What would you change your E36 M3 for?
Discussion
I will start by saying that i think the E36 M3 is about the best value for money performance car you can get which leads me to my question, how much money would you need to spend to 'upgrade' to a different car and what would it be...
For me, i would need upwards of 20k and I would look at either a E92 335i or a high mileage CSL....
For me, i would need upwards of 20k and I would look at either a E92 335i or a high mileage CSL....
Nothing.
I have had far too many good memories in mine over the years that no other new car could ever replace. It is the only car in my fleet (that i've bought) that i'll never ever sell. It's a fantastic machine that covers HUGE ground with ease, in comfort and a fair turn of speed. Yes there are probably other cars out there now that will do just as good a job - probably better - but lets be honest here, we're only talking marginal differences between them.
I have had far too many good memories in mine over the years that no other new car could ever replace. It is the only car in my fleet (that i've bought) that i'll never ever sell. It's a fantastic machine that covers HUGE ground with ease, in comfort and a fair turn of speed. Yes there are probably other cars out there now that will do just as good a job - probably better - but lets be honest here, we're only talking marginal differences between them.
Edited by M3John on Tuesday 24th August 15:26
Been pondering that question since I bought mine in '98: nothing's ever come close, there's always been a trade off somewhere that I'm not willing to make. In the end bought something bigger, but in addition to, rather than instead of, & just share the miles between them - 3 for the back roads fun drives, 5 for the long haul family trips.
BountyHunter said:
mines advertised atm
the plan is to replace it with a TVR
I've already been down that route, replaced my first M3 evo with a cerbera 2 years ago, kept it 6 months, spanked a ton of cash on it making it right, then sold it before it bankrupted me. Then went back to the M3........Which at the moment i'm chucking bucket loads of money at, sometimes i think a higher power is having a laugh at my personal expense.the plan is to replace it with a TVR
pat_y said:
BountyHunter said:
mines advertised atm
the plan is to replace it with a TVR
I've already been down that route, replaced my first M3 evo with a cerbera 2 years ago, kept it 6 months, spanked a ton of cash on it making it right, then sold it before it bankrupted me. Then went back to the M3........Which at the moment i'm chucking bucket loads of money at, sometimes i think a higher power is having a laugh at my personal expense.the plan is to replace it with a TVR
318is boy said:
I will start by saying that i think the E36 M3 is about the best value for money performance car you can get which leads me to my question, how much money would you need to spend to 'upgrade' to a different car and what would it be...
For me, i would need upwards of 20k and I would look at either a E92 335i or a high mileage CSL....
Agreed there's still nothing really comes close to an E36 for all round VFM and character .....but whilst we're speculating; I think the only 'upgrade' would be the Porsche....... For me, i would need upwards of 20k and I would look at either a E92 335i or a high mileage CSL....
for £12.5K~15K Merc CLK500 (388).....a bit safe ??
for £15K~17.5K Maserati 4200......High running costs
for £20K Alpina B5.......Too heavy to be fun ??
for £25~27K a 996T.......Result.
Probably just going to put coilovers on the EVO for now though.
Edited by CRACKIE on Thursday 26th August 21:17
I've often pondered this having owned mine for over 4 years now but really need to be looking at the £20k mark before anything attracts me away. Quite like the idea of a 135i Coupe, I know a lot of people don't like the looks but it looks alright to me, quite like Z4 3.0 and M coupe but loose practicality. So for now at least I'll stick with the M3.
I agree, its so awesome for 4-6k. Stupidly, I'm advertising mine. I was looking for a 993 but the interior is so nasty on most compared to an all black full leather E36 M3 I couldn't do it. ALso too much money.
I am down to 2 - Maser 3200 & TVR Cerbera. They are both *mental* choices seeing as it is out in the street in Tooting and I don't have a battery conditioner set up possible for the TVR.
Did a track day at Brands, then on a 2-3000 mile trip of Europe over the alps, round the Italian lakes, never missed a beat. I've also got a hardtop so winter isn't even that annoying either...
Just need someone to call up and give asking price or near and THEN I will worry about what to replace it with!
I am down to 2 - Maser 3200 & TVR Cerbera. They are both *mental* choices seeing as it is out in the street in Tooting and I don't have a battery conditioner set up possible for the TVR.
Did a track day at Brands, then on a 2-3000 mile trip of Europe over the alps, round the Italian lakes, never missed a beat. I've also got a hardtop so winter isn't even that annoying either...
Just need someone to call up and give asking price or near and THEN I will worry about what to replace it with!
Edited by BluePurpleRed on Thursday 26th August 14:43
been thinking about changing m3 m3 evo on and off for a bit. when i bought it i had 2 price brackets for potential cars, up to 5k and up to 10k. went for the m3 evo in the under 5 bracket, but would consider going to 10k bracket for a good lancer evo, e46m3 or cerbera. horror stories of cerbera failure put me off, evo ride would be irritating after a bit and the e46 probably wouldn't suit my needs as much (drive feels less involved for no real performance gain).
if the 46s do a fair drop, which i suspect they wil in the next 18 months i may look at them again, but to be fair i've just got the m3 evo pretty much how i want it now and it's so much more car for the money than i initially gave it credit for.
if the 46s do a fair drop, which i suspect they wil in the next 18 months i may look at them again, but to be fair i've just got the m3 evo pretty much how i want it now and it's so much more car for the money than i initially gave it credit for.
y282 said:
been thinking about changing m3 m3 evo on and off for a bit. when i bought it i had 2 price brackets for potential cars, up to 5k and up to 10k. went for the m3 evo in the under 5 bracket, but would consider going to 10k bracket for a good lancer evo, e46m3 or cerbera. horror stories of cerbera failure put me off, evo ride would be irritating after a bit and the e46 probably wouldn't suit my needs as much (drive feels less involved for no real performance gain).
Personally I'm not sure you can get a decent Cerbera (that doesn't need some cash spending to sort) for 10k, need to spend 12-15k IMO. I went Cerbera 4.5 to M3 Evo, as I wanted something cheaper that I could worry less about (although the Cerbera never let me down, it was niggly - great car though). Anyway, I'd probably think about changing for an E39 M5, or E46 M3, but I'd have to do detailed research and test drives. Say 10k minimum to replace with something of equal or better all-round ability.
Edited by _Neal_ on Saturday 28th August 14:12
Cerbera's are the most expensive TVRs to keep maintained. And they are always in need of something to keep them in tip-top condition. My 450 lightweight second time round cost me about £7k over 2 years in servicing, and another £6k in depreciation. (Don't ask about first time round ownership 
) Servicing majors included suspension, 2 clutches (don't buy a clevor trevor raceprove clutch - lasted 3k miles and they wouldn't compensate), gearbox, and aircon pump. Then all the usual bits and bobs of general servicing and mots. I also had mine resprayed under an insurance claim - £3.5k (not included in the figures above) as she was rosso pearl which cannot be partially resprayed due to the pigment distribution. Thankfully the insurance company covered the claim. Other paint finishes suffer similarly - so beware of badly stone chiped Cerbs, as they can be expensive to put right.
Basically, they are not cheap cars, nor can they be run on a shoe string. They need specialist servicing.
I sold my Cerbera for £18k and took the M3 Evo in as part exchange. A great all round car, albeit a little old for my liking. Still, it's not costing me anything. I too am struggling to find anything under 20k that comes close. Obviously there's the E46 M3, but I think it's better the devil you know. Hence I'm keeping the E36 M3 Evo for now.
) Servicing majors included suspension, 2 clutches (don't buy a clevor trevor raceprove clutch - lasted 3k miles and they wouldn't compensate), gearbox, and aircon pump. Then all the usual bits and bobs of general servicing and mots. I also had mine resprayed under an insurance claim - £3.5k (not included in the figures above) as she was rosso pearl which cannot be partially resprayed due to the pigment distribution. Thankfully the insurance company covered the claim. Other paint finishes suffer similarly - so beware of badly stone chiped Cerbs, as they can be expensive to put right.Basically, they are not cheap cars, nor can they be run on a shoe string. They need specialist servicing.
I sold my Cerbera for £18k and took the M3 Evo in as part exchange. A great all round car, albeit a little old for my liking. Still, it's not costing me anything. I too am struggling to find anything under 20k that comes close. Obviously there's the E46 M3, but I think it's better the devil you know. Hence I'm keeping the E36 M3 Evo for now.
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