Integrale Evo v E30 M3
Discussion
I'd would and have gone for the M3, The main thing which would make me go for the M3 over the integrale is watching my friend try and get parts for his Evo 2, as nice as it is to see his face light up as an indicator lense becomes availible i'd rather put up with the next day delivery from BMW.
Having said that i believe some of the integrale parts are starting to be made again by other people than Lancia.
Having said that i believe some of the integrale parts are starting to be made again by other people than Lancia.
Yup.
Funnily enough, 20 years ago, I grudgingly sold my beloved AVO RS2000 and Escort Twin-Cam on the basis that parts were becoming a problem, and bought a Sunbeam-Lotus instead. I wished I kept the Escort (especially the Twink) now as when I finally sold the Sunbeam-Lotus a few years back it was because I was fed up with parts searching, whereas the Escorts and old Ford parts reproduction industry is such that now you can get most things....
Funnily enough, 20 years ago, I grudgingly sold my beloved AVO RS2000 and Escort Twin-Cam on the basis that parts were becoming a problem, and bought a Sunbeam-Lotus instead. I wished I kept the Escort (especially the Twink) now as when I finally sold the Sunbeam-Lotus a few years back it was because I was fed up with parts searching, whereas the Escorts and old Ford parts reproduction industry is such that now you can get most things....
I think I'm in quite a good position to answer this one being fortunate enough to have one of each in the fleet.. my beloved Integrale is featured in this month's evo if you want to check it out.
For purely emotional reasons I'd say the Lancia will really get under your skin more than the BMW. It's just the most awesome thing to drive in any weather and any conditions. It's very rare (especially if you go for one of the coloured limirted run Evo 2s), and you do get a load of respect from enthusiasts everywhere, nobody else really knows what it is. I badly regretted selling an identical one 10 years ago so had to go back and scratch the itch, and it's just fabulous.
In contrast, the M3 still looks ace but to many it's just a modified 3-series.. mine is used as for track days now and again as it's dynamics are perfect for it - plus it's much cheaper to fix should anything go wrong - there are a lot more specialists/ race engineers who will service and look after it for you at decent hourly rates.. there aren't nearly as many Lancia specialists in the country.
But you should be really careful looking for either, there are loads of cars which aren't all that they promise out there. You really need your eyes open when looking around and don't compromise on things which might be wrong with a car before you buy one - running costs for the Lancia can be sizeable and as many have mentioned on this forum, parts can be tricky. If you find a good one of either, be prepared to pay up and look big, and I'm not just saying that to boost my own values, just to save you a heap of bills which will only sour your early ownership experience!
But find the right car for you and you won't regret owning either. Good luck!
For purely emotional reasons I'd say the Lancia will really get under your skin more than the BMW. It's just the most awesome thing to drive in any weather and any conditions. It's very rare (especially if you go for one of the coloured limirted run Evo 2s), and you do get a load of respect from enthusiasts everywhere, nobody else really knows what it is. I badly regretted selling an identical one 10 years ago so had to go back and scratch the itch, and it's just fabulous.
In contrast, the M3 still looks ace but to many it's just a modified 3-series.. mine is used as for track days now and again as it's dynamics are perfect for it - plus it's much cheaper to fix should anything go wrong - there are a lot more specialists/ race engineers who will service and look after it for you at decent hourly rates.. there aren't nearly as many Lancia specialists in the country.
But you should be really careful looking for either, there are loads of cars which aren't all that they promise out there. You really need your eyes open when looking around and don't compromise on things which might be wrong with a car before you buy one - running costs for the Lancia can be sizeable and as many have mentioned on this forum, parts can be tricky. If you find a good one of either, be prepared to pay up and look big, and I'm not just saying that to boost my own values, just to save you a heap of bills which will only sour your early ownership experience!
But find the right car for you and you won't regret owning either. Good luck!
I've owned examples of both. www.thecarlistblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/my-car-lis...
I'm afraid I'm with the concensus here; a good E30 M3 would find garage room in my gaff any day of the week.
The rear wheel drive chassis is fabulous even in vanilla form; I sold mine to a Nissan development engineer who also loved it, even benchmarked to their current stuff (Skyline, 350z). The BMW also felt like it was better built than the Lancia, and taking it to the track felt very natural.
By contrast, the Integrale was like meeting an old girl-friend the years had been unkind to. It is much faster in a straightline than the M3, but understeers resolutely on track. The interior was frankly a pretty horrible place to be, and I couldn't really drive it without worrying that something would go wrong again. Quite often I was right.
SS7
I'm afraid I'm with the concensus here; a good E30 M3 would find garage room in my gaff any day of the week.
The rear wheel drive chassis is fabulous even in vanilla form; I sold mine to a Nissan development engineer who also loved it, even benchmarked to their current stuff (Skyline, 350z). The BMW also felt like it was better built than the Lancia, and taking it to the track felt very natural.
By contrast, the Integrale was like meeting an old girl-friend the years had been unkind to. It is much faster in a straightline than the M3, but understeers resolutely on track. The interior was frankly a pretty horrible place to be, and I couldn't really drive it without worrying that something would go wrong again. Quite often I was right.
SS7
Axle tramp.... is this your car getting buzzed at Bedford?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ccnLuK0vY (about 7 mins into the clip).
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ccnLuK0vY (about 7 mins into the clip).
I'd deffo go for an Integrale. I'm always on the lookout for one. I can understand that the M3 is better on track, after all that's what it was built for, but the Lancia is fantastic on bumpy B roads and such a joy to have a blast in. I owned one when I was a lad, my third car! Every day on my way home I would see a red M3 going the other way and we always gave each other a respectfull nod. Of course a lottery win would see both tucked up in the garage!
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