Factory build sheet

1998 BMW M3 Automatic

Build WBSCD032-W · 3.2L 6cyl · Sedan

VIN positions 1 through 8 read WBSCD032 and position 10 reads W. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.

Every M3 whose VIN starts WBSCD032 and carries W in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 82 of them.

  • Decoded Sep 9, 2026
  • 82 known VINs

Factory specification

As filed by BMW with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.

Engine

Displacement
3.2 L
Cylinders
6
Configuration
In-Line
Horsepower
240 hp
Fuel type
Gasoline

Drivetrain

Transmission
Automatic

Body & chassis

Body class
Sedan/Saloon
NHTSA body type
PASSENGER CAR
Doors
4
Manufacturer
BMW M GMBH

Weight rating

GVWR class
Class 1
GVWR
6,000 lb or less

Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.

The same build, other model years

BMW used the VIN pattern WBSCD032 for 2 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.

How this VIN pattern is read

A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.

Positions Characters What they encode
1–3 WBS BMW M GMBH · World manufacturer identifier
4–8 CD032 Model, body style, engine and restraint system
9 × Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build
10 W Model year — 1998
11 × Assembly plant
12–17 ×××××× Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle

82 vehicles carry this build

Every VIN we have decoded to WBSCD032-W shares the specification above.

  • 82 Known VINs

Neighboring configurations

Other factory configurations of the M3, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.

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Where this data comes from

Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.

Vehicle counts come from the 82 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.