Somewhere in New Jersey, there’s a rare and mysterious 1991 BMW M3 Convertible looking for a new owner.
The owner has it listed at $48,000, which is indicative of just how rare this car is – only 786 E30 M3 Convertibles were produced worldwide, none of which were sold directly to the U.S – and how well maintained it is. According to the listing, the owner imported this one from Europe in 2003 and it’s been DOT/EPA certified and has been living a well-maintained life in the Garden State and sheltered from any kind of aftermarket modifications. Of course, that’s just what the listing says…
Even though the photos aren’t in a great resolution, it’s clear that this car looks great on the outside. The 2.3-liter inline-four looks well-maintained and ready to propel the 2,800-pound German masterpiece in and out of whatever bend you steer it towards.
However, the wonders of the Internet have revealed that there may be more to this M3 than meets the eye – and not in the cool Transformers kind of way.
I discovered this listing while browsing Reddit in preparation for final exams, and from the get go many redditors were skeptical of the car’s authenticity. Some redditors even recognized this as the car that was infamously rebuilt from two wrecked E30s nearly a decade ago and has popped up in online auctions several times. In other words, this is likely a Frankenbimmer.
When you do a Google search on the VIN posted in that Reddit thread, the first result is a Roadfly thread from 2003 that features a CARFAX report with quite a few important details missing, the first sign that the car you’re about to buy may not be what it seems. Then, several threads on S14.net (1, 2, and 3) also pop up to tell an even more troubling tale with theft reports, accusations of swapped VINs, and more. You know, fun stuff.
This car seems to be pretty well known within the E30 community, but not for the right reasons. Not that you should ever take consumer advice from me, but buy something like this if all you care about is having a fun little car to play with and can live this it’s shady history (and in this case, the ridiculous price). But if you’re actually looking for a real, not shady at all E30 M3, look elsewhere.
It’s a shame really that something as rare as an E30 M3 Convertible was *allegedly* subject to this, but if you still happen to be interested, you can find the listing on Craigslist here. Just be very, very careful with your money.
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