Factory build sheet
2021 BMW M3 RWD
Build WBS53AY0-M · 3L 6cyl · Rear-wheel drive · Sedan
VIN positions 1 through 8 read WBS53AY0 and position 10 reads M. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every M3 whose VIN starts WBS53AY0 and carries M in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 441 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 441 known VINs
- 16 listed for sale now
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 L
- Cylinders
- 6
- Engine model
- 473 hp 3l i6
- Horsepower
- 473 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Drive type
- Rear-wheel drive
- Transmission
- Automatic
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Sedan/Saloon
- NHTSA body type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Doors
- 4
- Seats
- 5
- Seat rows
- 2
- Series
- 3-Series
- 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.
Driver assistance, as built
- Forward collision warning Standard
- Lane departure warning Standard
- Blind spot warning Standard
Systems the filing does not record are not listed above. Check the window sticker of the exact car before you rely on any single feature.
What this build asks today
Asking prices of live dealer listings decoded to this exact configuration — narrower than the trim-level figure, because every car counted here shares the same engine, transmission and drivetrain.
$64,000 median asking price · 23 listings · as of Aug 30, 2026
Low 2% of listings $54,995 Top 2% of listings $75,977
The same build, other model years
BMW used the VIN pattern WBS53AY0 for 4 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 | 53AY0 | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | M | Model year — 2021 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
441 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to WBS53AY0-M shares the specification above.
- 441 Known VINs
- 16 Listed for sale now
- 23 Priced listings
- $64,000 Median asking
Cars are filed by a fixed rule based on the VIN, so a car never moves between groups.
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.
- 2022 M3 Competition 3L 6-cyl · Sedan saloon · RWD 505 vehicles · $74,048 median
- 2022 M3 xDrive Competition 3L 6-cyl · Sedan saloon · AWD 1,149 vehicles · $77,995 median
- 2022 RWD 3L 6-cyl · Sedan saloon · RWD 422 vehicles · $69,990 median
- 2023 M3 xDrive Competition 3L 6-cyl · Sedan saloon · AWD 1,918 vehicles · $84,900 median
- 2024 M3 xDrive Competition 3L 6-cyl · Sedan saloon · AWD 1,707 vehicles · $87,782 median
Keep going
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.
Prices are asking prices from 23 live dealer listings decoded to this build , last updated August 30, 2026 . They are what sellers ask, not what buyers paid.
Vehicle counts come from the 441 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.