2005 BMW M3 CS (E46)

Highlights

• Rare CS model – one of only 233 RHD UK cars
• Substantial history file
• Desirable Interlagos Blue metallic paint
• Lower than average mileage – 74,000
• Sought-after manual transmission

Overview

To BMW aficionados with a penchant for purity and no-frills engineering, the CSL badge is something of a unicorn. Standing for ‘Coupé Sport Leichtbau’, the E46 M3 CSL represented a paring-back of luxuries in order to refract the focus of performance driving through a motorsport filter. But there’s far more to the E46 story than its track-hungry CSL crescendo. The Interlagos Blue M3 you see here is, in fact, something more obscure and, arguably, in certain quarters, even more desirable. Because you see, everybody knows what the CSL is, it became a poster-boy for a generation. But what we have here is an M3 CS with a manual gearbox, and it’s a thoroughly intriguing proposition.

The name denotes ‘Club Sport’; essentially, many of the best bits of the CSL but without the inflated price tag or any of the inherent compromise. Arriving at the end of E46 production, the CS borrowed a few choice morsels from its lightweight forebear including the quicker steering rack, larger brakes, and revised suspension. The CS also got forged 19” wheels as well as the CSL’s M-Track Mode capability, which loosened the reins and allowed greater slip angles to increase on-track hilarity.

Model-specific Interlagos Blue paint proved a popular option (most CSs are this colour, and you can see why), and buyers also got to enjoy the Alcantara steering wheel and brushed aluminium interior trim. Most intriguingly of all, just 233 examples of the M3 CS were supplied to the UK market in right-hand-drive form… which actually makes it rarer than the CSL. And herein lies the desirability – while it’s super-rare, it’s also far more usable; whereas CSLs get mothballed in climate-controlled static collections, you can drive and enjoy a CS every day. And that’s precisely what’s happened with this one; it’s a London car, low mileage for its age but always kept in use and on the road with a large sheaf of history to prove it.

Sure, there are some stone chips on the nose and the odd kerb scuff on the wheels, but that all speaks of a car that’s being driven and enjoyed… and that’s precisely what it’s ready for with its next keeper. You’re looking at an M3 that’s recently been serviced, has a long MOT, a reassuring history file, and a frisson of special-edition intrigue that’ll always be a talking point among other petrolheads.

History and documentation

• Registered 21 Jul 2005
• V5 present in owner’s name
• Current owner has had the car since October 2013
• Original manuals in BMW wallet
• 2x keys
• Documentation for Tracker
• Service book with stamps for services as follows: Jul 2005 - PDI, September 2005 @1,146 miles, July 2007 @7,032 miles, October 2009 @17,427 miles, November 2011 @24,506 miles, October 2013 @30,550 miles
• 2013 – invoice for £447 – alternator and pulleys
• 2015 – airbag replaced under recall
• 2015 – invoice for £515 – servicing
• 2016 – invoice for £1732 – servicing, front and rear brake discs and pads
• 2018 – invoice for £1166 – front brake calipers, power steering pump
• 2019 – invoice for £1060 – servicing, headlight level sensor, brake fluid
• 2021 – invoice for £613 – servicing
• 2023 – invoice for £799 – rear coil springs and ABS rings
• 2024 – invoice for £490 – servicing
• Assorted invoices for maintenance
• Sheaf of old MOT certificates
• Current MOT expires 27 May 2025
• HPI clear

Interior

• Grey leather trim is in decent condition throughout; some minor scuffs and wear to driver’s seat
• OEM Harmon/Kardon audio
• No warning lights illuminated on the dash
• Electronic climate control
• Alcantara steering wheel
• Some usage wear to gearknob
• Fluid has leaked inside auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Central dash screen has some fading/pixelation
• Partial toolkit in bootlid
• Possible fault with tyre pressure warning light
• Electric windows and electrically adjustable memory seats all working correctly

Exterior

• Interlagos Blue metallic paint really pops in the sunshine
• Light lenses and window glass all in good order
• Model-specific 19” alloys (some minor kerbing) fitted with 225/40 (f) and 255/35 (r) Continental ContiSportContact tyres
• Some stone chips to front bumper, and minor scuff to offside
• Correct M3 badging and side grilles in place
• Small chip in windscreen
• Rear parking sensors
• A real head-turner – the car generated a lot of interest during our photoshoot!

Mechanical

• 3.2-litre S54 straight-six is a modern performance icon
• Desirable 6-speed manual
• Lower than average mileage with service history to back it up
• Full service in May of this year
• Front brake calipers replaced in 2018
• New rear springs last year
• Startling performance coupled with reassuring reliability
• Seller reports no mechanical issues – a well-specced car that’s ready to enjoy

Summary

It’s a fabulous thing to behold, isn’t it? A large part of the allure is the colour, that Interlagos Blue really accentuating the muscular lines. But of course, beauty is way more than skin-deep with this rare factory-hot-rod; the sharper steering transforms the driving engagement over the stock M3, and the mighty brakes are a significant factor in this as well, working in tandem with the noise and the poise to create arguably the ultimate fast-road E46.

It’s hardcore, but not so savage that you wouldn’t want to use it regularly. These thrills are available day after day. Forget your jewel-like CSLs in their hermetically-sealed collections, the CS is the true aficionado’s E46.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. The seller is located in South-West London