Gathering knowledge

Another E46 M3 lover....

My name is Kåre Grønbæk – Kaare Groenbaek to people with a more limited alphabet. I am Danish and living not far from Copenhagen (as if anything in Denmark is far from Copenhagen). I have been driving BMWs since the early 1980’ies. It has been E21, E30, E36, E39, E46 and F31 – but the E46 is the favorite.

Denmark is a difficult place to love cars. The tax and duty system is heavy. When the E46 M3 came to market, the price in Denmark was about DKK 1.2 mio (EUR 164.000; USD 190.000; GBP 138.000 at today’s rate).  Presently a decent M3 is about DKK 425.000 (EUR 58.000; USD 67.000; GBP 49.000) – half of which is tax.
But don’t pity us – we generally pay a lot of tax but we also get a lot in return. However, respect will be in place for anyone driving a M3 in Denmark. It must be real love!

My own love for the E46 M3 goes back perhaps 15 years; however it took me years to do the right thing: Buying one. It happened late 2019. Being myself a 1948 model, I bet that I belong to the older part of the M3 owners – but better late than never. I have been a car DIY since the late sixties and am still active with the tools.

My own decision to buy an E46 M3 was based on the following thinking: I asked myself, which car I would choose if I was offered it for free, but with the clause, that I should use it and were not allowed to sell it and buy something else? Any car! In reality it was the same as saying that money was no issue. My answer was E46 M3 with no reservations! Not because I can’t see that some other cars (Porsche, Ferrari etc.) have their attractions, but because the E46 M3 “package” is the best for me – superb engine, impressive handling, high quality and a beautiful, classic design, not flashy and vulgar, but discreet in a kind of understated way.

Now You know – but I’m not the subject here, the M3 is.