E92 M3 Competition Pack
Discussion
TheAngryDog said:
Did you research the tyre size differences before buying? I only ask as changing sizes on the E60 M5 can cause DSC issues.
Yeah, I was swaying back and forth between the standard 245/265 and 255/275 sizes for a LONG time.. the only issues I could find were that some people run into very slight rubbing on big undulations after fitting the wider rubber; however it would appear that these people are either running the M359 replica wheels which have a more aggressive offset than the 359M wheels of the Competition Pack, or they are using genuine 359M wheels but with the addition of spacers.However having said all of that, after all the research and all of my will I/wont I deliberation; I wouldn't be wholly surprised if fate singled me out and saw me catching the tyres despite running genuine wheels without spacers!
d_a_n1979 said:
Lovely car and project this. Every credit to you
My pals had a fair few of these in at his place for suspension/gearbox/brakes work etc and fast road set-ups and IMO, they’re the last of the properly built M3s and obviously the V8
Sound bloody great on full chat too
I’d love one, but too small for me!
Cheers Dan.. yep it has considerably less space than your big E65 does! My pals had a fair few of these in at his place for suspension/gearbox/brakes work etc and fast road set-ups and IMO, they’re the last of the properly built M3s and obviously the V8
Sound bloody great on full chat too
I’d love one, but too small for me!
Brakes are finally ordered, I've gone for:
Front: Red 6-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 378mm curved groove discs (with curved vanes inside to aid cooling) and DS2500 pads.
Rear: Red 4-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 350mm curved groove discs (straight vanes inside) and DS2500 pads.
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Should look similar to this when it's all put together, I cannot wait for them to arrive and see them bolted on to the car... along with the tyres, which have also now arrived and will be fitted once I've got the car back from having it's work done at BMW.
On that last subject, the warranty company are wanting to try a new Throttle Position Sensor before they authorise the full actuator replacement (hoping for a ~500 bill rather than ~1500 bill obviously) but I'm deeply sceptical about whether that will work. I'm also worried that due to the fact that the issue is intermittent at present and my actuator seems to be dying rather than dead, that if there are no fault codes post TPS fitting then they'll assume that has fixed the issue and release the car with lame actuator(s)... so the problem will only reappear and has the potential to screw up my Nurburgring trip.
Therefore if I get told that the warranty company aren't going to authorise an actuator replacement then I am seriously considering biting the bullet and buying some refurbished/future proofed actuators from www.rebuild.org.uk and just sucking up the costs myself, which will be far outweighed by the benefits and peace of mind that I'll have going forward.
Front: Red 6-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 378mm curved groove discs (with curved vanes inside to aid cooling) and DS2500 pads.
Rear: Red 4-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 350mm curved groove discs (straight vanes inside) and DS2500 pads.
Untitled by Grant F, on FlickrShould look similar to this when it's all put together, I cannot wait for them to arrive and see them bolted on to the car... along with the tyres, which have also now arrived and will be fitted once I've got the car back from having it's work done at BMW.
On that last subject, the warranty company are wanting to try a new Throttle Position Sensor before they authorise the full actuator replacement (hoping for a ~500 bill rather than ~1500 bill obviously) but I'm deeply sceptical about whether that will work. I'm also worried that due to the fact that the issue is intermittent at present and my actuator seems to be dying rather than dead, that if there are no fault codes post TPS fitting then they'll assume that has fixed the issue and release the car with lame actuator(s)... so the problem will only reappear and has the potential to screw up my Nurburgring trip.
Therefore if I get told that the warranty company aren't going to authorise an actuator replacement then I am seriously considering biting the bullet and buying some refurbished/future proofed actuators from www.rebuild.org.uk and just sucking up the costs myself, which will be far outweighed by the benefits and peace of mind that I'll have going forward.
RS Grant said:
Brakes are finally ordered, I've gone for:
Front: Red 6-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 378mm curved groove discs (with curved vanes inside to aid cooling) and DS2500 pads.
Rear: Red 4-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 350mm curved groove discs (straight vanes inside) and DS2500 pads.
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Should look similar to this when it's all put together, I cannot wait for them to arrive and see them bolted on to the car... along with the tyres, which have also now arrived and will be fitted once I've got the car back from having it's work done at BMW.
On that last subject, the warranty company are wanting to try a new Throttle Position Sensor before they authorise the full actuator replacement (hoping for a ~500 bill rather than ~1500 bill obviously) but I'm deeply sceptical about whether that will work. I'm also worried that due to the fact that the issue is intermittent at present and my actuator seems to be dying rather than dead, that if there are no fault codes post TPS fitting then they'll assume that has fixed the issue and release the car with lame actuator(s)... so the problem will only reappear and has the potential to screw up my Nurburgring trip.
Therefore if I get told that the warranty company aren't going to authorise an actuator replacement then I am seriously considering biting the bullet and buying some refurbished/future proofed actuators from www.rebuild.org.uk and just sucking up the costs myself, which will be far outweighed by the benefits and peace of mind that I'll have going forward.
Fantastic brakes. Had the AP front brakes on my Integra DC5 years back. It was charged and needed better braking than the OEM Brembo's and the APs were very highly rated then, as they are now. DS2500 pads are superb IMO too and suit the APs braking capabilities. Front: Red 6-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 378mm curved groove discs (with curved vanes inside to aid cooling) and DS2500 pads.
Rear: Red 4-pot AP Racing RadiCal calipers with floating 350mm curved groove discs (straight vanes inside) and DS2500 pads.
Untitled by Grant F, on FlickrShould look similar to this when it's all put together, I cannot wait for them to arrive and see them bolted on to the car... along with the tyres, which have also now arrived and will be fitted once I've got the car back from having it's work done at BMW.
On that last subject, the warranty company are wanting to try a new Throttle Position Sensor before they authorise the full actuator replacement (hoping for a ~500 bill rather than ~1500 bill obviously) but I'm deeply sceptical about whether that will work. I'm also worried that due to the fact that the issue is intermittent at present and my actuator seems to be dying rather than dead, that if there are no fault codes post TPS fitting then they'll assume that has fixed the issue and release the car with lame actuator(s)... so the problem will only reappear and has the potential to screw up my Nurburgring trip.
Therefore if I get told that the warranty company aren't going to authorise an actuator replacement then I am seriously considering biting the bullet and buying some refurbished/future proofed actuators from www.rebuild.org.uk and just sucking up the costs myself, which will be far outweighed by the benefits and peace of mind that I'll have going forward.
I'll be going for those or the EBC Yellowstuff pads myself when I pull my finger out and overhaul the big 7s braking system; pairing them with Mtec C hook discs and HEL braided lines
I'd like my tank to stop on a dime 
Re the size of the E92; it's not the load lugging capabilities I need; it's actually being able to fit in the bloody car haha... At 6ft 4 and around 21/22 stones and a competitive powerlifter/stone lifter, I'm not small nor narrow! Arse, shoulders, back and legs all get in the way!
Great read, and a lovely car.
Whilst very, very different cars people raved on about short shifters on the Mk2 Focus... after 4 years of having it sat in the garage, and now I'm kicking myself for not having fitted it sooner... so give one a go - as you've said before, you an always sell it on.
Whilst very, very different cars people raved on about short shifters on the Mk2 Focus... after 4 years of having it sat in the garage, and now I'm kicking myself for not having fitted it sooner... so give one a go - as you've said before, you an always sell it on.
Can I ask what you paid for the supply and fitting of the steering wheel? Perhaps I’m still learning the car, but find I’m watching the rev needle For when to change up which is less than ideal as your going fast in any gear at 8k+rpm! I take it that steering wheel negates the issue completely? PS great write up, I’ve had mine (similar spec but not comp pack) for almost a year now and absolutely love it!
D4SH said:
Can I ask what you paid for the supply and fitting of the steering wheel? Perhaps I’m still learning the car, but find I’m watching the rev needle For when to change up which is less than ideal as your going fast in any gear at 8k+rpm! I take it that steering wheel negates the issue completely? PS great write up, I’ve had mine (similar spec but not comp pack) for almost a year now and absolutely love it!
In your M drive settings surely the shift light setting is turned off then, youll get used to the power and know when to shift eventually. MikeGoodwin said:
D4SH said:
Can I ask what you paid for the supply and fitting of the steering wheel? Perhaps I’m still learning the car, but find I’m watching the rev needle For when to change up which is less than ideal as your going fast in any gear at 8k+rpm! I take it that steering wheel negates the issue completely? PS great write up, I’ve had mine (similar spec but not comp pack) for almost a year now and absolutely love it!
In your M drive settings surely the shift light setting is turned off then, youll get used to the power and know when to shift eventually. AndrewO said:
Snap...front and rear are awesome brakes.
I see you went for the less 'tarty' black calipers, are you on DS2500 as well? I'm looking forward to Pagid making some pads for these calipers, which I believe is in the pipeline.. because the braking performance should be enough to put creases in the tarmac! What wheels studs are you using and where did you get them from?
e30m3Mark said:
Steering wheel and AP’s look great and am sure can only add to the overall feel of the car. Lovely.
Thanks Mark, the small additions have made a big difference.D4SH said:
MikeGoodwin said:
D4SH said:
Can I ask what you paid for the supply and fitting of the steering wheel? Perhaps I’m still learning the car, but find I’m watching the rev needle For when to change up which is less than ideal as your going fast in any gear at 8k+rpm! I take it that steering wheel negates the issue completely? PS great write up, I’ve had mine (similar spec but not comp pack) for almost a year now and absolutely love it!
In your M drive settings surely the shift light setting is turned off then, youll get used to the power and know when to shift eventually. Been a busy last couple of weeks getting parts sent to me, fitting the seats and organising fitting of the tyres/brakes/oil change/geometry.
First off, the day after I got the car back from BMW after having the throttle actuator/throttle position sensor replaced under warranty, I trundled up to Hectyre in Dundee who are the only place I trust to fit tyres without marking wheels locally and they fitted the set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S which were sitting waiting for me..
by Grant F, on Flickr
by Grant F, on Flickr
by Grant F, on Flickr
..initial feelings are great as far as grip goes, they really are a marked improvement over the tired (but not dead) Continentals which I took off the car. So far they've only been tested in the dry, so will see how they fair in the wet but all the feedback I've seen would suggest that they are even more impressive in wet conditions.
Next up on the agenda was something which I didn't think that I was going to be able to fit in before I go to the Nurburgring and then stick the car away for the winter; fitting Recaro Sportster CS seats. I had been collecting the floor mounts, Recaro sliders and was watching eBay, Facebook, Gumtree, etc like a hawk for any Renault, Ford, Recaro seats appearing for sale... to no avail. Then, by complete chance, I found a pair of seats for sale in the Lake District and they were for an E92 M3, with all the mounts etc included... result!!
So after a very long, very boring day driving the M140i which I had...
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
...I got the seats home and fitted them to the car over the next couple of days:
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
I absolutely love them, my standard seats were never heated so I don't miss that feature and 99% of the time it's only me who drives the car so the loss of both the electric and memory functions doesn't fuss me either. The seat height is reduced, which I love, I've got a real 'thing' about sitting low in cars and there are very few cars which I've driven that sit low enough for me as standard.
The eagle-eyed of you will have noticed that they are a slightly different shade of red to the rest of the interior?! My plan is to take the seats back out over winter and send them to someone to retrim in Fox Red to match the rest of my interior. Not decided who to use for that job yet, but have got a couple of names who I will contact about it.
Finally, the last big update/change to the car is the AP Racing brake kit front and rear, finished specs were 380mm front and 360mm rear.. and I knew they were going to be large, but once fitted, they really do look comically big squeezed behind the 19" wheels. I booked the car in for yesterday, with the agreement that if I got my brakes before the end of last week then I'd give them a shout and they'd squeeze me in for fitting to give maximum time to bed the brakes in before I leave for Germany on Thursday.... great service!!
So on Thursday last week three big boxes arrived at the house... three of the FOUR which were meant to be there?!! After a frantic call to Reyland and Parcelforce to see where the fourth box (the front discs!!) had got to, it was located at the National Hub in England with absolutely no apologies or explanation for why it had been left behind in the first place.. but they assured me it would be with me on Friday morning, which it was... but it had taken away the chance to have the brakes fitted before the weekend, which would have allowed me to take the car for a long run to bed them in on Saturday and/or Sunday. Thanks Parcelforce...
Here are a few quick pictures that I've taken:
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr
...still bedding them in currently so I've not had any opportunity to use them in anger yet, however, I did have to brake hard for a rogue Bambi on the way home last night which saw me pull 1G of braking force according to the wee display on my M-Performance wheel, which made the hazard lights come on automatically. That's never happened before.
Leaving for a long weekend at the Nurburgring and Spa (on waiting list for a trackday at Spa..) on Thursday and will be there until Tuesday, so have already got my fingers crossed for good weather and no issues for myself or my friends who are taking a MK7 Golf GTi, EP3 Civic Type R Turbo, R1 and an S1000RR.
First off, the day after I got the car back from BMW after having the throttle actuator/throttle position sensor replaced under warranty, I trundled up to Hectyre in Dundee who are the only place I trust to fit tyres without marking wheels locally and they fitted the set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S which were sitting waiting for me..
by Grant F, on Flickr by Grant F, on Flickr by Grant F, on Flickr..initial feelings are great as far as grip goes, they really are a marked improvement over the tired (but not dead) Continentals which I took off the car. So far they've only been tested in the dry, so will see how they fair in the wet but all the feedback I've seen would suggest that they are even more impressive in wet conditions.
Next up on the agenda was something which I didn't think that I was going to be able to fit in before I go to the Nurburgring and then stick the car away for the winter; fitting Recaro Sportster CS seats. I had been collecting the floor mounts, Recaro sliders and was watching eBay, Facebook, Gumtree, etc like a hawk for any Renault, Ford, Recaro seats appearing for sale... to no avail. Then, by complete chance, I found a pair of seats for sale in the Lake District and they were for an E92 M3, with all the mounts etc included... result!!
So after a very long, very boring day driving the M140i which I had...
Untitled by Grant F, on Flickr...I got the seats home and fitted them to the car over the next couple of days:
Untitled by Grant F, on FlickrUntitled by Grant F, on FlickrUntitled by Grant F, on FlickrI absolutely love them, my standard seats were never heated so I don't miss that feature and 99% of the time it's only me who drives the car so the loss of both the electric and memory functions doesn't fuss me either. The seat height is reduced, which I love, I've got a real 'thing' about sitting low in cars and there are very few cars which I've driven that sit low enough for me as standard.
The eagle-eyed of you will have noticed that they are a slightly different shade of red to the rest of the interior?! My plan is to take the seats back out over winter and send them to someone to retrim in Fox Red to match the rest of my interior. Not decided who to use for that job yet, but have got a couple of names who I will contact about it.
Finally, the last big update/change to the car is the AP Racing brake kit front and rear, finished specs were 380mm front and 360mm rear.. and I knew they were going to be large, but once fitted, they really do look comically big squeezed behind the 19" wheels. I booked the car in for yesterday, with the agreement that if I got my brakes before the end of last week then I'd give them a shout and they'd squeeze me in for fitting to give maximum time to bed the brakes in before I leave for Germany on Thursday.... great service!!
So on Thursday last week three big boxes arrived at the house... three of the FOUR which were meant to be there?!! After a frantic call to Reyland and Parcelforce to see where the fourth box (the front discs!!) had got to, it was located at the National Hub in England with absolutely no apologies or explanation for why it had been left behind in the first place.. but they assured me it would be with me on Friday morning, which it was... but it had taken away the chance to have the brakes fitted before the weekend, which would have allowed me to take the car for a long run to bed them in on Saturday and/or Sunday. Thanks Parcelforce...
Here are a few quick pictures that I've taken:
Untitled by Grant F, on FlickrUntitled by Grant F, on FlickrUntitled by Grant F, on FlickrUntitled by Grant F, on FlickrUntitled by Grant F, on Flickr...still bedding them in currently so I've not had any opportunity to use them in anger yet, however, I did have to brake hard for a rogue Bambi on the way home last night which saw me pull 1G of braking force according to the wee display on my M-Performance wheel, which made the hazard lights come on automatically. That's never happened before.
Leaving for a long weekend at the Nurburgring and Spa (on waiting list for a trackday at Spa..) on Thursday and will be there until Tuesday, so have already got my fingers crossed for good weather and no issues for myself or my friends who are taking a MK7 Golf GTi, EP3 Civic Type R Turbo, R1 and an S1000RR.
Upgrades looking really good, especially the seats! I remember you saying you were concerned about the MP4S tyres having 'too much grip' ie losing the opportunity for a bit of sideways fun every now and then - please let us know when you've had the chance to test this theory as my tyres are due changing soon and am in the same predicament!
Love the seats...I put in a pair of Sparco fixed buckets in mine. Yours look like the BMW Performance seat.
Re: Wheel studs...I was a bit busy so just let a company local to me (JTech) do it all for me. He only had the long ones in at the time, I thought its probably a safer solution as you need to have a extra long socket to get them off. I can ping him a msg or give Jamie a call if you need the details ?
From memory the pads are DS2500 equivalent, came with the AP brake kit....fast road pads.
May have missed it along the way...would recommend Driven FR5w-50 oil if you are starting to track it. Mines had a new engine in it so I've spent some time looking into this.
Have fun at Spa/ring...I'm there next month. 4s tyre a good choice for Spa, they are suppose to be a big improvement in wet weather over the MPSS. If its dry ideally you'd want the Cup2....then a fixed bucket...then a 4point harness.....it never ends ! I just chewed my MPSS fronts up at Castle Combe yesterday so now have to get a new pair for Spa.
Re: Wheel studs...I was a bit busy so just let a company local to me (JTech) do it all for me. He only had the long ones in at the time, I thought its probably a safer solution as you need to have a extra long socket to get them off. I can ping him a msg or give Jamie a call if you need the details ?
From memory the pads are DS2500 equivalent, came with the AP brake kit....fast road pads.
May have missed it along the way...would recommend Driven FR5w-50 oil if you are starting to track it. Mines had a new engine in it so I've spent some time looking into this.
Have fun at Spa/ring...I'm there next month. 4s tyre a good choice for Spa, they are suppose to be a big improvement in wet weather over the MPSS. If its dry ideally you'd want the Cup2....then a fixed bucket...then a 4point harness.....it never ends ! I just chewed my MPSS fronts up at Castle Combe yesterday so now have to get a new pair for Spa.
Pommy said:
Cracking looking thing.
Question- a year on how does it feel in comparison to the Golf and would you recommend anyone considering the Golf to seek out an E92 m3 instead?
Oh an interesting question..................Question- a year on how does it feel in comparison to the Golf and would you recommend anyone considering the Golf to seek out an E92 m3 instead?
as Grant knows this thread has been the source of HUGE temptation for me which up until now I have continued to resist. However it now looks like the stars have aligned so we'll see.The car is superb and I love the Recaros, I had them in a Clio 200 Cup and they were incredible seats, everyone that sat in them commented the same.
Good work Grant and keep going with the inspiration
Si
RS Grant said:
Next up on the agenda was something which I didn't think that I was going to be able to fit in before I go to the Nurburgring and then stick the car away for the winter; fitting Recaro Sportster CS seats. I had been collecting the floor mounts, Recaro sliders and was watching eBay, Facebook, Gumtree, etc like a hawk for any Renault, Ford, Recaro seats appearing for sale... to no avail. Then, by complete chance, I found a pair of seats for sale in the Lake District and they were for an E92 M3, with all the mounts etc included... result!!
What floor mounts did you go with in the end, Grant? I'm thinking of doing the same with my Java Green E92 and would welcome any advice you could send my way to help with the Man Maths!D4SH said:
Upgrades looking really good, especially the seats! I remember you saying you were concerned about the MP4S tyres having 'too much grip' ie losing the opportunity for a bit of sideways fun every now and then - please let us know when you've had the chance to test this theory as my tyres are due changing soon and am in the same predicament!
Hmmm, I'm a little torn when it comes from the tyres; on the one hand they grip like nothing else in the dry short of proper Cup 2 or Semi Slick tyres like AD08, NS2r, 888 etc. That level of grip came in very handy on my recent Nurburgring trip, although on fast laps I managed, they did start to get a little loose towards the end of the lap when I assume that they got a little too warm and started to drop off as a result.In the wet, from a grip point of view, they are absolutely amazing too. However, they are very safe and I feel like they reduce your ability to have a little fun/movement from the rear unless you really commit to it; which is something I don't really feel comfortable doing on the roads... and it's not a track car, so at the moment I'm unsure whether I'd buy them again. As Mike Goodwin suggested before, it my be better to go for something quality but marginally less capable (as crazy as that sounds!) next time; like Goodyear/Continental.
AndrewO said:
Love the seats...I put in a pair of Sparco fixed buckets in mine. Yours look like the BMW Performance seat.
Re: Wheel studs...I was a bit busy so just let a company local to me (JTech) do it all for me. He only had the long ones in at the time, I thought its probably a safer solution as you need to have a extra long socket to get them off. I can ping him a msg or give Jamie a call if you need the details ?
From memory the pads are DS2500 equivalent, came with the AP brake kit....fast road pads.
May have missed it along the way...would recommend Driven FR5w-50 oil if you are starting to track it. Mines had a new engine in it so I've spent some time looking into this.
Have fun at Spa/ring...I'm there next month. 4s tyre a good choice for Spa, they are suppose to be a big improvement in wet weather over the MPSS. If its dry ideally you'd want the Cup2....then a fixed bucket...then a 4point harness.....it never ends ! I just chewed my MPSS fronts up at Castle Combe yesterday so now have to get a new pair for Spa.
Yeah if you could sound out Jamie about some studs that would be great, alternatively I'm happy for you to pass on my email grantfarnan AT yahoo.com or instagram @thegrantf for him to give me a shout direct if he doesn't frequent PH.Re: Wheel studs...I was a bit busy so just let a company local to me (JTech) do it all for me. He only had the long ones in at the time, I thought its probably a safer solution as you need to have a extra long socket to get them off. I can ping him a msg or give Jamie a call if you need the details ?
From memory the pads are DS2500 equivalent, came with the AP brake kit....fast road pads.
May have missed it along the way...would recommend Driven FR5w-50 oil if you are starting to track it. Mines had a new engine in it so I've spent some time looking into this.
Have fun at Spa/ring...I'm there next month. 4s tyre a good choice for Spa, they are suppose to be a big improvement in wet weather over the MPSS. If its dry ideally you'd want the Cup2....then a fixed bucket...then a 4point harness.....it never ends ! I just chewed my MPSS fronts up at Castle Combe yesterday so now have to get a new pair for Spa.
Re: the oil, I changed the OE BMW oil with some new OE stuff when the car was getting the brakes fitted and alignment carried out. It's not a track car, so I thought best to stick to the OE stuff in the meantime, however, after the trip to Nurburgring/Spa the desire to use it on track is building a little more than I expected it to!!
Spa was amazing and despite going from sodden to mildly moist to occasionally dry.. the car performed extremely well and the tyres were absolutely perfect for the job/conditions there.
Pommy said:
Cracking looking thing.
Question- a year on how does it feel in comparison to the Golf and would you recommend anyone considering the Golf to seek out an E92 m3 instead?
My feelings are broadly similar to how I felt a year ago really:Question- a year on how does it feel in comparison to the Golf and would you recommend anyone considering the Golf to seek out an E92 m3 instead?
Performance - the M3 is faster than a standard Golf R in a drag from say 30-40mph round to the expensive side of the speedo, however (especially in the manual with longer ratios) it needs commitment and space for you to wind it up and get the best from the V8. The Golf is easier to go fast in and given it has '4WD' then it is able to lay that down more days of the year too.
Looks - Subjective really, but while I loved my Golf with the lowered stance and BBS/Speedline wheels; the look of the M3 is far more special for me. It has also received a lot of attention and comments from car people and non-car people alike, where as the Golf only ever got comments from those who knew what it was and appreciated the small changes that I'd made.
Occasion/Specialness - by a country mile the M3, the noise burbling around (post exhaust modification) is fantastic and the noise/howl when really pushing it up to the >8000rpm limit is addictive and amazing.
Handling - both very good, the M3 will cover ground very quickly indeed; but it does command a bit more focus and care to go fast. It has a three stage traction control system to help keep things in check depending on how much you do/don't like to feel the back of the car moving around. In contrast, the only time I had the Golf moving around was on semi slicks and in very cold weather, which goes some way to show how safe and borderline sterile it could be. That is not me saying it was boring, because when you wanted to drive fast, the handling was fantastic and it allowed you to cover ground extremely quickly indeed. Just that it lacked that little drop of fun/hooliganism which I like a car to have.
Practicality - comparing 3dr Golf to 2dr M3, the M3 is more practical. The rear space and access to the rear is probably better in the Golf, but the limited boot space is quite surprising and the added boot space in the M3 probably just tips the balance in its direction for me.
Running Costs - the costs of running/keeping these cars is night and day in my experience, tyres/servicing/tax/insurance is all far higher with the BMW over the VW. Even keeping the M3 in fuel would be a real issue if I was using it as a daily driver and doing 10-12k miles per year in the car; because I find standing at a fuel pump one of the most boring wastes of time ever... it's not income related either, I could be a multi-millionaire and I'd still find standing at a fuel pump every ~250 miles extremely annoying. The costs of extending a warranty on a car which still has BMW/AUC warranty on it are strong at ~£800 per year, but the costs of reinstating a BMW warranty on a used car which has dropped out of BMW/AUC warranty (like my car) are absolutely ridiculous, ~£1800 per year. If you're buying a car with over 60k miles on it which is out of BMW/AUC warranty then the cost of putting a BMW warranty on it is ~£4500 per year..?!!
So it really depends on whether you're using it for daily duties, how many miles per year you do, what car(s) you're coming from and how much standing at a petrol pump annoys you.
I wouldn't change back to a Golf R for anything; I absolutey love my M3 and it's more than filled the minimal (but important)
s that the Golf had in its armor. I would absolutely love to be able to man-maths my way to putting a Golf R Estate in the garage alongside the M3, but they're still too pricey for me to justify as a daily driver so that idea will have to stay on ice for the foreseeable. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff