Is my e90 M3 Rare or just uncommon?!? :)

[getu1]

Hey enthusiast,

Long story short, I was considering selling my e90 M3 and luckily a potential buyer needed to back out as I wasn't wanting to sell to begin with. With that, I really plan to keep this car long term as it's somewhat a garage Queen and not driven much.

I am curious to understand if my car is actually rare and to what extent. Obviously I know the options I have are not "common" but that is different than being "rare" in my eyes. I've seen various build sheets but they typically show e9x by year, color, transmission and body style, NOT by Options.

My car is:
- 2009 M3 (e90)
- 68k miles
- space Gray on black Novillo
- DCT
- no Nav (single hump)
- no EDC

Any insight?!?

[DanMpower]

Originally Posted by getu1

Hey enthusiast,

Long story short, I was considering selling my e90 M3 and luckily a potential buyer needed to back out as I wasn't wanting to sell to begin with. With that, I really plan to keep this car long term as it's somewhat a garage Queen and not driven much.

I am curious to understand if my car is actually rare and to what extent. Obviously I know the options I have are not "common" but that is different than being "rare" in my eyes. I've seen various build sheets but they typically show e9x by year, color, transmission and body style, NOT by Options.

My car is:
- 2009 M3 (e90)
- 68k miles
- space Gray on black Novillo
- DCT
- no Nav (single hump)
- no EDC

Any insight?!?

Sunroof?

[wyatth]

To most, rare and uncommon are synonyms, so how would you numericize the difference?
Either way, the spec seems about as run of the mill as possible to me (not in a bad way).

[jd501]

Originally Posted by wyatth

To most, rare and uncommon are synonyms, so how would you numericize the difference?
Either way, the spec seems about as run of the mill as possible to me (not in a bad way).

It's usually common, uncommon, rare, legendary, exotic, cool ranch, moribund, medium rare, above average.

[akkando]

Anything e90 and single hump is rare.

Things that would make it more rare.

Slicktop
Cloth seats
MT
ZCP
Has Bluetooth audio for music (2011.5)
Any blue

Things that make it more desirable but not really rare

Red interior
Full leather interior
Premium audio

Things that are rare no one seems to care about.
Rear fold seats.
No edc
No headlight washers
No PDC
Melbourne Red
Sparkling Graphite

[Melbourn3]

Originally Posted by akkando

Anything e90 and single hump is rare.

Things that would make it more rare.

Slicktop
Cloth seats
MT
ZCP
Has Bluetooth audio for music (2011.5)
Any blue

Things that make it more desirable but not really rare

Red interior
Full leather interior
Premium audio

Things that are rare no one seems to care about.
Rear fold seats.
No edc
No headlight washers
No PDC
Melbourne Red
Sparkling Graphite

Ehhhh list was good besides the Melbourne red LOL. I am a bit biased though

[akkando]

Originally Posted by Melbourn3

Ehhhh list was good besides the Melbourne red LOL. I am a bit biased though

I think they look great in red, but I have not noticed a big demand or premium for them.

[94jedi]

If no sunroof, then you have a fairly rare track day special. If it was manual, it would be more rare. If 2011 and comp pack, your talk unicorn status.

[GotV8?]

IMO, any E9x M3 that is under 250 miles is Rare and a true garage queen. Other than that...enjoy your car and take good care of it.

[getu1]

Good responses, it does have sunroof.

[2011E90ZCP]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

If no sunroof, then you have a fairly rare track day special. If it was manual, it would be more rare. If 2011 and comp pack, your talk unicorn status.

Mine is a 2011 space gray e90. Comp pkg, slicktop, 6MT, single hump. It has leather seats so the only "rare" option I'm missing is speed cloth but I much prefer leather to speed cloth. By my estimation there are probably less than 50 e90 comp pkg, slicktop, single hump, manual cars in North America in all colors.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by sitzlejd

Mine is a 2011 space gray e90. Comp pkg, slicktop, 6MT, single hump. It has leather seats so the only "rare" option I'm missing is speed cloth but I much prefer leather to speed cloth. By my estimation there are probably less than 50 e90 comp pkg, slicktop, single hump, manual cars in North America in all colors.

Ya that combo is incredibly rare. Every time I hear the actual numbers, it makes me wonder how many of those "50" are actually out in circulation and in decent shape.

[2011E90ZCP]

Mine is in immaculate shape but does have 97k miles. A low mileage car with my same spec might break $60k on BaT.

[Melbourn3]

How much would a unicorn spec e90 zcp pull?

[2011E90ZCP]

As I said above I think it could be as much as $60k with low mileage (maybe sub-40k miles). I watch all the auctions for e9x M3s on BaT and that's my opinion.

[IB M]

Another factor that makes a car "rare" is the amount of mods. A highly modded car is in a different category than a stock or OEM+ car with non-modified cars being harder to find. Many rare spec cars were modded day 1 and more join as time goes on.

[2011E90ZCP]

Originally Posted by IB M

Another factor that makes a car "rare" is the amount of mods. A highly modded car is in a different category than a stock or OEM+ car with non-modified cars being harder to find. Many rare spec cars were modded day 1 and more join as time goes on.

That's a great point. Everyone should do what they want with their cars but major mods definitely devalue the car. I think a lot of people would avoid a supercharged car, for example.

[genebike]

Originally Posted by sitzlejd

Mine is a 2011 space gray e90. Comp pkg, slicktop, 6MT, single hump. It has leather seats so the only "rare" option I'm missing is speed cloth but I much prefer leather to speed cloth. By my estimation there are probably less than 50 e90 comp pkg, slicktop, single hump, manual cars in North America in all colors.

A bit off topic, but hopefully you'll indulge me: Can someone explain to me why this is nearly universally considered the ideal spec? I've been curious about this for a while, especially as it made it difficult to find the e90 I was looking for.

Here's my reasoning: The e90 M3 is one of the best "do everything" cars ever made. Fast. Comfortable. Engaging. Room for 4. Functional trunk. What it's not, is a track day special. It certainly could be made that, but in that circumstance the DCT would be the preference for all out performance not the 6MT. I always thought of the e90 as a great GT car (albeit without overdrive to make it a true GT) in which case the leather, navigation, and sunroof would be welcome. The preference in transmission is just preference and circumstance - I would love a 6MT but I made a deal with the wife I imagine many of us did. For the life of me I can't understand the hatred for the sunroof in our community.

I always reasoned that while you could make an e92 into a very capable and rewarding track car, you wouldn't do that with an e90. And, quite frankly, if all I wanted was a track car I would look at the Cayman before the M3.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by genebike

A bit off topic, but hopefully you'll indulge me: Can someone explain to me why this is nearly universally considered the ideal spec? I've been curious about this for a while, especially as it made it difficult to find the e90 I was looking for.

Here's my reasoning: The e90 M3 is one of the best "do everything" cars ever made. Fast. Comfortable. Engaging. Room for 4. Functional trunk. What it's not, is a track day special. It certainly could be made that, but in that circumstance the DCT would be the preference for all out performance not the 6MT. I always thought of the e90 as a great GT car (albeit without overdrive to make it a true GT) in which case the leather, navigation, and sunroof would be welcome. The preference in transmission is just preference and circumstance - I would love a 6MT but I made a deal with the wife I imagine many of us did. For the life of me I can't understand the hatred for the sunroof in our community.

I always reasoned that while you could make an e92 into a very capable and rewarding track car, you wouldn't do that with an e90. And, quite frankly, if all I wanted was a track car I would look at the Cayman before the M3.

A lot of people turn the E90 into a track car, doors aside there isn't much of a functional difference in the rest of the bits and a lot of people have ditched the rear seats for a bolt in roll cage.

But for me I got my E90 fully loaded because I wanted it for a regular driver. Listening to FM radio on cloth seats doesn't actually sound enjoyable to me. If it was a second car and I live in the CA canyons maybe just taking it out for a spirited cruise would be fun, but at that point I'd want an E92 anyways because I wouldn't have a kid in the back.

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by genebike

A bit off topic, but hopefully you'll indulge me: Can someone explain to me why this is nearly universally considered the ideal spec? I've been curious about this for a while, especially as it made it difficult to find the e90 I was looking for.

Here's my reasoning: The e90 M3 is one of the best "do everything" cars ever made. Fast. Comfortable. Engaging. Room for 4. Functional trunk. What it's not, is a track day special. It certainly could be made that, but in that circumstance the DCT would be the preference for all out performance not the 6MT. I always thought of the e90 as a great GT car (albeit without overdrive to make it a true GT) in which case the leather, navigation, and sunroof would be welcome. The preference in transmission is just preference and circumstance - I would love a 6MT but I made a deal with the wife I imagine many of us did. For the life of me I can't understand the hatred for the sunroof in our community.

I always reasoned that while you could make an e92 into a very capable and rewarding track car, you wouldn't do that with an e90. And, quite frankly, if all I wanted was a track car I would look at the Cayman before the M3.

E9x navigation sucked when it was new. It's a lot worse now, comparatively. No navigation is a huge plus in an old car.

As for the sunroof, well... When you like older cars, you like sunroofs less and less the older the cars get. They break and they're an absolute nightmare to fix. The loss of headroom is also annoying.

[UPSROD]

A lot of you seem to think that a car with no options is a race car! Although a little lighter it is just a cheaply ordered car. Rare because no one wanted or ordered one when new!

[2011E90ZCP]

Im not advocating which is better. That's all personal preference. But the market clearly prefers MT, single hump, slicktop, E90 cars.