BMW 3 Series M SPORT SHADOW EDITION cars

What is the BMW 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition?

The top-spec BMW 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition comes loaded with kit and gets an even more aggressive-looking bodykit over standard models, making it a truly appealing option for anyone after a sporty saloon.

A used 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition ticks a lot of boxes because besides being a top-notch car with an endless kit list and high levels of build quality, it’s also a surprisingly practical saloon that you can use as a regular family car.

While Shadow Edition was a limited edition available on top of the already sporty-looking M Sport, BMW sold a lot of them, and there are plenty to pick from, but they all belong to the sixth-generation F30 model.

– Read our BMW 3 Series review

What are the BMW 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition specs?

Although BMW didn’t sell its less powerful engines for this trim level, there’s still and endless list of options that you can pick from.

The most popular are the 184hp 320i and 252hp 330i petrols, and the 190hp 320d diesel, which both use 2.0-litre engines. There are also 3.0-litre variants, including the 258hp 330d and 313hp 335d diesels, and the 326hp 340i petrol.

You could also get the 252hp 330e plug-in hybrid, which will do around 20 miles on electric power. Depending on your pick, there are manuals and automatics, plus a choice of rear- and four-wheel drive.

Used BMW 3 Series Shadow Edition features and equipment

When BMW launched the Shadow Edition variants of its already popular M Sport models in 2017, it added even more style to the 3 Series, including the M Sport Plus package with darkened LED headlights, smoked rear lights, black kidney grilles and mirror caps, dark chrome exhaust pipes and large 19-inch alloys.

The 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition also comes with an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system, automatic high beams, and all the other kit included on regular M Sport cars.

This equipment includes a dual-zone climate control system, all-around parking sensors, cruise control, and an infotainment system with sat-nav and Bluetooth.

Where the 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition sits in the BMW range

When the 3 Series M Sport Shadow Edition went on sale, it was the most expensive version of the 3 Series you could get this side of the extremely fast M3.

It shares a lot of parts with the very popular M Sport trim, which sits above the mid-level Sport and the entry-level SE.

A few variants of the main trim levels were also available, including a special M Sport model for the 340i with an even sportier design and some EfficientDynamics (ED) variants of Sport and SE with more aerodynamic features.