- A standard E92 M3 just sold on Bring a Trailer for over $205,000.
- The car had only 725 miles and a six-speed manual transmission.
- It wasn’t a GTS or Lime Rock Park Edition, just a Competition spec.
Ask ten BMW faithful which M3 sits at the top of the pile, and you’ll rarely get a tidy consensus. Some hold up the original E30 and its lightweight four-pot, others reach for the E46 with its classic straight-six, and a fair number argue the V8-powered E92 is the one that truly delivered. The new custodian of this barely-used E92 evidently belongs to the last group.
Used E92 M3 prices have been climbing for a while now, though a tidy example with a few miles under its belt can still be had for under $30,000. None of that mattered to the two bidders who went toe-to-toe on Bring a Trailer this week, with the hammer eventually falling at an extraordinary $205,392.
Read: $175,000 Buys You The E46 M3 Touring BMW Said No To In 2000
What’s particularly eye-opening about this result is that this isn’t a limited-run, special edition E92 M3, like the GTS or the Lime Rock Park Edition. No, it’s a normal, run-of-the-mill E92 equipped with the Premium and Competition Packages, but, perhaps most importantly, it has a six-speed manual transmission.
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The car was acquired by the selling dealer earlier this year, apparently as a trade-in, which we suspect the previous owner now regrets. In addition to the six-speed, this M3 has been driven just 725 miles (1,166 km), and it looks pretty much as good as new.
The most expensive M3 previously sold on Bring a Trailer was an extensively modified one that fetched $133,000 back in 2022. Earlier this month, a similar M3 to this latest record-breaking example, fitted with the Cold Weather, Premium, and Competition Packages, sold for just $40,000, even though it had 73,000 miles (117,400 km) on the odometer.
According to the winning bidder, this is now their 33rd M car. They also defended bidding so much, saying they’re “not buying these to flip later or chase resale…I’m putting my money into something that aligns with my interests, not what other people this is the ‘smart’ or ‘optimal’ move.”
They also noted that they have no intention of driving the car, saying that those interested in buying an E92 to drive should look for one with some miles on it.
