1996 BMW 318Ti California Edition 5-Speed

This 1996 BMW 318ti California Edition is finished in Arctic Silver Metallic over a black leather interior, with power supplied from the M44 DOHC 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Offered for only 4 years in the United States, this 318Ti was sold new in Virginia before spending time in California and Maryland during its tenure with three owners. Recent maintenance includes an oil change, in addition to the replacement of the belt tensioner pulley and bushings. Located in Stamford Connecticut, this 318Ti California Edition is now offered for sale on a clean Maryland title in the sellers name.

Finished in Arctic Silver Metallic, the car has had no prior paintwork and shows no accidents or damage reports on the CARFAX. The 318Ti shares the same front end as the 3 Series coupe and sedan, but differs from the A-pillar backward, though the length of the wheelbase is the same. The California edition features a large, power-operated canvas sliding roof, spanning the entire size of the roof panel. The car is equipped with a full rear-opening hatch equipped with a rear wiper. Additional features include black trim around the lower body line, body matched mirror housings, and a single exhaust.

The car rides on 16” BMW E46 wheels finished in silver and wrapped in Continental tires measuring 225/75, were installed six months ago. The braking system consists of power-assisted discs on all four corners.

The interior is fitted with black leather seating with matching door panels, dash, center console, and carpets. The front seats feature 6-way manual adjustability and no signs of rips or tears. A leather-wrapped shifter is located in the center console along with a leather shift boot and switches for the power windows. An Alpine radio has been installed in place of the factory unit and an amplifier is mounted in the rear compartment with no subwoofer connected. Additional features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel & E-brake handle, air conditioning, and cruise control.

Instrumentation consists of a 140-mph speedometer, in addition to a 7K-rpm tachometer, and gauges for fuel level and engine temperature. A digital odometer reads just over 164K miles, 29k of which have been added by the seller.

Under the hood sits the M44 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine factory rated for 138 horsepower and paired with a  5-speed manual transmission.  Maintenance performed during the seller's ownership includes new front lower ball joints, drive belts & tensioners, spark plugs, and an oil change was performed most recently. New transmission mounts, water pump, various hoses and radiator were install in November of 2017.

Additional underside photos are available in the gallery.

Included in the sale some service records and the original books.