published on in Prominent Personality

A 32-year-old mint-condition BMW M3 just sold for $250,000. Here are 15 cars you could buy instead.

2020-07-26T12:54:00Z
  • Recently, a 1988 BMW M3 sold for $250,000 on the car auction website, Bring a Trailer.
  • Most M3s from that generation sell in the $50,000- to $70,000-range.
  • You could buy Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches for that amount of money. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Are you sitting down? Good, because this 1988 BMW M3 just sold on Wednesday for $250,000. 

It was listed on the car auction website Bring a Trailer recently, with the final bid totaling a quarter of a million dollars. 

There's no denying that it's a special car.

The M3 is the best version that a BMW 3 Series will ever be, and this one happens to be from the E30 generation — arguably the most beloved and iconic generation of the 3 Series ever made. 

1988 BMW M3. Bring a Trailer
1988 BMW M3. Bring a Trailer

With attractive boxy styling and a very analog driving experience — manual transmission, lightweight body, rear-wheel drive — the E30 M3 is prized among enthusiasts and collectors. 

1988 BMW M3. Bring a Trailer

Certainly, part of the reason why this M3 sold for so much money is that it only has 8,000 miles on its odometer. It's practically new, mechanically.

1988 BMW M3. Bring a Trailer

And the inside looks utterly pristine. 

1988 BMW M3. Bring a Trailer

Still, though. Most E30 M3s typically sell in the $50,000- to $70,000-range, according to this Bring a Trailer chart.

Just for fun, let's take a look at what other cars you could have gotten for $250,000.

This 2006 Ford GT, which sold for $247,000.

2006 Ford GT. Bring a Trailer

And this gorgeous, red 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV, sold for $251,000.

1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV. Bring a Trailer

Or a 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. Sold for $252,000.

2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. Bring a Trailer

This excellent 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS sold for $249,000.

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Bring a Trailer

A 2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica that sold for $246,000.

2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica. Bring a Trailer

Or perhaps this 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster, sold for $245,000.

1958 Porsche 356A Speedster. Bring a Trailer

With 1,000 miles on the clock, this 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider was basically new and sold for $240,588.

2018 Ferrari 488 Spider. Bring a Trailer

A 2018 McLaren 720S, which sold for $230,000.

2018 McLaren 720S. Bring a Trailer

This 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster was sold for $230,000 after one owner had it for 35 years.

1958 Porsche 356A Speedster. Bring a Trailer

Then there's this 2016 Porsche 911 R that sold for $237,000 and only had 463 miles on it.

2016 Porsche 911 R. Bring a Trailer

Here's another Lamborghini Countach, this one from 1989, and sold for $241,000.

1989 Lamborghini Countach. Bring A Trailer

This is a truly gorgeous 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT that sold for $252,500.

1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT. Bring a Trailer

Yet another Ford GT, this one from 2005. Sold for $236,000.

2005 Ford GT. Bring a Trailer

This 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello is a six-speed and sold for $235,000.

2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello. Bring a Trailer

Or this truly weird 2006 Spyker C8 Spyder, sold for $240,000.

2006 Spyker C8 Spyder. Bring a Trailer

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