2005 e46 M3

2005 m3 convertible by BMWIn 2005, BMW made the final changes which would be made to the E46 M3. In 2006, a new generation of cars would be phased in as the current range of the M Series became discontinued. However, the engineers were intent on making sure that the era went out with a bang.

After being successful in North America, the Competition Package made its way over to Europe in 2005, refined to European specification. The manufacture of the option began in September of the year. The used car market can contain many cars which contain this exclusive package, which cost a several thousand more than the standard model.

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The upgrade heralded significant differences between standard and competition. The competition package had a more tailored steering ratio, reduced to 14:5:1. Other options included the 19-inch forged alloy wheels seen from earlier models and the Interlagos shade of blue seen from the North American competition package. All of these were introduced in Europe.

Interestingly, most of the features which played an integral part in the appeal of the E46 M3 competition package were in a way transitioned over from the limited-edition make of the CSL. The adored car which was made for a limited period of time during 2003 was reincarnated as such for the 11-month period of its production.

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The boosted power which the competition package boasted in both the Americas and Europe meant that the impressive brakes which were featured in the CSL model were undoubtedly required. A sameness is not hard to detect between the CSL and the competition package, although it is definitely clear that the CSL had much more of an emphasis on being lightweight than the more recent competition upgrade does. Another significant difference between the two is the price – with at least six figures dividing the two.

Like green, yellow was victim to the discontinued paint cause. In February 2005, the metallic paint shade Phoenix Yellow was removed from the production line of the E46 M3.

The 2005 revisions mainly played host to a series of discontinued lines when it came to the standard range of the E46 M3s. The impulse cloth and Nappa leather which had been a prominent option in the upholstery choices for nearly five years was discontinued as an option for an interior, with the 13 types of upholstery remaining still available as a choice in the 2005 range.

A year on from the 2005 changes, the third generation of the M Series, the E46, was discontinued altogether. Like the two previous generations, the car had been incredibly successful in the international driving market and impressively so. Just over 85,000 units were dispatched to customers in the 6 year period it was retailing, with at least 30,000 convertibles amongst them.

It is clear that there are many out there on the used car market and the variety is amazing, with the options for upholstery, interior trims, paint colours and additional features providing the option of finding a car as individual as the driver. The E46 M3 was a successful car for BMW and one that lived up to the expectations of the driving world, keeping  a consistent quality with the two previous ranges and taking the name of the M Series to new heights.