E46 M3 vs 996 911

[FamilyDub]

WEHGuy said:

FamilyDub said:

I'm 28 and my insurer wouldn't even quote me on an E46 M3 - have you gotten a quote yet?

I agree though, I wouldn't want to touch an £8k M3...

Yes I have. It's only about £800, being 25, 3 years NCB and living in one of the cheapest insurance postcodes.

I'm forgetting I live in a postcode full of pikeys, thieves and workshy louts.

Good luck, with whatever you pick... Black M3 SMG with 19" CSL alloys would be my choice.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Porsche 911 = Porsche 911 = iconic sportscar.

BMW M3 = 3-series with a big engine = very good saloon car.


If you buy the Porsche you'll never be parked next to someone in the 4-cylinder verion which cost half as much as your car but delivers 80% of the thrills. Shop with your heart.

[NotNormal]

No matter what you tell yourself you will not get a good M3 for 8k.

Whether you opt for the porka or the M3, I do hope you've accounted for running costs..... because unfortunately you do have to pay to play with these sorts of toys.

Ozzie Osmond said:

Porsche 911 = Porsche 911 = iconic sportscar.

BMW M3 = 3-series with a big engine = very good saloon car.


If you buy the Porsche you'll never be parked next to someone in the 4-cylinder verion which cost half as much as your car but delivers 80% of the thrills. Shop with your heart.

I'm guessing you've never driven the two to compare, otherwise you'll realise actually how different the poverty spec is to the M3... ....which is also know as an iconic sportscar btw

[Welshbeef]

Good point i4 version available or true sports car.

One does 174mph one does 155mph
one has the best traction off the line in a 2wd car
one is a car I'd say most guys as kids have always dreamed of along with other exotics the other is a very nice tp have but not a dream car

neither will be in top condition I. The price range your looking at so unless you spend a fair amount on them you will never experiance the true driving experiance

[BMWBen]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Porsche 911 = Porsche 911 = iconic sportscar.

BMW M3 = 3-series with a big engine = very good saloon car.


If you buy the Porsche you'll never be parked next to someone in the 4-cylinder verion which cost half as much as your car but delivers 80% of the thrills. Shop with your heart.

I find that quite strange - I've only got a 330d and I don't feel emasculated by people with 320d's...

Not only does a 318i not deliver 80% of the thrills of an M3, but just because a car has the same body shape does not make it the same car. I'm guessing you're someone who buys a car primarily for looks and for what other people will think?

Not saying he shouldn't consider the porker, but I find your reasoning rather perverse!

[LeightonBuzzard]

You could get a F 348 for £20k if you wanted a Ferrari so bad

[kambites]

I'd imagine that you would make up your mind straight away by driving them, they're very different cars. You'd have to be very careful buying either at the bottom end of the market.

[r1ch]

I'd much rather have the 911 over the m3, but for the budget i'd say the suggestion of a 12k M3 would be the best bet.

[Maxym]

M3. Early 996s weren't built very well and by now will take a lot of looking after. Older Porsches can be money pits, especially cheap ones.

[Popeyed]

WEHGuy said:

I could quite easily spend more but, I like to have a few cars, don't like depreciation and prefer my money to be making me money so, I can one day afford a F430.

What do you drive now then?

[marcosgt]

Ozzie Osmond said:

If you buy the Porsche you'll never be parked next to someone in the 4-cylinder verion which cost half as much as your car but delivers 80% of the thrills. Shop with your heart.

Only if you get 80% of your motoring thrills from laying the keys down in a bar...

M.

[BlackPrince]

FamilyDub said:

I'm 28 and my insurer wouldn't even quote me on an E46 M3 - have you gotten a quote yet?

I agree though, I wouldn't want to touch an £8k M3...

Oh c0ck, I'll be 28 soonish, and plan on buying an M3 CSL soo I'm hoping that insurance won't be an issue, haven't checked yet but surely an M3 won't be too bad :S

[WEHGuy]

Popeyed said:

What do you drive now then?

Mentioned earlier in the thread.

[wackojacko]

I'm going to make a post that'll
be un popular but extremely obvious (to me)

8k will get you a st E46 so go for the mother of all E36 's tuned or what ever or a genuine minter for 8k it'll hold it's money far better, or go for an Early boxster S Ignore all the tts that say it's only because you can't afford a 911! It's a cracking motor with a fantastic chassis offering a great driving experience.

Or a 3.0 Z4 I know these may not be to your criteria but hey ..... Give them a second thought

[kambites]

I'd definitely say the Boxster is a better car than either at that price unless you need four seats. No idea how far they still have to depreciate, though.

[djohnson]

I'm going back a few years here however I had a E46 M3 which I replaced with a 996 C4S. Key thoughts are:

- The 911 was much less reliable and cost me much more in maintenance.
- The 911 was an amazing drive on a twisty road, the M3 was a much more rounded car and a better motorway cruiser, it was also very good on a twisty road but not 911 good.
- The 911 attracted more attention (both good and bad).
- I found the ride in my 911 (996 C4S) a bit firm for everyday use.
- The M3 felt like a more quality product in terms of fit and finish.
- The M3 had 4 seats and a useable boot.
- Whilst they’re similar on paper I still maintain that my M3 was the faster straight line car.
- The 911 felt like more of an event to drive.

Heart over head it’d be a 911. Head over heart an M3. (Although I went via a M6 I’m back in a 997 turbo at the moment and loving it. M-cars are amazing but 911s get under your skin).

[superman84]

8k on an E46 M3!? Good luck with that.

[Welshbeef]

E46 m3's range from £7.5k up to £25k and your budgeting £8k - to get a good one.... I cannot square that circle.

Worn shocks worn bushes worn engine mounts clutch brake discs brake calipers radiator air con condensor brake pipe corrosion gearbox towards the end of it's life timing chain towards the end of it's life vanos towards the end of it's life exhaust wheel bearings gear linkages wiper motor wear fuel filler pipe chaffing stone chips multiple owners cheap tyres in need of a big service.

Then again you could be lucky but buying at the bottom of the Market you have to have an open mind to potential costs in the very near future.

The old saying buy cheap buy twice is very true.

As another said why not buy a totally mint e36 m3 evo you will not lose a penny on it plus it will not ruin you with costs for wear and tear or faults.

[Cemesis]

WEHGuy said:

Thanks for you input. Can you tell me a bit more about the Manual vs SMG? 2 of my cars are autos which are good for wafting about but, I would have thought, in a performance car, it would have to be a manual all the way?

ETA - What I meant is, a decent one for £8k might be possible because within the next 2 months, petrol is only going to rise so, hopefully big powerful cars are only going to drop in price. Also I don't might waiting for somebody who is desperate for cash and I am more than willing to travel to the other side of the country for the right car at the right price.

Without question you need to drive both the manual and the SMG. Often, people treat the SMG like an auto and find it jerky and had to use and generally don't like it. Its actually a manual system and you have to drive it as such. The higher up the rev range you are, the faster it changes. If you drive it hard and fast its vastly better than the manual.

I could literally write pages on the M3 but rather than preach on I'll make it simple.

The 996 911 is overpriced for what it is and expensive to run, it does not really depreciate very much at this point.

The M3 is not a 320 with a larger engine and as NotNormal stated, anyone who thinks it is does not know what they are talking about. Even a 330 sport is not close to an M3 really.

£10k should get you a good solid M3. Tyres are an important part of an M3 and you should fit the best, the Michelin PS2, now replaced with the Pilot Super Sport. These are about £1,000 for a set of 19's. At 12k a year the rears will last a year. Rear springs are known to go but will likely have been replaced. Rear trailing arm bushes wear and changing them improves things. Cluch is normally quite worn around 100k but some seem better than others.

Estimated running costs for 10-12,000 miles including fuel insurance and everything is about £4,000 a year.

[*Al*]

On the E46 including the M3, watch out for the cracking rear subframe mounting point(on the body).Usually on the LHS rear mount, potentially very exspensive to fix.