・Recent Japanese import ・Under 34,000 miles from new ・Subtle Sport upgrades
The Background
BMW's 3 Series is one of its oldest name plates and most popular vehicles. First introduced in 1977, the 3 Series succeeded the 02 as the brand's small executive car. It's now seven generations in, and the early models are firmly in the realms of the classics.
The format has remained largely the same for the last 40 years, with four-, and six-cylinder engines in the nose driving the rear wheels, and a reputation for sporting ability – and use by police forces across the country.
BMW introduced the fourth generation “E46” in 1997, and it ran through to 2005 before being replaced by the E90, with facelifts in 2001 and 2003.
While it might seem a bit unusual to find a Japanese import BMW, this is an official Japanese-market car. The dealer sticker in the rear window marks it out as a car sold by the Hattori Motors company in Kyoto – part of Japan's BMW Authorised Dealer Network – before the company moved to nearby Otsu.
Like so many Japanese cars, the vehicle's recorded history appears on stickers dotted around the door shuts, so there's no paper trail per se over the intervening time until it showed up available to import to the UK last year.
The current owner picked it up from there, on the basis that it would be something rare and unusual, but is now looking to move it on to make a little room in the garage.
The car comes with all the necessary UK paperwork, with the V5C, the car's first MOT – in September 2020 – and the registration plate allocation from the DVLA, along with first registration duty paid.
There's no formal paperwork prior to the BMW's arrival in the UK, though this isn't particularly unusual with Japanese vehicles. A variety of service centre stickers in the engine bay and door shuts show frequent servicing – including oil and filter, and coolant changes in 2019.
The BMW's cabin has some subtle upgrades, which includes sports seats. Unsurprisingly, given the relatively low mileage, the seats are in almost new condition, with no rips, tears, wear, or markings on either the front seats or the rear bench.
That also applies to the fabrics on the door cards, along with the vinyl trim across the dash and door card uppers, and the extended carbon-fibre-style trim. The interior carpets are all in great condition too, both in the cabin and in the boot. There is some scuffing to the plastic surfaces around the cupholders and forward cubbies, but otherwise the cabin is in good shape.
Notably you'll find the original tool kit in the boot, in pristine condition, as well as the original jack and spare wheel. In common with many Japanese cars you'll also spot the legally required road flare in the passenger footwell.
The cabin electronics, including the original BMW head unit, all function as they ought too.
Thanks to the lack of road salting in Japan, imports often present far better than UK cars of a similar age, and that's certainly the case here.
Even given the fact there's only 34,000 miles on the car, the white – Alpinweiss – paint is almost factory fresh across the body and the factory-fit bodykit. There's a little kerbing on the M Sport alloys, but you have to get up close to spot it.
Along with the other upgrades, there's a xenon headlight upgrade and foglights, and all the vehicle lighting is also in good condition. There's a mild tint to the rear windows, and the glass is in the same great condition as the rest of the exterior.
The benefits to the lack of road-salting in Japan is most obvious underneath. While the BMW is close to 18 years old and has seen some miles, you'd be hard-pressed to spot it.
BMWs have a reputation for being the “Ultimate Driving Machine”, and that requires solid mechanicals – which the 320 here delivers.
The engine starts without hesitation and settles to a good idle with no complaints. It revs well both at rest and under load, with no smoking, and the auto gearbox selects forward and reverse gears without any issues.
This E46 also has M Sport suspension, and there's no problems or undue noises as the car traverses lumps and bumps. The brakes also operate smoothly and without issue.
It's almost inevitable that a BMW 3 Series will become a classic at some point, and the E46's time is surely not far away. This model is a particularly tasteful example of the breed and in a well-preserved condition.
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