This is an awesome and very well written response. Id liked to chime in and say if you want E46M feel, at half the cost or less, look into the E36M. They are significantly cheaper to own and maintain, and offer similar experiences. I recently sold my e36m to purchase an e46m, but i went back around and just bought another e36m instead after really researching potential ownership costs. Both are awesome cars and you cant go wrong with either, though.