M3 E92 - i'm a car snob going forward
Discussion
I've had my M3 for about 8k miles........predictably I completely I love it.
I don't use it every day.........just weekends and when I particularly want to.
Anyway - as always, being a car nut........i'm always looking at replacements.
I've just spent an hour looking through the PH Classifieds.
I can honestly say there is nothing that I would replace it for........for the same budget.
Is it me? or does it punch way above it's performance and tech weight for the money?
The only cars I would consider replacing it for are things like the F430, 360 Challenge Strat, AM V12, New Macca etc, possibly R8.....
All much more expensive.......to own and run.........
Have I stopped being a car fan?
Luckily I have no intention of getting rid of it for quite a while............but is there anything out there for around 35k that does the job as well as the M3?
I don't use it every day.........just weekends and when I particularly want to.
Anyway - as always, being a car nut........i'm always looking at replacements.
I've just spent an hour looking through the PH Classifieds.
I can honestly say there is nothing that I would replace it for........for the same budget.
Is it me? or does it punch way above it's performance and tech weight for the money?
The only cars I would consider replacing it for are things like the F430, 360 Challenge Strat, AM V12, New Macca etc, possibly R8.....
All much more expensive.......to own and run.........
Have I stopped being a car fan?
Luckily I have no intention of getting rid of it for quite a while............but is there anything out there for around 35k that does the job as well as the M3?
RacerMDR,
I completely agree with you which is why my £35k will be going on an E92 M3 Coupe later this year when work allows. It ticks every single box for me as town, motorway and country lane machine. It is a complete all rounder. I am constantly looking for something to catch my eye to see if anything can turn me away from an M3 in my price range but nothing does. I've looked at RS4's, 996 Turbo's, E60 M5, M6 and 997 C2S but in my mind they all get trumped by the M3 engine and chassis. I also believe its a stunning looking machine despite the criticism it receives from some quarters although I do concede it's not a very photogenic car as it looks much better in the flesh.
I cannot wait to get mine!!!
I completely agree with you which is why my £35k will be going on an E92 M3 Coupe later this year when work allows. It ticks every single box for me as town, motorway and country lane machine. It is a complete all rounder. I am constantly looking for something to catch my eye to see if anything can turn me away from an M3 in my price range but nothing does. I've looked at RS4's, 996 Turbo's, E60 M5, M6 and 997 C2S but in my mind they all get trumped by the M3 engine and chassis. I also believe its a stunning looking machine despite the criticism it receives from some quarters although I do concede it's not a very photogenic car as it looks much better in the flesh.
I cannot wait to get mine!!!
t8cmf said:
RacerMDR,
I completely agree with you which is why my £35k will be going on an E92 M3 Coupe later this year when work allows. It ticks every single box for me as town, motorway and country lane machine. It is a complete all rounder. I am constantly looking for something to catch my eye to see if anything can turn me away from an M3 in my price range but nothing does. I've looked at RS4's, 996 Turbo's, E60 M5, M6 and 997 C2S but in my mind they all get trumped by the M3 engine and chassis. I also believe its a stunning looking machine despite the criticism it receives from some quarters although I do concede it's not a very photogenic car as it looks much better in the flesh.
I cannot wait to get mine!!!
Fab - you won't be dissapointed........ each to their own......but i tried the RS4 first....don't personally like feeling of the AWD.. although interior comparable, i don't like the looks anywhere near as much.I completely agree with you which is why my £35k will be going on an E92 M3 Coupe later this year when work allows. It ticks every single box for me as town, motorway and country lane machine. It is a complete all rounder. I am constantly looking for something to catch my eye to see if anything can turn me away from an M3 in my price range but nothing does. I've looked at RS4's, 996 Turbo's, E60 M5, M6 and 997 C2S but in my mind they all get trumped by the M3 engine and chassis. I also believe its a stunning looking machine despite the criticism it receives from some quarters although I do concede it's not a very photogenic car as it looks much better in the flesh.
I cannot wait to get mine!!!
997C2S is a great car - but where I live and in my line of work - too many about. (plus don't like the interior anywhere near as much)
996 Turbos.......great car.......never driven one.
For me - it's the chassis on the E92M3....you really can treat it like a big Caterham....
i'm a huge fan
RacerMDR - I am completely with you, I do look around from time to time but there really is nothing out there as good in every department, my wife does remind me from time to time of my statement just before I bought it though - and I have to agree that I did say this - "I'll only keep it for the summer and then change it for something more sensible". Which in some ways is a very funny statement as it was never really likely to happen, but apart from the fuel costs it is a very sensible car (for a family of 4 of course).
x5x3 said:
RacerMDR - I am completely with you, I do look around from time to time but there really is nothing out there as good in every department, my wife does remind me from time to time of my statement just before I bought it though - and I have to agree that I did say this - "I'll only keep it for the summer and then change it for something more sensible". Which in some ways is a very funny statement as it was never really likely to happen, but apart from the fuel costs it is a very sensible car (for a family of 4 of course).
22-23mpg is not too bad at all!I use my M3 as a special occasion car as my commute see's me doing about 12k miles a year so not keen on putting that on the M3
Its a real treat to drive, however as its usually used in anger it returns 19mpg on average, not too shabby, but if im really on one, that can and has dropped to 14-15
Its a real treat to drive, however as its usually used in anger it returns 19mpg on average, not too shabby, but if im really on one, that can and has dropped to 14-15
you are doing well with 22/23 - I get 17-20!!
I do more like 40k miles a year............so no way i'd use the M3 for that.
the Merc is a great car - and an epic engine......but no where near as good in the corners.....no where near....imho!!
If i can ever afford it - the only reason i'd change the M3 would be for my dream car (something like the F430, or the MP4-12) - then i'd get a 330d or something for everyday
awesome
I do more like 40k miles a year............so no way i'd use the M3 for that.
the Merc is a great car - and an epic engine......but no where near as good in the corners.....no where near....imho!!
If i can ever afford it - the only reason i'd change the M3 would be for my dream car (something like the F430, or the MP4-12) - then i'd get a 330d or something for everyday
awesome
Lostprophet said:
22-23mpg is not too bad at all!
I guess it is relative, the 335d I had before was 35mpg or so even when driven reasonable hard.Personally I don't have to pay for fuel so mpg only matters in terms of how often I have to fill up, if I had a gripe then it would be tank size, we took it to the South of France last Summer and it felt like we stopped at every other service station
I feel your pain. Am in a similar situation. I've narrowed my list down to the following
Another E92 or 93 with DCT
Audi R8
Audi RS6 avant
C63 with performance pack
Downside with the Audi are that extended warranty is £3k which is daft. Cars in my price range will be coming out of warranty.
I want peace of mind as the car will be a daily drive.
Would love masser gt but reliability is a concern as is service costs.
Aston v8v though pretty on the outside feel cheap on the inside. Too much fordish switchgear etc. And again reliability worry.
The c63 is awesome and is topping the list with another m3 as I fancy auto again
I did the 996 turbo thing and it was a fantastic car and would recommend it or a gt2 for more thrills.
Another E92 or 93 with DCT
Audi R8
Audi RS6 avant
C63 with performance pack
Downside with the Audi are that extended warranty is £3k which is daft. Cars in my price range will be coming out of warranty.
I want peace of mind as the car will be a daily drive.
Would love masser gt but reliability is a concern as is service costs.
Aston v8v though pretty on the outside feel cheap on the inside. Too much fordish switchgear etc. And again reliability worry.
The c63 is awesome and is topping the list with another m3 as I fancy auto again
I did the 996 turbo thing and it was a fantastic car and would recommend it or a gt2 for more thrills.
Edited by s99ane on Saturday 26th March 16:51
I was in the same boat as you. I loved my M3. It was always my dream car and something I always wanted.
I thought after I bought it that the only car I would ever want after it was an Aston Martin.
4 years later I now have an Aston parked in the garage.
Sorry, shameless plug for the new car but your right, the M3 is and has always been an amazing car for the money
I thought after I bought it that the only car I would ever want after it was an Aston Martin.
4 years later I now have an Aston parked in the garage.
Sorry, shameless plug for the new car but your right, the M3 is and has always been an amazing car for the money
current m3 and a 996 are the performance bargains of the the decade
The m3 is the perfect balance of performance v practicality and price. Mid 20k for a manual, around 30k for a DCT now!
c63 doesnt come close on price and isn't competitive unless you add the performance pack.
Providing you can live with the Russian roulette of the 996 reliability that is a bargain too.
Upgrade the brakes on the m3 and it's a almost perfect package. Haven't had an e9* myself after an e46 i have an e92 335. Followed an m3 on a hoon today actually and the down-shifts sounded sublime.
The m3 is the perfect balance of performance v practicality and price. Mid 20k for a manual, around 30k for a DCT now!
c63 doesnt come close on price and isn't competitive unless you add the performance pack.
Providing you can live with the Russian roulette of the 996 reliability that is a bargain too.
Upgrade the brakes on the m3 and it's a almost perfect package. Haven't had an e9* myself after an e46 i have an e92 335. Followed an m3 on a hoon today actually and the down-shifts sounded sublime.
I sold my E46 M3 with the intention of either buying an E60 M5 or E92 M3. The main thing that stopped me buying the M5 was the fuel consumption/cost of ownership at the price at the time and the thing in the back of my mind for the E92 is that the car is a bit more sanitised than the E46 which I loved. I am a very big BMW fan and will own an E92 M3 at some point but from what I have read the E92 has lost the eagerness of the E46 and doesn't give you the instant appeal of the E46.
So I went the 996 Turbo route, wow what a car. The grip, grip and more grip plus the HUGE amount of torque it has is just sublime. As I said I will get an M3 but their value at the time of purchase was not entirely worth it for me, when they depreciate a bit more they will be a bit of a bargain.
So I went the 996 Turbo route, wow what a car. The grip, grip and more grip plus the HUGE amount of torque it has is just sublime. As I said I will get an M3 but their value at the time of purchase was not entirely worth it for me, when they depreciate a bit more they will be a bit of a bargain.
Glad you're enjoying it so much.....a cracking machine for sure.
I love my E60 M5 in a similar way.....it's bigger and less nimble than the M3, but I think it has a much better steering feel.....and the V10 is something else.
Of course, you would not really miss the extra grunt of the V10 on public roads, but where permitted, the way the M5 obliterates virtually everything above 100mph is just thrilling....truly stunning.
They're all brilliant cars!
I love my E60 M5 in a similar way.....it's bigger and less nimble than the M3, but I think it has a much better steering feel.....and the V10 is something else.
Of course, you would not really miss the extra grunt of the V10 on public roads, but where permitted, the way the M5 obliterates virtually everything above 100mph is just thrilling....truly stunning.
They're all brilliant cars!
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