RE: BMW M3 (E46): You Know You Want To

[161BMW]

Dagnut said:

Broadly similar? One cost 44k and the other costing 65k is that that definition of "broad" now?
I'm not saying the M3 humbles it in anyway, IMO it doesn't, the E46 is a good sports saloon but its not a sports car, its too heavy and the 996 has it beat pretty much everywhere..but they are completely different price points!!!

As you mentioned the prices are no where near similar.
The pace of the M3 can keep up with 996 Carrera 2 with the M3's better engine and interior and looks IMO. And remember this is just a 3 Series.

[Patrick Bateman]

It ain't a sports saloon either, to be pedantic.

[Wolfsbait]

One of the cheapest (to buy) cars I've ever owned and running costs aren't OTT as far as I can tell...

Get late twenties, early thirties MPG all day long...buy as good a car as you can afford and I'd say you cant really fall off.

Need to try a CSL soon to see what all the fuss is about...

[monthefish]

Dagnut said:

I'm not saying the M3 humbles it in anyway, IMO it doesn't, the E46 is a good sports saloon but its not a sports car, its too heavy and the 996 has it beat pretty much everywhere..

Exactly.

Dagnut said:

Broadly similar? One cost 44k and the other costing 65k is that that definition of "broad" now?...

.....but they are completely different price points!!!

Somone above said they were Porsche £55k and BMW £41k, and I do see these as a similar price point (apologies if that sounds elitist at all - it isn't meant to - there are lot of people on PH who are far, far richer than I).

Funnily enough my next car is likely to be a Ferrari 360 (c£42k) or a Lambo Gallardo (C£60k) and again I see them both being in the same price ballpark. I'm not shopping in the £75-£100k bracket for example.
I guess this comes down to perception.

p.s. I see a £5k car and a £10k car in the same price ballpark if that helps explain at all?

[anonymous-user]

Dagnut said:

Broadly similar? One cost 44k and the other costing 65k is that that definition of "broad" now?
I'm not saying the M3 humbles it in anyway, IMO it doesn't, the E46 is a good sports saloon but its not a sports car, its too heavy and the 996 has it beat pretty much everywhere..but they are completely different price points!!!

What is it with Porsche? Aren't we are talking about a £6K M3, I mean is it just so impossible to look past the 911 for anything. It's bad enough that half the motoring press are obsessed with them. Arguably you could say the 996 was a GT and that nothing less than a Caterham was a sports car. Those Porsche's, too heavy you see

[mwstewart]

I was under the impression that the E46 M3 and 996 Carerra were pretty close performance-wise? The CSL was pretty much on par with the GT3 around the ring, wasn't it?

[e21Mark]

I wonder what sort of 911 £6k will get me?

[HannsG]

People honestly see E46 M3's dropping to £3k?

I dont believe it..

[Patrick Bateman]

monthefish said:

p.s. I see a £5k car and a £10k car in the same price ballpark if that helps explain at all?

I'd have to differ on that considering you're doubling the number.

[adzpz]

Escort Si-130 said:

And a remapped M3 would piss all over your 330d remap for dust. You forget many M3's of the E46 are no longer standard.

adzpz said:

Is your 335d remapped though? Mine was remapped by Evolve and in a straight line it is marginally quicker than a M3, I've no doubt an M3 would leave me for dust in the twisty stuff. However as a baby carrier / dump dropper offer / B&Q picker upper machine my E91 335d leaves the M3 for dust

Edited by adzpz on Tuesday 13th August 13:54

I haven't got a 330d - mine is 335d - different animal and no remapping of an m3 would make it "piss all over it" in a straight line.

[jwilliamsm3]

i have a 2004 m3 vert in pheonix yellow, wasnt too fussed on the colour when i saw it on photos. until i saw it in the flesh. when i bought it and got it home and gave it a proper clean with snow foam/iron x/tardis/clay/ polish and wax, it looks amazing.
in my opinion its one of the best colours to get an m3 in, its only available on the M cars and distinguishes it from every other e46.
heres a pic after a proper clean

[e21Mark]

HannsG said:

People honestly see E46 M3's dropping to £3k?

I dont believe it..

I know of 2 at well under £4k. Both had some minor issues but were running & driving. One was a cabrio with knackered hood. They are out there, but by the time you make them 'right', they're no longer cheap.

[Patrick Bateman]

What did e36's drop to? The e46 will go the same way, just as the e60 is following the e39 down in price.

[carinaman]

I see that the advert has gone, maybe the buyer will update us.

It's a great colour.

[Robmarriott]

Has anyone bought this?

[Robmarriott]

Patrick Bateman said:

What did e36's drop to? The e46 will go the same way, just as the e60 is following the e39 down in price.

Cheapest (working) E36 I've seen is this one

http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?t...

which I quite like, wrong colour, cloth interior, loads of miles and you need to provide your own wheels, perfect.

Most seem to be starting from £3750 however.

There's still movement in the price of E46s going on that info.

[Dagnut]

yonex said:

Dagnut said:

Broadly similar? One cost 44k and the other costing 65k is that that definition of "broad" now?
I'm not saying the M3 humbles it in anyway, IMO it doesn't, the E46 is a good sports saloon but its not a sports car, its too heavy and the 996 has it beat pretty much everywhere..but they are completely different price points!!!

What is it with Porsche? Aren't we are talking about a £6K M3, I mean is it just so impossible to look past the 911 for anything. It's bad enough that half the motoring press are obsessed with them. Arguably you could say the 996 was a GT and that nothing less than a Caterham was a sports car. Those Porsche's, too heavy you see

I didn't mention the Porsche someone else brought it up calming they were a "broadly similar price" which is just not true, another said it "humbles the 996" which in performance car terms I don't think it does.

I think if you look at value then it does compare to the 996 one being 44k and one being 65k.

It has nothing to do with how rich you are or what your perception of value is, you can't claim that one car costing almost 50% more is the same ballpark..it isn't.

[daveco]

Robmarriott said:

Patrick Bateman said:

What did e36's drop to? The e46 will go the same way, just as the e60 is following the e39 down in price.

Cheapest (working) E36 I've seen is this one

http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?t...

which I quite like, wrong colour, cloth interior, loads of miles and you need to provide your own wheels, perfect.

Most seem to be starting from £3750 however.

There's still movement in the price of E46s going on that info.

Far more E46 M3s on the market but you'll find the price will drop to no less than c. £5k as most owners will refuse to sell for less than that.

They are simply too much car for that money, considering other cars of the same hp are either less reliable or less interesting.

[DanBMW]

MissChief said:

Love these!

Either Interlagos or Estoril Blue or the incredibly rare Ruby Red Individual colour. Or maybe Techno Violet. Or Imola Red.

The only Ruby Red one I've ever seen for sale:

Don't buy from that guy he's a lying ct

[corozin]

Pheonix Yellow is an absolutely minging colour and if PH had done thier research they would know that fact is reflected in the values that cars in that colour go for.

They'd also know that it isn't (unfortunately) a "rare" colour either.

In American Graffiti, Harrison Ford describes a coupe as "a cross between piss yella and puke green" and that is how I see Pheonix Yellow