Traction Inc.

“I think that the E46 M3 will be remembered as one of the great performance cars. Of the top 50 performance cars of the past 50 years, the E46 may be the most complete package of all.”

“I think that the move toward technology in cars is going to mean that cars having celebrated not having technology in the past will become more collectable… I think that an M3 with a manual gearbox will be worth twice an SMG car.”

— Chris Harris, Is Technology Making Cars Worse?

Cars that keep me skimming the classifieds:
BMW M3 (E46), from $12,000

With 333 horsepower on tap, the third-generation BMW M3 made 104 hp/liter on the way to an 8000 rpm redline. Though larger, heavier and more refined than its predecessors, the E46 M3 was much faster—hitting 60 mph in under five seconds and running the quarter mile in the low 13’s.  An exceptionally comfortable and capable street car, it is just as at home smoking its brakes and tires around a race track.  While not cheap to maintain or insure, this is one hell of a car for the money.  (Photo Tom Daem, via motoriginal)