Thanks for the responses. I've looked at Chillipeppers ad and agree it looks to be a beautiful car, my only apprehension really is SMG. That said I've never actually driven an SMG, so I'm only going on the prevailing view which seems to be quite negative. But I should probably try to drive one before ruling it out altogether.

In terms of cost, I'm happy to pay >15k for the spec and model I'm looking for, and actually if I am importing from the UK I'm expecting closer to 18k-20k when you factor in VRT. My dilemma is whether to do that or go for an e92, because at the spec and model of e46 I'm looking at you're not a million miles from the cost of a pre-LCI e92.