kaputt it's absolutely a strange market, I've seen several pretty beat ones go quickly for top dollar and nice ones sit on the market for months on end.
It was a tough one to let go of and I hope I own one (no pun intended!) again someday.
And I'm in total agreement with you regarding the BMW recipe. It's really the last of the classic formula BMW perfected in the 80s: RWD + N/A 6 cylinder + third pedal + ~3,000 lbs and relatively small. My e92 did not have the same feel as e46s, e36, or e30s of days past.
The wagon is fantastic so far and honestly it's the only vehicle that made me move on from the 1er. The two cars are very similar to drive as you'd expect with so many parts in common. The 1er feels lighter on its feet and feels more nimble with a better steering rack. My e91 is quicker with 3IM + software but you can still feel the extra few hundred pounds.
All in, with similar mods an e91 will offer 90% of the enjoyment while being 200% more practical compared to an e82. They're both low production vehicles but at the end of the day a Dad car made more sense.
I'll be following your build thread with anticipation! I still find myself on 1addicts more than e90post
For those interested I started a build thread for the e91 here:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1453866