10 Unique Things You Didn't Know About The BMW E46 M3 (Besides The Engine or The Handling)

When I showed my wife and son what my dream car looked like, they both responded the same.

Hmm, that looks old.

Old it is for sure. 18 years old to be exact. But in the car industry, the age of the car and the mileage, are not the only two things to be considered when choosing a car of your dreams.

My 2002 E46 M3 Convertible looks old because it does not look like the newest of even the two generation before the newest model. It looks old because it is old. But there are a few things about old cars that I truly appreciate. A brand like BMW (and Porsche, sorry Mercedes) has been really good at keeping their good old tradition of making cars continue as their foundation. BMW refers to themselves as the "Ultimate Driving Machine". They refer themselves as a brand that focuses on the driving experience. That meant how the cockpit feels, how engaging the handling is and how powerful is the engine as you drive it.

Unfortunately, not every BMW buyer agrees on what the ultimate driving machine should feel. So BMW compromises. They reduce the production of manual cars, make their cars more comfortable, less noisy, less bumpy and they added a set of comfort and convenience features so that everyone can drive a BMW without worrying about how they can open the trunk with a bag of groceries.

But a classic BMW is immune from all of these compromises. A classic BMW like the E46 M3 still focuses on the foundations of the ultimate driving machine. The E46 M3 is the last "analog" version of BMW. Meaning it still has buttons instead of a scrolling device and it was the last generation to do so.

They don't make it like this anymore ... is what I tell everyone who sits in my new E46 M3.

If you have driven any BMW model after 2006, you probably didn't know that these are what early BMW owners get to experience. These are the things that they don't make anymore to compromise with what the market wants. But these are also the things that make the E46 M3 (and earlier generation) special.

Here Are The Top 10 Things That Make The BMW E46 M3 Unique

Starting from the little things ...

10. The Coin Holder

I don't know of any other car who has something like this. Its literally a place where you can stack your coins (spring loaded) and then hide it back under the center console. The circles in the picture above has springs in them so you can squeeze in coins one after another. Other cars would just give you a tray or one of these coin holders in the old Toyota Corolla that would just make noises whenever you hit a bump, but nothing like this. Definitely another little charming addition to the analog version that BMW (and most cars) don't do anymore.

9. The Buttons

No scrolling wheels, no touchscreens and no dials. Well, I actually wouldn't mind having a dial for the climate control, but I would rather not have touch screens for everything. There is something definite about pressing buttons. It's tactile, it's physical and it gives you feedback when you press it. I can appreciate buttons in comparison to pressing a screen without any tactile feedback. Plus, who else but BMW would have that orange glow.

8. The Cup Holders

Look at these full size, full circle, unobstructed ... cup holders. Did you know where the next generation (the E90) decided to put their cup holders in? On the dashboard of the passenger side. I drove the E90 generation to drive around my grandparents when they had it and whenever we put a cold drink, it would drip on the passenger's thighs or on the seat. It was not a great implementation. I would say that placing the cup holders next to the handbrake is always the best placement. And the E46 did, just that.

7. The Back Seats

Ok check out these back seats. They look just as sporty, just as firm and just as solid as the bucket seats in the front. And this is a convertible from 2002 my friends. Have you seen what the 2019 BMW M2 back seats look like? They definitively have cut cost by cutting quality on the back seat in the newer models.

6. The Center Console

This is something that I realized out of the E30 BMW that my grandma used to have when I was living with them in college. Compared to my Honda Accord, or any newer generation BMW, the E46 generation dashboard interior is focused towards the driver. The E46 is again, the last BMW generation to do it this way. If you look at the picture above, you can see that the middle console is leaning towards the driver and away from the passenger. Definitely another unique feature that not a lot of cars do nowadays.

5. The BMW Car Key

If you bought cars after 2006, then you probably have what's called a key fob. Which is pretty much not a key, but a remote. It allows you to open the door by pressing a button or acts as a sensor to automatically open your door. It also allows you to turn on the car by pressing a button as long as you have they key fob / remote with you. Well once upon a time, we used to have keys to turn on the car. You still press a button to open it and lock it but you can also insert it into the door. But most importantly, you get to use your wrist to turn the ignition and turn on the car. In case you are reading my blog 10 years after 2020, when cars are turned on in an unthinkably beyond imagination method, here's your history lesson. The E46 was also the last BMW generation to actually have a key.

And on to the bigger things ...

4. The Kidney Grille

In case you don't know what the newest M3 looks like. Here it is. If you are reading this a few years after 2020 when it was released, you would probably already love it by now. But I am here to remind you that the BMW iconic "kidney grille" used to look like this, and like this and definitely like the picture I am showing you above. This look is a look that is unique to its own generation, and I am proud to be part of the classical E46 kidney grille generation.

3. The SMG Transmission

Hold your horses! I know what you are going to say about the SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) and I know what everyone hates about it. The unreliability, the jerky-ness, the difficulty in adapting to your driving style and ... the unreliability. I know I say it twice because all of you online experts have said so much about it that the SMG version of any E46 M3 has gotten down in value because of it. Well I am here to say, thank you. Because of you, I can afford my dream car. But also, I am here to tell you that the SMG transmission is also unique to the E46 M3 generation. It didn't fall in my top 3 because it is also (currently) my least favorite on my driving experience. But I don't have to love it for it to be unique and special. It is unique because no other transmission system performs the same way as an SMG. The Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) that replaced the SMG is not really a manual. It will still shifts up for you and it will still performs in a way that still takes control from you as a driver. The SMG basically only does the work of the clutch. When you don't press the gas pedal, it rolls, when you are on a hill, it still rolls and when you shift, it may jerk. That is a manual. If you want an experience closest to a manual that can also be treated like an automatic for people in your household to drive (like my wife), the SMG has it. I consider it as my left leg. And my left leg thanks the SMG every time we hit traffic.

2. The Instrument Cluster

This is the first thing that made me fall in love with the E46 M3. I remember test driving the car at a BMW dealership and experienced this awesome sight in front of me as I start the engine and drive the car around the block. The silver lining around the gauge cluster, the iconic BMW lines and dots marking the numbers and the classic orange colored digits that signifies this is a BMW. They don't make it like this anymore. All BMWs starting with the E90 model in 2007 changed it to this and today, the gauge cluster looks like this. Even though it's a more modern and cleaner look, it is still not the same.

1. Fender Flares

I would like to admit that this is the main reason why I favor the E46 M3. They definitely do not make it like this anymore. The newer generation can try to add on fender flares to their M cars but there is nothing like the E46 M3 fender flares that can create such a muscular (and masculine) look of a car. In case you don't know what a fender flare is, it's the extra "bulge" that is on the left and right side of the car. It is obvious when you see it in the picture. And it is obviously why everyone loves this car.

What do you think? Do you have an E46 M3 yourself but have a different top 10 reasons why you bought it? Share it with me below. Or do you have a different generation or BMW model that you love and want to share your own unique perspective? I'd love to hear from you. If you are willing to share, please comment here below.