Originally created for BMW's motorsport program, the M division has been responsible for many of the greatest cars to ever come from the Bavarian brand. Their first road car was the legendary M1, but since then they've constantly expanded their range to include diesel cars and even SUVs. They're fast, great-looking, and highly desirable machines, but new models today come with a very steep price tag.
Thankfully, buying a BMW M car on the used market doesn't require anywhere near as big a wallet. In fact, there are some real bargains out there, either because they're likely to appreciate in value or just because they're so cheap at the moment. No matter what era of BMW buyers prefer, there's an M car available that's both amazing to drive and temptingly affordable. Let's round up ten of the best deals out there right now.
10 M6 E63
The first M6 was produced from 1983 to 1989, and it took another 18 years before the second generation car came along. The E63/E64 generation car has all the right ingredients, with a 5.0L V10 and a US-only 6-speed manual gearbox.
Today, E63s can be found for just over $15,000, although most buyers will want to spend a few thousand extra to get one in better condition. They're a great alternative to the usual M3s and M5s, and they're quite rare too. Around 9,000 E63s were made globally, with only 701 manual cars.
9 X5 M E70
The sight of an M badge on a big SUV might be enough to enrage some purists, but love them or hate them, it's hard not to acknowledge how capable they are. The X5 M is a car big enough to carry a family and all their luggage, but it's just as fast as the top-level performance sedans from a few years before.
The first generation of X5 M was the E70, and it came with 555 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. Today, E70s sell for a fraction of their original retail price, with higher mileage cars generally listed around $17-20,000.
8 M5 E28
The E28 M5 was the first of its kind, and it's considered the original super sedan. Made from 1984 to 1988, the car came with a 3.5L I6 that made 282 hp, which was seriously impressive for its day.
A total of 2,241 units were produced, making it one of the rarest BMW M cars of all time. Despite that, prices are currently quite reasonable, with recent auctions on Bring a Trailer selling for anywhere between $19k and $50k. As they get older and fewer are left on the road, the value of the E28 is almost certain to go up, so it's best to be quick and buy one now while they're still good value.
7 1M
Sadly, BMW no longer sells the excellent 1 Series compact car in the States, although it lives on in other markets like Europe and Asia. In the short time, it was sold in America, the 1M was the highest-performance variant, although it was originally a bit of a parts-bin special.
It's widely revered as one of the most fun M cars of recent years, and its limited time in production makes it even more desirable. With the American market gravitating towards bigger and bigger cars, it's unlikely that Beemer will ever bring the 1 Series back to America again, so the 1M will be a unique piece of the brand's history. Higher-mileage cars currently sell for just under $40,000 on Bring a Trailer.
6 M3 E46
Probably the most famous of all the M cars is the M3, and of those M3s one of the most well-loved models is the E46. They're a favorite among the modding community too, as they can easily be turned into track monsters or tire-shredding drift cars.
They're also just at the age where they're not quite full-on classics yet, but they've depreciated a lot from when they were new. The E46 is generally the second-cheapest M3 era to buy, with prices starting at around $10,000 and most well looked after cars being sold for around double that.
5 M5 E39
The E39 M5 heralded a big change for the brand, as it was the first BMW M car to receive a V8 engine. That engine made around 400 hp, which was a massive amount at the time and is still more than many performance cars today.
BMW also upgraded much of the M5's chassis, with many components made out of aluminum to make it both lighter and more rigid than the standard 5 Series. It's not the cheapest M5 to buy, as that honor goes to the E60, a car that was brilliant to drive but plagued with mechanical issues. Even so, the E39 is still a bargain, with examples selling for as little as $19,000 in recent months.
4 M4 F82
Production of the F82 M4 ended in 2020, having begun in 2014. That means early model year cars have already had enough time to depreciate to around half their MSRP, with cars on the market for around $33-35,000.
They're a great way to buy a BMW that to many casual car fans will look brand new, but for a huge chunk off the retail price. F82s are great cars to drive as well, with British magazine Evo giving the car 4.5/5 stars overall in their review.
3 M5 F90
Buying an F90 M5 is going to require a much bigger bank account than many of the other options on this list, but for those with the money, it's absolutely worth it. It's the latest version of BMW's signature big sedan, and it sports the kind of performance numbers that mean the term "supercar killer" isn't even an exaggeration here.
A top-spec Competition F90 boasts 617 hp and can sprint from 0-60 in just 3.3 seconds. The standard F90 M5 is almost as quick, taking just 0.1 seconds longer. The cheapest examples of the car at the moment will cost just under $70,000, which might seem like a lot. But, this is a machine that can take on a supercar around a track and still fit the whole family in it. In that context, it's a real bargain.
2 M3 E36
When it comes to rock-bottom prices for M cars, it doesn't get much better than an E36 M3. The absolute cheapest cars are a steal at under $10,000, although anyone buying a car that cheap would have to be very careful that it hasn't been abused by a previous owner.
There's also a lot of aftermarket parts out there for the E36, from light modifications like a new exhaust to full-on transformations like a wide-body Rocket Bunny kit. It's the ideal affordable M car project, although keeping it bone stock will be much better for preserving the E36's value.
1 M2 Competition
Many BMW M buyers might head straight for an M3 or M5 without considering much of the rest of the M range, but they're missing out. The M2 Competition is a real hidden gem, with best-in-class handling and a new, punchier engine out of the M4.
It's so good that Top Gear called it "one of the best driver's cars full stop". That's some seriously high praise, and the best part is that a used M2 isn't even that expensive. A 2019 M2 Competition sold for just $44,500 on Bring a Trailer, and as these cars get older, they might become even more affordable. They're a surefire future classic in the making, so really the question is why more buyers haven't got one already.