I'm about to winterize the M3 again for my 3rd winter and put her away until warm weather returns. However, my wife and I were having a discussion about how a "year-round" convertible might be a great car to have. Sure, the fixed hardtop option for an E46 may not have the same level of convenience as an actual folding hardtop. But she's curious what it would cost to get one. So my questions are: What sort of sources are there for procuring an E46 hardtop? I'm open to used. In fact, I think I'd have sticker shock going to the parts department. I'd need it in Carbon Black... a very common color. What are people's opinions on the matter? We have the M3 as a fun car. We pretty much only drive it on nice days (weekends mostly). I generally don't even take it to work on a nice day. We have the daily driver for all the mileage-accumulating driving. Is there any real reason to put a hardtop on, maybe buy a set of winter wheels/tires, and put more miles on the car and expose her to potholed roads and salt? (Besides the obvious joy of driving a great car more often and not having to suffer 3-5 months without.) In the end, I think the conversation was about having only a single car... a hardtop convertible that could be a daily driver year-round. A great solution for us, and one that would cost less than maintaining two cars. But I sure would miss the utility of the station wagon.
