There are so many contenders here, but SUVs can be ruled out, purists will only focus on coupes and sedans and all but the unusually brave will steer clear of anything with a V10 under their hood.

The best rule of thumb with M cars is that less really is more, and it always has been. These cars are cheaper, lighter and more fun to drive than their powerful overweight counterparts.

All used cars are outrageously expensive at the moment, but a five-year-old BMW M2 for £27,000 sounds tempting and under £20,000 is probably enough to secure an E90-gen M3, with its screaming naturally aspirated V8 and, above all, the standard manual gearbox.

But if there’s an exceptional used M car, it has to be an E46 M3, built between 2000 and 2006. Powered by a blistering straight-six and with amazing chassis balance, in terms of value for money and driving pleasure, it is the biggest M car in the world today.

You can buy leggy cars for as little as £16,000, but it might be cheaper in the long run to set aside £25,000 and get a low-mileage, late-model coupe. And avoid the SMG box…

Mike Duff: BMW M3 [E90]

While many have lost money trying to guess the used M car market, it’s clear that the 2007 M3 is already on an upward trajectory, motivated by the fact that it is, at the moment. exception of the ultra-rare E46 M3 GTR. , the only V8-powered M3.