E46 M3 good deal or walk away
Discussion
Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice. Sold my 2000 plate 911 last weekend and am looking for a replacement. I have decided on an e46 M3 as my next car. I have found one which is really what I am after spec,colour etc etc and at a very good price. Only one problem though. The car has a full BMW Sh including running in service up to mid 2008 at 46,000 miles(inspection 2) the next service then wasnt until december 2009 at 66,000. I reckon based on 12,000- 14,000 miles intervals the car has missed its service by up to 8,000 miles. The 58,000ish service should only have been an oil service not any of the inspections. I know from my porsche how important preventative servicing is, but it seems a really straight car, runs well and at a very good price, but whats everyones opinion? walk away because of the gap in service or take a punt on it and put the £1500 or so pounds I save on what it should be worth in a bank account in case the worst happens?
Just looking for a bit of advice. Sold my 2000 plate 911 last weekend and am looking for a replacement. I have decided on an e46 M3 as my next car. I have found one which is really what I am after spec,colour etc etc and at a very good price. Only one problem though. The car has a full BMW Sh including running in service up to mid 2008 at 46,000 miles(inspection 2) the next service then wasnt until december 2009 at 66,000. I reckon based on 12,000- 14,000 miles intervals the car has missed its service by up to 8,000 miles. The 58,000ish service should only have been an oil service not any of the inspections. I know from my porsche how important preventative servicing is, but it seems a really straight car, runs well and at a very good price, but whats everyones opinion? walk away because of the gap in service or take a punt on it and put the £1500 or so pounds I save on what it should be worth in a bank account in case the worst happens?
Is it definitely missing a service or just the stamp. I've seen dealers selling cars with long time gaps / mileage overshoots. It's not great but what we are looking at is knackered oil causing accelerated wear???? So say that service had added 10k life miles of wear to the engine but it shows 10k less on the clock would you still buy it. How good a price is it? Current mileage? Be interested to hear your thoughts on the move from a 996 to an m3 if you do it, heard plenty going from m3 to Porsche reckoning it is much more an event to drive. Maybe that is the excitement of potential major mechanicals failing !!
Is it definitely missing a service or just the stamp. I've seen dealers selling cars with long time gaps / mileage overshoots. It's not great but what we are looking at is knackered oil causing accelerated wear???? So say that service had added 10k life miles of wear to the engine but it shows 10k less on the clock would you still buy it. How good a price is it? Current mileage? Be interested to hear your thoughts on the move from a 996 to an m3 if you do it, heard plenty going from m3 to Porsche reckoning it is much more an event to drive. Maybe that is the excitement of potential major mechanicals failing !!
Thanks Guys. Its a 2003 now with just under 70,000 on the clock. Looking at around £11,500 for it so pretty decent price.
I actually went out looking for an M3 when I bought the 911 a couple of years ago. After driving two or three m3's I came across a 911 in the same price range(although higher miles and forest green colour) On driving it my mind was made up. The M3 was a great drivers car and when pushed hard was fantastic fun, but the porsche just felt special. Point to point I wouldnt say it was that much quicker, but just sharper than the M3.
Anyway, two years down the line and we have decided to change all of the cars we own. The M3 although still a weekend car will also have to lug the odd bit of luggage and squeeze some people in the back which the 911 couldnt do well.
Since owning the porsche I have driven a friends M3 numerous times and although not as responsive I felt that I could actually drive it quicker than the 911. I would term myself a better than average driver(doesnt everyone?) although certainly not to the standard of the numerous people who have vast track experience on this forum. To get the 911 to the limits of adhesion took some pretty hard pushing with the ammount of grip from the massive rear tyres, but once it got beyond that I never really felt comfortable with how it would perform catching me out a couple of times in slow corners with the ammount of oversteer once it started to let go(not having PSM didnt help!!) The M3 always seemed to break traction at a lower speed, but very progressively and with much better balance, Because of this I always seemed to push much harder into the corners confident that any slide would be easier caught. Now the 911 turbo, thats a different story all together!!
Just my 10p's worth on the much covered M3 vs 911 arguement. Both great cars, just different!
I actually went out looking for an M3 when I bought the 911 a couple of years ago. After driving two or three m3's I came across a 911 in the same price range(although higher miles and forest green colour) On driving it my mind was made up. The M3 was a great drivers car and when pushed hard was fantastic fun, but the porsche just felt special. Point to point I wouldnt say it was that much quicker, but just sharper than the M3.
Anyway, two years down the line and we have decided to change all of the cars we own. The M3 although still a weekend car will also have to lug the odd bit of luggage and squeeze some people in the back which the 911 couldnt do well.
Since owning the porsche I have driven a friends M3 numerous times and although not as responsive I felt that I could actually drive it quicker than the 911. I would term myself a better than average driver(doesnt everyone?) although certainly not to the standard of the numerous people who have vast track experience on this forum. To get the 911 to the limits of adhesion took some pretty hard pushing with the ammount of grip from the massive rear tyres, but once it got beyond that I never really felt comfortable with how it would perform catching me out a couple of times in slow corners with the ammount of oversteer once it started to let go(not having PSM didnt help!!) The M3 always seemed to break traction at a lower speed, but very progressively and with much better balance, Because of this I always seemed to push much harder into the corners confident that any slide would be easier caught. Now the 911 turbo, thats a different story all together!!
Just my 10p's worth on the much covered M3 vs 911 arguement. Both great cars, just different!
Edited by gav2612 on Thursday 11th March 13:49
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