# When will E46 M3 prod. cease?



## CMOS (Oct 1, 2002)

Anyone care to venture when E46 M3 production will cease?

I'm trying to figure out how long the gap between the last E46 M3 and production commences on the next M3/M4 design?

Thanks!
CMOS


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## Bruce (Dec 24, 2001)

The E46 was introduced for MY99 in sedan form and MY00 for coupe form, MY01 for M3. BMW normally runs of 7 year product cycles. So that means the E90 sedan should be ready for MY06, coupe for MY07. M cars normally run 1-2 model years behind, so don't expect an E90 M3 or M4 til MY08 at the earliest.

HTH,
Bruce


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## CMOS (Oct 1, 2002)

Once BMW starts production on an M version of a car, does BMW generally continue to produce M versions until that body style ceases production or does BMW stop building M cars before the regular production stops.

Thanks!


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## Bruce (Dec 24, 2001)

As a general rule of thumb the M car production stops about the time the regular version ends. I'll need an example to make this clear....

E36 M3/4 production was only 2 years simply because E36 sedan production ended with MY98 as the E46 sedan was ready for production. BMW was unable to continue to build the E36 M3/4 when E46 sedans were being produced.

Does that make sense?

I say general rule of thumb as sometimes M cars stop production a few months before regular prduction ends.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Actually M car production usually goes on for an extra year after the normal cars stop.

The E30 M3 production went into the initial E36 production as did the E36 (E46 in MY 99 but still E36 M3 MY99).

Also M version normally lag at least 2 MY after initial introduction of a new series.


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## Bruce (Dec 24, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> *Actually M car production usually goes on for an extra year after the normal cars stop.
> 
> The E30 M3 production went into the initial E36 production as did the E36 (E46 in MY 99 but still E36 M3 MY99).
> 
> Also M version normally lag at least 2 MY after initial introduction of a new series. *


Not exactly. The way BMW production lines are set up they can't produce M cars when non M cars have ceased production (i.e. you can't still make E39 M5s when E60 5ers start production).

For the E36/46 change over. The E46 sedan was introduced for MY99, E36 M3 SEDAN production ended with MY98. The reason there was a MY99 E36 M3 is that there still was E36 COUPE production. Once the E36 COUPE ended production so did the E36 M3.

There is no hard and fast rule for when M cars will come out. General rule of thumb as far as I can tell is 1-2 model years. In the Z3 it was one model year (Z3 introd in 96, Euro M roadster availble in 97), E46 M3 available one year after E46 coupe production started (MY00 to MY01). In the case of the E39 M5 it was 3 years (MY97 to MY00).

FYI- E30 M3 production ended for MY91. The E36 wasn't introduced until MY92.


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