BMW M Roadster & Coupe (E36)- A unique supercar that offers different styling yet classic performance and handling. Under $20,000
BMW M3 (E46)- Often
considered the best sports car in the world with room for the whole
family. The E46 edition comes in coupe and convertible models. Under $20,000 
BMW M3 (E36)- Often
considered the best sports car in the world with room for the whole
family. The E36 edition comes in coupe, convertible and sedan models. Under $10,000BMW ///M History & Review
M
stands for motor sport, and that is exactly the mentality of this
in-house tuner. The M division of BMW takes normal BMW sedans, coupes,
convertibles and even SUVs and tunes them to near race-spec performance
for the street. This means that any BMW bearing the three M stripes
can be classified as a supercar. M cars feature upgraded engines,
suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and exterior and interior styling
improvements over a stock BMW. All of these cars are comfortable and
practical enough to use every day, however they can all be used on the
track or during serious driving as well. Thus, BMW M cars are the
perfect combination of luxury and exotic sports car performance. The M division of BMW was founded in 1972 with just 8 employees. The original goal of the division was to improve BMW’s racing program which was extremely strong in the 1960s and 70s. By the late 70s, the M division had begun to modify street cars for the factory race drivers to drive home on the weekends. In 1978, BMW revealed its first full fledged M street car. The M1 was a purpose built supercar that featured a body designed by Lamborghini. Just a year later an M version of the 5-series sedan was released, and the rest is history. Every M car since then has kept this racing heritage to heart as they incorporate race-like performance in an everyday car.
The most popular M car to date has been the BMW M3. This car is based on the famous BMW 3-series, but features highly modified performance parts. The current lineup of M cars includes the M3 of course, but many others such as the M5, M6, X5 M, X6 M, M coupe and M Roadster. Some of the models are available in different forms as well. For example the M3 is available as a sedan, coupe or convertible. The main competitors of the M division are Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division and Audi’s high performance S and RS models. The M3 seems to be the current benchmark for supercar sedans however, and thus many other companies try to match its magic formula.
Traditionally BMW M cars are rather expensive. BMW’s are not cheap cars to begin with, and once the M division has touched every part of the car with their magic, the price can be astonishing. Luckily, these prices drop significantly after a few years. This means some of the best performing luxury cars are available at discount prices. Take a look at our suggestions for the best cheap BMW M supercars.