If you are in the market for an E46 BMW, the options are plentiful. You can have a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, a wagon, and a convertible; Automatics or manual transmissions, and besides the convertible, they all have an AWD option. Pick your poison.

Unfortunately, my E46 is an automatic and a convertible.

We will tackle these two issues separately.​

• Chapter 1 – The Automatic Transmission

​

There are many different E46s; mine is the 330Ci.
The 330Ci has the most powerful engine available, excluding the M3 – I always feel the need to brag about that. Ultimately, I didn’t have the money for the M3, and even though the M54 is a great engine (that’s the six-cylinder in most E46 models, including mine), it simply isn’t as bespoke as the S54 from the M3.

Nonetheless, my M54 has its own cult following. I’m not using the word ‘cult’ lightly, by the way; I know a man who wants me to open the bonnet of my car so that he can drool over my engine before we even start talking. That’s like having an attractive woman as a friend and, before saying hello, asking if you can see her breasts.
Last week, he asked me if he could have sex with my car. He meant it as a joke, but still.

All that to say, it is a great engine.

Most great things can be paired with another great thing to make one wonderful thing. Like steak and wine, a beach and a sunset, a great engine and a manual transmission.

Unfortunately, because I’m an idiot, I didn’t buy a 330Ci with a stick shift. And honestly, it feels like eating a steak while drinking water, or being at the beach on a cloudy day. It’s nice, but it could be so much better.

​

• Chapter 2 – The Convertible

​

Convertibles are like alcohol; the good times are fantastic, but the bad times are particularly enoying.

The day I bought my car, I immediately drove to Bill’s shop. Bill owns a shop called Carusso’s Top Shop; he fixes convertibles. Here, in the desert of California, business is plentiful. He’s very knowledgeable, and I wanted him to guide me on the proper maintenance to avoid any issues with the roof. I was informed that convertible tops break; that’s what they do. It’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’, and there was nothing I could do about it besides not using it.

News flash: he was right. I used it, and it broke.

The worst part: it keeps breaking… There is no light at the end of this tunnel – just darkness. And it’s expensive to fix, too…

There’s a point in the life of a man who owns a convertible when he will ask himself if it’s worth it. Is the repair bill, the time, and the hassle worth it?

When my Ray-Bans are on my nose, the sun is on my face, and my hair is in the air, I think it is, yes. Then, the rain comes, my roof decides to stay open, and the uphill battle begins.

Like nailing JELL-O to the wall, it can be infuriating. But it’s like living in a dream when everything does work out.

​

• Chapter 3 – It’s awful, I love it.

​

This BMW 330Ci is a great car. What separates it from being a fantastic car is things that could have easily been avoided; I didn’t need to buy an automatic, nor did I need a convertible. The safe bet would be a two-door coupe with a manual. That’s a close-to-perfect car.

I don’t know what compelled me to get the one I got; to be honest, I don’t recommend following my footsteps. It’s stressful and a little masochistic.

But if you do decide to buy a convertible, automatic, E46 330Ci, I hope you have fun.

Because, despite its flaws, I sure have.

Max.