I get asked quite often what I think will be a car that will increase in value in today’s market. Of all the various cars in the collector car market, one that I feel is absolutely destined to increase in value is the BMW E92 series M3. I feel so strongly about this that I am planning on getting one myself as not only a fun collector car, but also as a sort of 401K kind of car.
There are a number of reasons these cars are so bullish to me. First of all, it was the only M3 road car ever built with a naturally aspirated V8 engine under the hood, and what many feel was the true pinnacle of classic BMW M series car development. Unlike the newer M cars, it is truly a car that is as good a commuter as it is on the race track.
Second, this design continues to amaze me in how good it looks. From the vents on the sides of the front fenders, to the very large hood bulge, and all the way to the faired rear quarter panels, the E92 M3 is simply stunning and gets even better looking as years go on.
Finally, the racing pedigree of the BMW E92 M3 is nothing short of astonishing. The E92 M3 saw BMW return to DTM racing after a 20 years hiatus from the series. In its 2012 debut, the M3 won the driver’s championship, the manufacturer’s championship and five out of ten races for the season.
But wait, there’s more. The GT4 racing version of the M3 was introduced in 2009 and finished third in the GT4 SP10 class at the 2009 24 Hours Nürburgring, and then it went on to win its class at the ADAC Westfalenfahrt race at the Nürburgring in April 2009.
In 2009, Rahal Letterman Racing entered two factory-backed E92 M3s in the 2009 American Le Mans Series season, competing in the GT2 category. In 2011, the BMW achieved a 1–2 finish in the 12 Hours of Sebring. In the 2011 American Le Mans Series GT class, BMW Team RLL swept all categories, winning the GT manufacturer, team and driver championships. In 2012, the M3 won the GT class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. To add to the allure of the E92 M3, the #79 M3 GT2 that competed at Le Mans became the 17th BMW Art Car after it was decorated by Jeff Koons. These cars were literally the cars to beat.
The Pick of the Day is one of these cars and a special edition one as well. It is a 2013 BMW M3 Lime Rock Park Edition offered for sale by a dealer in Milford, Michigan.
If you are unfamiliar with the M3 Lime Rock Park Edition, often called the LRP edition in BMW forums, it was a special one year version of the M3 that was limited to 200 total cars. All of these cars were painted in the exclusive color of “Fire Orange” with a carbon fiber roof. Performance changes included a carbon fiber front splitter and rear spoiler, ride height lowered by 0.4 in, higher thresholds for the electronic stability control, and a lightweight titanium exhaust system good for about five extra horsepower. These cars were swept up by enthusiasts and were practically unobtainable when released.
The seller describes this 2013 M3 LRP as an all original car that has covered a total of only 28K miles from new. They add that it has a complete dealer service history from new and looks to be in exceptional condition. There are a coupe of issues these cars have that scare people off. The biggest one is premature wear of the rod bearings. This was partially due to people not warming the engines of these cars when new and revving them to their 8,500 RPM redline when cold. By 2012 this was pretty much fixed, but changing these can be done with the engine in the car and is not costly to do.
As I said in the start of this Pick of the Day, the E92 BMW M3 is a car to buy now and this 2013 LRP Edition is the one I would personally want the most, both for its exclusivity and it’s links to the historic race track it is named after. The asking price for this car is what I am calling a very reasonable $79,995, especially with the low mileage. If you are still on the fence about these cars consider what my friend, BMW racing driver Bill Auberlin, thinks about them. Keep in mind that Bill is literally the winningest driver in the history of IMSA, all while driving BMW cars. He calls the BMW E92 M3, “the best car they ever made.”
Cue mic drop.
Click here to view the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
