Awesome story. I love E46s. Every time I see one in good condition on the road, I always wish I had one over my e90. I can tell you took very good condition of your old car. It really does look like it's in new condition on the outside. To me, stories like that are what the brand is all about. And I think a lot of companies (toyota, subaru) are trying to recreate that "legacy" with their recent commercials. Not that they don't have their own loyal following. But it's that passion all of us BMW owners share that makes these cars so awesome. Congrats on the new f30.
