- Recently, a 1988 BMW M3 sold for $250,000 on the car auction website, Bring a Trailer.
- Most M3s from that generation sell in the $50,000- to $70,000-range.
- You could buy Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches for that amount of money.
Are you sitting down? Good, because this 1988 BMW M3 just sold on Wednesday for $250,000.
It was listed on the car auction website Bring a Trailer recently, with the final bid totaling a quarter of a million dollars.
There's no denying that it's a special car.
The M3 is the best version that a BMW 3 Series will ever be, and this one happens to be from the E30 generation — arguably the most beloved and iconic generation of the 3 Series ever made.
With attractive boxy styling and a very analog driving experience — manual transmission, lightweight body, rear-wheel drive — the E30 M3 is prized among enthusiasts and collectors.
Certainly, part of the reason why this M3 sold for so much money is that it only has 8,000 miles on its odometer. It's practically new, mechanically.
And the inside looks utterly pristine.
Still, though. Most E30 M3s typically sell in the $50,000- to $70,000-range, according to this Bring a Trailer chart.
Just for fun, let's take a look at what other cars you could have gotten for $250,000.
This 2006 Ford GT, which sold for $247,000.
And this gorgeous, red 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, sold for $251,000.
1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV.
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Or a 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. Sold for $252,000.
2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster.
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This excellent 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS sold for $249,000.
2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
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A 2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica that sold for $246,000.
2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica.
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Or perhaps this 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster, sold for $245,000.
1958 Porsche 356A Speedster.
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With 1,000 miles on the clock, this 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider was basically new and sold for $240,588.
2018 Ferrari 488 Spider.
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A 2018 McLaren 720S, which sold for $230,000.
2018 McLaren 720S.
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This 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster was sold for $230,000 after one owner had it for 35 years.
1958 Porsche 356A Speedster.
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Then there's this 2016 Porsche 911 R that sold for $237,000 and only had 463 miles on it.
2016 Porsche 911 R.
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Here's another Lamborghini Countach, this one from 1989, and sold for $241,000.
1989 Lamborghini Countach.
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This is a truly gorgeous 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT that sold for $252,500.
1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT.
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Yet another Ford GT, this one from 2005. Sold for $236,000.
This 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello is a six-speed and sold for $235,000.
2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello.
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Or this truly weird 2006 Spyker C8 Spyder, sold for $240,000.
2006 Spyker C8 Spyder.
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