This modified BMW E46 ‘M3’ Touring just sold for nearly $60,000

OK, so it’s not an actual E46 M3 Touring (because BMW only ‘officially’ built one prototype), but what we’ve got here is a 325Xi Sport Wagon with many bits from an M3 - including the fabulous ‘S54’ 3.2-litre inline-six.

That should mean it pushes close to the 348bhp and 269lb ft of the car it’s imitating and get to 62mph in just over five seconds. Its previous owner has even thrown on the brakes from a 996-generation Porsche 911. Some Frankenstein project, this. 

And it gets even better, because two big mechanical conversions also happened during this rebuild: first, it was fitted with a six speed manual transmission. Second, the all-wheel drive system was ditched for a rear-wheel drive configuration to make it closer to a real M3. Ooh indeed.

The body kit, bonnet and flared arches are also plugged directly from a proper donor car, while the 19in Forged Club alloys are sat ahead of adjustable Bilstein coilovers and wrapped around Michelin tyres. The whole look is complete with a lick of Silver Grey Metallic paint which, anoraks will know, was part of BMW’s original palate for the E46 M3.

The interior follows a slightly different path, with pedals from AC Schnitzer, seat belts from an F80-generation M3 CS and plenty of carbon fibre trim in places like the steering wheel and column. So it’s not entirely like-for-like.

Other bits include a sunroof and a CD player - remember those things? Oh, there’s also a new speedometer which tops out at 185mph, though the original car’s derestricted figure was actually closer to 173. 

Reckon $60,000 (or around 46,000 of His Majesty’s finest) was a fair amount?