#bmw #m3 #investment #ownersagony

As a car guy that also happens to be a financial advisor, I enjoy analyzing cars from the investment angle.
Today, let’s look at the #BMW M3, the muscliest generation of them all - the e90/e92/e93. Good car? Is it a good investment?

By its introduction in 2007, the M division had captured the minds of gearheads all over the place for 2 decades. Despite swelling up in size (and weight), the new generation brought with it the s65b40 - a legendary 8300 RPM screamer of motorsports-derived V8 glory. America intensifies. Allegedly, the engine block was built at the same factory that built the v8s that went into the BMW Sauber Formula 1 engines at the time.

So, handsome styling, the heart of a dragon, available manual transmission - was the e90 generation M car the “Ultimate Driving Machine”? Let’s see what the market had to say.

Valuations:

Because the e90 is in that awkward phase where it isn’t yet old enough to be considered a true classic - data is not quite as available as on some other models I’d researched. However, this is the chart of how it’s done as an investment back on the home turf, in Germany. Prices are in Euros:



As you can see, the prices have ebbed and flowed over the last 6 years with understandably huge returns post–Covid19-Pandemic. As an investment, the e90 would have returned you a very modest 3.34% per year over the last 5. Throw in a rod-bearing service and an overall expensive car to upkeep, you would’ve been way better off parking your money in the stock market. The S&P has done about 9% annually in the same time period.


Verdict:

Expensive maintenance cost, poor performance as an investment - what is my RATING? I call a strong buy on the e90/e92 M3. This hot Bavarian sausage has the ingredients to deserve a space in your garage, your heart, and maybe even your investment portfolio. While the recent numbers are modest, you don’t have to go far to see what e39s and e46s have turned into - this generation has the potential to have even more of a cult following. The fact that they have not yet delivered double-digit annual returns just makes them more ripe for the picking.
Look for manual examples with the right options and great service histories. If you’re able to snag one of the special editions and keep the miles reasonably low, I strongly believe that eventually you will be able to demand supercar money for your M3.