Following the runaway success of the first-generation BMW M3, both on the track and in showrooms, the announcement of its successor in November 1992 was understandably met with some trepidation. Fans of the marque need not have worried: not only did the E36 bring with it much needed modernisation in terms of styling, it also boasted a useful increase in power thanks to the all-new six-cylinder, 282 horsepower S50 engine.

Initially launched in coupé guise only, early examples such as this—before the arrival of the uprated ‘Evolution’ model in 1995—featured a 2,990-cc straight-six engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The car offered here was completed on 28 June 1993, prior to being road registered on 7 July of that year. It was finished in the timeless combination of Sterling Silver over an Anthracite M cloth and Amaretta interior. The accompanying service book indicates that the car spent its early life in north-west Germany, benefitting from no fewer than nine service stamps. The most recent service took place on 27 July 2020 in Norway, after the car had been imported to the country in 2019; accompanying invoices amount to more than NOK 30,000 (approx. CHF 2,500) and detail, among other works, replacement of fuel hoses. Service records support the indicated mileage at the time of cataloguing of 61,264 kilometres, while the car is accompanied by an owner’s manual, service book, and tools.

This well presented and tastefully specified M3 will appeal to those seeking a top-quality example of BMW’s E36-generation sports coupé.