Stalone's BMW E46 M3
Photography & Words By Wynn
2006 BMW M3
There is no question that BMW is known for making some of the most spectacular driving cars. The list of fantastic driving machines to come out of the Bavarian realm is immense. Yet, there are models within this expansive list that standout amongst the rest.
One of these cars has to be the E46 M3, it is without doubt one of the most beloved BMW's to date. The M3 differed so drastically from the normal going 3 Series, from its bulbous fenders to that legendary S54 engine (one of the all time best engines for me). Now of course with this car being so beloved by enthusiasts, there is no scarcity of them on the roads. Which is why when you see one that looks like Stalone's cruising down the street, you have to take a second look. It stands out from the crowd so elegantly it's practically art.
I originally came across Stalone's M3 on Instagram and was instantly a fan of the way the car looked. One of my favorite things about curating the Oaties site is that moment I get to see the car in person (for the first time or again) glimmering in the sun as it arrives to the shoot location. As with many of my shoots, I can usually hear the car coming before I see it. It was no different with Stalone's M3 as it bellowed down the adjacent street of our shoot location. Instantly I perked up and scanned the roads, eventually seeing Stalone's impeccable M3 rolling up. It's moments like these that bring a smile to my face and are why I enjoy curating the Oaties site. The car looks impeccable in person. "My first M3 was a 2004..but it was convertible..(so I) sold it, because I didn't really like the convertible" Stalone jokingly began as I asked him how he landed on owning an M3. With the convertible gone, Stalone was itching for an M3 again. As luck would have it, Stalone had a friend who was selling a low mileage example. Having an idea of roughly what direction he wanted to head in with the coupe, Stalone quickly got down to work and fixed up all the little necessities. The next step was to add a set of KW Coilovers to have the M3 sitting oh so perfectly over a gorgeous set of WORK Meister's.
Next Stalone was able to track down a genuine CSL front bumper with a molded HRGT lip. He also decided to go with a CSL trunk that does a fantastic job in bringing the whole package together. Like I said at the top, the E46 M3 is one of the most beloved bimmers. With its muscular bodylines, lovely sounding straight-six and those quad exhaust tips, the M3 stands out (even in stock form) from the crowd of mundane automobiles you'll find on the streets. So when you add the various tasteful additions that Stalone has done, it brings the whole car to a completely different level. Yet Stalone didn't stop at these little additions, he has also changed out the diffuser to a carbon fibre option as well as swapping to a Renown steering wheel inside. Another excellent choice Stalone made was to add the Vorsteiner hood which drastically differs this M3 yet another notch from others in the wild. Future plans have the M3 getting a complete Supersprint exhaust system to have this car even throatier then it already seems to be. Also Stalone has decided to start tracking this car casually and therefore is deciding on a second set of dedicated track wheels.
Without question, this car is a piece of work. Like I said at the top, the E46 M3 is one of those car that will always be a pinnacle of what the perfect car is to many enthusiasts. With that said, it isn't surprising to see many of them on the local roads day to day. However, when an owner of one of these brilliant cars takes it upon themselves to create something different from the pack and the outcome looks like the car you see before you, you have to tip your hat to them.
We seem to live in a world where normality is in many ways expected of us. We all seem to be surrounded by mundane cars that all seem to look exactly the same. In a sense, Stalone has brought back the character and soul of cars from yesteryear, a time when fuel economy and cabin quietness weren't necessarily a factor for manufacturers when creating a new car. It was the last era of cars that were more about the feeling you get while driving them and (maybe) more importantly the feeling you get walking away from it. Stalone's M3 was already a great car before any of the changes were made, but now as it sat there at the shoot location it revealed it now has character, it now has a soul.
