option of going back to the original set-up. Would you have rebuilt the S14 or gone with the E36 M3 conversion as the seller did?
So what? I’ve got a 2016 Corolla with 455K on the clock AND its all original, and I’ll bet it won’t go for anything like $35,000. Ugh!
I have an 05 Tacoma crew cab 2.7, with 300k on it. Still runs very smooth, and the paint looks suprisingly well considering it’s never been garage kept.
On an enthusiast car like this that’s on the road and being enjoyed for what it is I say junk all the “that’s not original” stuff and hit the road. I’ve driven a ’90s version of these cars and they change your perspective the minute you fire up the engine.
I would have liked to have the original S14 included in the sale. I just checked and the bids are already over $41k.
Assuming it was repairable, I would have kept the S14….to stuff into a 2002.
Nothing wrong with the upgraded motor in a driver M3. And all M3s deserve to be driven.
I have owned one BMW, that was enough, a ‘99 M3 convertible which I bought for my wife. It was at best an average car , nothing special about it. My ‘93 S10 short bed pickup with a Vortec V6, lowered two inches would perform and handle on par with the M3 and was a lot cheaper to maintain, all it lacked was snob appeal, oh well.
Hard to believe anyone had enough money to drive this car 500K miles! Yes it’s a great driving car that I would love to have, but keeping it on the road for all those miles, WOW!
Happy to see the bid price so high even if I wonder if it’s legit, the owner deserves to get back a small percentage of his repair bills :-)
I would neither want the original, under-torqued S14 power plant nor a modern transplant. For the $ of a E30 M3 I am instead going to find a nice, well cared for Renault R5 Turbo 2, a car with an equally interesting pedigree (granted, not as successful as the E30 M3…) that was touched by the hand of god himself, Marcello Gandini. You show up to your Cars and Coffee in an R5T2 and the place just stops. Sadly, the E30 M3 has just become so… common. They are literally at every weekend car gathering I attend.
I once owned a 88 325i and I must say this is stunning M3 to have 500K miles. Just goes to show it’s all about how take care of and maintain your car. Gorgeous M3 .My bimmer had been wrecked before I purchased it but it still managed to show what made these cars so special.
You know the difference between a porcupine and a BMW? On a BMW, the pricks are on the inside. 🤣
Got that joke from my army buddy, Gary Cooper in Tallahassee. 👍
Ended at 44.4K, Reserve Not Met.