2002 BMW M3 (E46) Coupe Manual - Forged engine rebuild and respray

Highlights

• 343bhp S54 straight-six and six-speed manual

• Specialist engine rebuild with forged internals

• Twin-plate clutch and uprated oil cooling

• Resprayed in Phoenix Yellow in 2021

• Extensive history

Overview

When the E46 M3 arrived in October 2000, its 3.2-litre S54 straight-six spun to 7,900rpm for 343bhp. That was among the highest specific outputs of any naturally aspirated engine at launch, sent rearwards through a six-speed Getrag manual. Add flared arches, chromed side gills and quad tailpipes on a compact footprint, and it's no wonder it’s a highly sought-after modern classic.

S54 specialist Hack Engineering rebuilt this yellow manual coupe's engine in 2020, fitting a forged piston set and a forged con-rod set. A twin-plate clutch and an uprated oil cooler joined the party, so this is an M3 built to be driven, and driven properly. It sits on 19-inch BMW M alloys wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber, and having been resprayed in Phoenix Yellow the following year, it's impossible to miss.

In current ownership since 2014, it comes with a stamped service book and the specialist invoices to show where the money went. Wearing its distinctive colour well and with black leather inside, a specialist-built S54 up front and a manual gearbox in between, we reckon that's an E46 M3 recipe worth getting very excited about.

History and Documentation

• First registered 15 March 2002

• In current ownership since September 2014

• Service book stamped as follows: March 2002 (pre-delivery check), April 2002 @ 1,534 miles, January 2003 @ 13,455 miles, March 2004 @ 26,319 miles, April 2005 @ 35,068 miles, January 2006 @ 48,449 miles, April 2007 @ 62,426 miles, March 2008 @ 73,228 miles, February 2009 @ 82,107 miles, December 2009 @ 84,127 miles (handwritten oil change entry), March 2015 @ 94,035 miles

• Hack Engineering invoices for the engine rebuild totalling £12,843.34 between March 2020 and February 2021
• The rebuild used a replacement secondhand engine block, stripped and re-enamelled by Hack Engineering after a strip-down and assessment of the engine

• Hack Engineering engine rebuild including cylinders bored and honed to 87.5mm, a JE forged piston set and Supertech connecting rods

• Further items include ARP main stud kit, crankshaft polishing and balancing, ACL Racing main and big end bearings, Elring head gasket and conversion gasket sets, VAC Motorsports oil pump upgrade kit, Beisan Systems exhaust upper chain guide, genuine BMW chains and guides, Hack Engineering Viton CPV seal, complete cylinder head overhaul with ultrasonic cleaning, full VANOS rebuild (with Hack Engineering machined oil pump disc, VANOS micro filter, uprated solenoid bolts, uprated cam sprocket sleeve bolts, and VANOS hub diaphragm spring set), and a DKM twin-plate clutch package

• Follow-up work from Hack Engineering includes engine installation and a front-end rebuild, including a CSF race-spec oil cooler, CSF aluminium high-performance radiator, Pierburg oil pump, genuine BMW water pump, aux belt tensioner, power steering cooler line and hose, Revshift engine and transmission mounts, and six new Bosch injectors

• The seller advises that the car has also received a new fuel pump

• New rear brake pipes made up and fitted, with the system bled, around October 2022

• New rear Bilstein shock absorbers recently fitted

• Front and rear brake discs and pads replaced 500 miles ago

• Undated, unstamped handwritten note in the service book records a bearings and shells recall as completed

• Full respray in original colour of Phoenix Yellow by Ross at RW Paint in 2021

• Two keys

• Original BMW handbook, service book and map booklet

• V5C present

• MOT valid until 12 October 2027

• HPI clear

• DVSA records show an outstanding manufacturer recall; buyers may wish to check with a BMW dealer

Interior

• Black leather M sport front seats with electric adjustment, driver's memory, heating and adjustable side bolsters

• Factory widescreen sat nav

• Automatic climate control and Harman Kardon audio

• M three-spoke multifunction steering wheel shows notable wear to the rim leather, which is shiny and flaking in places

• Gear knob leather is also worn

• Driver's seat outer base bolster has some creasing and surface cracking with no tears seen; passenger bolsters show lighter creasing

• Grey painted door pull trim has flaking paint

• Aftermarket phone cradle on the centre console

• Anthracite headlining is intact with no visible sagging

• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror and interior door handles present and intact

• Carpets and M3 floor mats are tidy, with aluminium M pedals and M3 sill plates

• Several stains on the grey boot carpet

• The vendor tells us the BMW tool kit and first-aid kit are included

Exterior

• Phoenix Yellow paint looks glossy following respray

• Factory M3 power-dome bonnet, chromed side gills, boot lip spoiler and quad tailpipes

• Angel-eye headlights with headlamp washers, plus rear parking sensors

• 19-inch BMW M double-spoke alloys with polished faces and no obvious kerbing in our photos; light surface marks around one centre hub

• Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres with healthy-looking tread

• Smoked side repeaters

• Rear V-brace fitted

• Nearside door mirror cap has light surface marks and small chips on its lower edge

• The vendor tells us there's a minor scratch on the passenger-side front bumper, though it isn't very visible in our photos and that the driver’s door side rubber seal is worn

• Bubbling paint with corrosion at the lower edge of a door aperture where it meets the sill trim, plus a similar small spot at the end of a sill trim

Mechanical

• 3.2-litre S54 straight-six producing 343bhp at 7,900rpm and 269lb ft at 4,900rpm

• 6-speed Getrag manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive

• 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds and 155mph top speed (limited)

• Specialist S54 rebuild in 2020 with 87.5mm JE forged pistons, Supertech connecting rods, crankshaft polishing/balancing, ACL Racing bearings, Elring gaskets, ARP main studs, and full head overhaul

• DKM twin-plate clutch package, CSF race-spec oil cooler, CSF aluminium high-performance radiator, Pierburg oil pump, genuine BMW water pump, anti-roll bar stabilisers, new rear Bilstein shock absorbers, and Revshift transmission mounts

• K&N cone air filter induction (aftermarket)

• Starts without issue, sounds fantastic and drives superbly, according to the vendor

Summary

With a specialist-rebuilt S54, forged internals, a twin-plate clutch and MOT until October 2027, this yellow E46 M3 is ready to be used and enjoyed. It's a proper driver's M3 with the paperwork to back it up, and we'd happily take the long way home in it.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Tenterden, Kent.