I always wanted an M3, I currently have an 03 G35 Sedan
My gf has a 1999 e320, at first I did not think much of her car but slowly i discovered that its a well put together car, nice body lines and it has character. Just now I found out about an e55 AMG and I was blown away by the specs, it's like a corvette with 4 doors.
My question is: why is it that i can find a used 2001 E55 for 11,000 in comparison with a 2001 M3 or M5 for example which would easily be twice that price? Is reliability a big problem or what is it? I just can't figure it out....

 

I have always been a fan of the M3/M5 also and thought I was going to have one after I sold my porsche (I also had a corvette that I sold to get the Pcar because I wanted a backseat). And you are right, the E55 is similar to a vette with 4 doors... only faster ;-)
After finding out about the E55 (2003 and up) and driving one I was blown away by the power and luxury. The M3 is a fun car, but if you are comparing the E46 M3's to the W211 E55's there is no comparison. I haven't driven any of the earlier series E55's but I would guess they are almost as much fun as the later edition E55's. No complaints on my purchase so far. Let us know if you buy one.