I bought a used 2000 BMW 328I in 2005, and it was an awesome car. It was a great combination of sporty and luxury. Mine was silver, and I remember smoking out the turn signals, taillights and blinkers, and putting on 18-inch black rims with a chrome lip. It never had any mechanical issues except with one of the tail lights going out due to faulty wiring. I kept it until 2009, when I traded it in for a Nissan 350Z.
I believe the legend of the lead foot is absolutely real. I have never had problems with any of my cars (knock on wood) because I don't beat the shit out of them in the first place.