15k: E36M3V8: 1997 BMW M3 Chevy V8

The E36 generation continues to be a bargain sweet spot for M3 shoppers.  The E46 generation is still dropping in price and the E30 generation has appreciated to crazy money.  The E36 does just about everything better than the E30 from a measurable performance perspective and is only slower than the E46 because it lacks power from its federalized engine options.  Fix the performance gap with a fuel injected Chevrolet V8 and suddenly an E36M3V8 makes more sense.  Find this 1997 BMW M3 with LQ4 V8 currently bidding for $14,000 with a few hours to go and located in Tampa, FL.

The E36 M3 was built from 1995 to 1999, and today a manual transmission equipped M3 sedan will command the most money with all things being equal. This is counter to the typical “coupes are expensive, sedans are cheap” rule because the sedans (especially with 5-spd) are relatively rare.  The love it or hate it white paint on this one will not help the value either, but it does look in great shape from a cosmetic perspective.

This car is equipped with a 6.0 liter iron block LQ4 V8 that is topped with a set of LS3 heads and an assortment of other performance goodies.  Power is an impressive 412 wheel horsepower and 411 ft-lbs of torque – it should move the 3200 lb car around nicely.

The E36 interior is not one of the high points of the car’s design, at least from a longevity standpoint.  The seats tend to be worn out by 100k miles and dash creaks are a constant source of frustration to any E36 owner, but the 3-spoke Euro wheel in this one looks decent. We’ve seen far worse E36 interiors, including that in our own Black Iron Racing 325i Brougham d’Bavaria.

See a better V8 powered sedan that actually improves when the road gets twisty?  tips@dailyturismo.com