E46 M3 - Coupe vs Convertible

[Glenred]

Sounds great after 3500 revs with the roof down


Just my opinion

[taters]

Glenred said:

Sounds great after 3500 revs with the roof down


Just my opinion

Has a dog pee'd on the rear wheel?

Ive had 3 coupe and 2 cabriolet e46 M3 and I certainly wouldn't say it was night and day. Sure the cab wobbles a bit on the jutted road but once pressing on and loading the car correctly through the bends then its fine.

In the real world very few will be able to get anywhere near the limits of the vert never mind the coupe as most drivers think they are far better than they are. Plus mostly you will be driving in the same line of traffic as everyone else so go buy a vert if you want one. The roof dropped and the s54 barking its tune is unrivalled.

[nw28840]

Vert with a hardtop

Although to be fair this was the day I bought the car and the hardtop went on the car for approx 10 days after that in my 4 years of ownership !

Fantastic car, I loved the SMG gearbox......owned a 330 vert ( bought new ) before this , they are VERY different cars.

Good luck making your choice, just be sure to take your time and buy the right car.

[Cheib]

I went on a BMW organised M car tack day back in 2004 with my E46 M3....it was almost exclusively M3's in either coupe or covertible form. It was interesting just how much slower the convertibles were regardless of who was driving them.

If you want a convertible get a 330.

[thebigmacmoomin]

I am looking for an E46 M3 aswell. I always wanted a coupe but the cabrio is now the one im after. I've never had a cabrio before (or a car with a sunroof either).

[fastka]

always the coupe, always, always, always.
i have never understood convertibles...why would you want to? might as well ride a motorbike.

OP...you say you are not a driving god but the only problem i found with my coupe was with the sunroof when wearing a helmet on a trackday. i'm 6ft 3in and the reduced headroom was a pain.

without the helmet though, the sunroof is nice to have although my next ///M won't have one.

[thegreengoblet]

I love my convertible but am selling it due to little use and my misses getting a company car - which means I need to have the family bus

Any feedback on my advert would be appreciated

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

I think it's the right price for a private vehicle. And I'm getting the dents looked at this Friday and may well put another 12months MOT on it just to help sell it.

What do you all reckon?

[torqueofthedevil]

thegreengoblet said:

I love my convertible but am selling it due to little use and my misses getting a company car - which means I need to have the family bus

Any feedback on my advert would be appreciated

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

I think it's the right price for a private vehicle. And I'm getting the dents looked at this Friday and may well put another 12months MOT on it just to help sell it.

What do you all reckon?

Is it true that 2005 and later pay more tax?

Eg up from 280 to 450?

[thegreengoblet]

No. The changes came into effect in March 2006.

[BuzyG]

Mr Wolf said:

Nothing against a convertible car but I really don't think an M car should be a convertible.

The whole' Motorsport ethos of the highly tuned engine and sublime chassis is completely pissed upon by cutting off the roof, reducing stiffness and increasing weight.

All imho of course

Unless the car was designd from the ground up as an open top. See Z4 Elise Caterham7, Coxster. Hence why the Z4MR is a more fun car to drive than the Z4MC. IMO

As for the M3 Convertable, S4 etc totaly agree, cars where designed as Family hacks and cutting the roof off, tends to turn them into, slow, heavy, wobly things, when campared to their roofed equivilemts.

[E31Shrew]

Interesting thread.

I have been mulling over either a 330 Cab or M3 Cab. All out performance is not a priority but just looking at the M3 makes me go weak so starting to veer that way. However still seems to be about a £4k difference for the same age / mileage, so bearing in mind intended usage, not sure I can stomach the difference.

All fairly irrelevant as have only just put my 840 up for sale!

[Maxus]

E31Shrew said:

Interesting thread.

I have been mulling over either a 330 Cab or M3 Cab. All out performance is not a priority but just looking at the M3 makes me go weak so starting to veer that way. However still seems to be about a £4k difference for the same age / mileage, so bearing in mind intended usage, not sure I can stomach the difference.

All fairly irrelevant as have only just put my 840 up for sale!

You won't be disappointed with a 330 convertible................but you will wish that you bought an M3!
I went through exactly the same thought process, bought a 330 (which I love) but I am always browsing for M3's.

[E31Shrew]

Maxus said:

E31Shrew said:

Interesting thread.

I have been mulling over either a 330 Cab or M3 Cab. All out performance is not a priority but just looking at the M3 makes me go weak so starting to veer that way. However still seems to be about a £4k difference for the same age / mileage, so bearing in mind intended usage, not sure I can stomach the difference.

All fairly irrelevant as have only just put my 840 up for sale!

You won't be disappointed with a 330 convertible................but you will wish that you bought an M3!
I went through exactly the same thought process, bought a 330 (which I love) but I am always browsing for M3's.

Thanks chap. Youre not the first to say it! Would it be madness to go for Phoenix Yellow? I think it looks stunning but perhaps others dont!

Edited by E31Shrew on Thursday 12th September 23:24

[gaz1234]

And manual with ssk

[E31Shrew]

Maxus said:

E31Shrew said:

Interesting thread.

I have been mulling over either a 330 Cab or M3 Cab. All out performance is not a priority but just looking at the M3 makes me go weak so starting to veer that way. However still seems to be about a £4k difference for the same age / mileage, so bearing in mind intended usage, not sure I can stomach the difference.

All fairly irrelevant as have only just put my 840 up for sale!

You won't be disappointed with a 330 convertible................but you will wish that you bought an M3!
I went through exactly the same thought process, bought a 330 (which I love) but I am always browsing for M3's.

Car in your profile looks stunning

[phatgixer]

330ci for convertible

M3 for coupe

[Maxus]

E31Shrew said:

Maxus said:

E31Shrew said:

Interesting thread.

I have been mulling over either a 330 Cab or M3 Cab. All out performance is not a priority but just looking at the M3 makes me go weak so starting to veer that way. However still seems to be about a £4k difference for the same age / mileage, so bearing in mind intended usage, not sure I can stomach the difference.

All fairly irrelevant as have only just put my 840 up for sale!

You won't be disappointed with a 330 convertible................but you will wish that you bought an M3!
I went through exactly the same thought process, bought a 330 (which I love) but I am always browsing for M3's.

Car in your profile looks stunning

Thanks, very kind. Especially from the owner of an 8!

Phoenix yellow looks fantastic out in the sun. Really stands out. If you like it go for it, but be prepared for mixed opinion. Laguna Seca Blue is also a nice rare colour.

[Stone Cold]

phatgixer said:

330ci for convertible

M3 for coupe

What you doing in here, get back to BB

[robbiekhan]

Bit of a bump as I just remembered this thread from when I was looking at buying an M3 and figured now that it's been a good 7 months+ since owning one, would be worth some feedback as no doubt others will be looking at these cars now that prices are steady for good examples.

The handling:
My car is on CSL tyre sizes (PSS rear and PS2 front but will go PSS all round) and on stock 19" wheels. The handling I find to be very good. there is minor scuttle but only over bumpy roads. When cornering the turn in and feedback is tight and as I'd expect. On smooth surfaces it's fine.

The noise:
Having hooned in both coupe and convertible, there is no equal to a convertible for the exhilaration the convertible offers. As you approach maximum power output at ~7010rpm and think about shifting, your ears pop from the sheer noise and feel as the wind and drama surrounds you. A fixed roof, even with sunroof, will never give that same feeling. Roof down makes you feel more engulfed by your surroundings.

Having said that, of course the coupe with be tighter as you'd expect, but it's not the night and day some mention, it's better, but not night and day better. If you're mostly spending your time on a track then you're not going to be looking at a convertible anyway really.

Both formats have their place and people buy them for different reasons. As mentioned early on, check out both and weigh in your use. I drive 4000~ miles a year and it's all leisure with no track time. I enjoy driving on our Hampshire roads on nice weekends and I can't think of a better way to do that than with the roof down and exploiting 7-8000rpm here and there

My car is a manual btw, I think this adds to the involvement factor somewhat. I can make it as smooth as I want then on tap be absolutely mental. The SMG doesn't really play both styles of driving as perfectly as possible in the manual. But that's all preferential really

[Stinkfoot]

I have an 03 manual M3 vert and I have zero interest in tracking it so I dont care about the wobble or extra weight etc. I had a 2 hour drive around the Kent countryside with the roof down during the recent hot spell and I cant honestly think of a car I would rather have been in and that includes the E39 M5 I have as well.