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Rare BMW E92 M3 GTS for Sale With 1,118 Miles, Has a Very Exotic Price Tag

BMW M3 GTS 15 photos
Photo: mcmotors
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With the electric cloud hovering over today’s car industry, the current BMW M3 is probably the last of its kind to feature a straight-six. However, there was a time when the Munich auto firm used to stuff a V8 under the hood of its premium compact sports model, and they first did so in the E46 generation’s GTR.
A true automotive unicorn, it is probably worth everything to the right collector, just like the better-known CSL of the same era. But as every good thing must come to an end, BMW eventually retired the E46 in 2006, after six years in production, replacing it with the E9X.

Offered as a Sedan (E90), Coupe (E92), and Convertible (E93), it too featured a V8, with a 4.0-liter displacement. The engine produced 420 ps (414 hp / 309 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque when it left the factory floor, directing it to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission at first, which was then joined by a seven-speed automatic.

Performance-wise, the E9X M3 was very impressive for the end of the 2000s, as it was capable of hitting 100 kph (62 mph) in well under 5 seconds from a standstill, maxing out at 250 kph (155 mph), regardless if it had two or three pedals.

BMW M3 GTS
Photo: BMW
With the introduction of this generation, BMW’s M Division needed to have a worthy successor to the iconic E46 M3 CSL, and they came up with it. It was christened the M3 GTS, and compared to the normal two-door fixed-roof variant, it was a more track-focused model, with a half-cage inside, reduced weight, upgraded chassis and brakes, and adjustable aerodynamics.

The icing on the cake was the V8, whose displacement was increased to 4.4 liters. This move has unleashed 450 ps (444 hp / 331 kW) and 440 Nm (325 lb-ft), and enthusiasts had to limit their choice to the dual-clutch ‘box, which was the sole offering. With dry tarmac under its feet, the 100 kph (62 mph) mark was hit in 4.4 seconds, and it could run out of breath at 305 kph (190 mph).

Only 150 copies of the M3 GTS were ever made, so you are looking at yet another unicorn, and a true collectible. It doesn’t normally come up for grabs, but when it does, it is eye-watering expensive. In fact, the one pictured in our gallery above was the most expensive M3 on Mobile at the time of writing, being followed by a special edition of the F80, and by the iconic E30.

BMW M3 GTS
Photo: BMW
How much do you think it costs? You’d better sit down for this one, because you are looking at €246,500 ($275,875) to sign your name on the dotted line. The vendor is based in Italy, speaks English, and the car can be seen in their showroom in Sesto San Giovanni.

Should you decide to spend that much money on what is still a BMW M3, albeit one trickier to live with on a daily basis, with bucket seats up front, rear bench replaced by the half-cage, and bouncy suspension, then you should know that it has 1,800 km (1,118 miles) on the clock, according to the ad. It sports an orange paint finish on top of the black interior, and looks brand new inside and out. The mileage is confirmed by the service book, which shows five entries, from 2014 until 2022.

More importantly, the listing claims that it has never seen any track action, which is a pity, considering that it was born to devour apexes. So, if you had that much money burning a hole in your bank account, would you actually spend it on this M3 GTS or get a new Lamborghini Huracan instead? As cool as it may be, it’s hard to ignore the fact that it’s priced like a supercar.
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Editor's note: BMW M3 GTS official images added to the gallery, next to the ones shared by the vendor.

About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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