I did it again, could not help myself... bought another car

[sk8ermoo]

I had a E36 M3, E46 M3 and the E85 M5 (v10).. Of all, the E46 M3 was the one I miss. I could easily swing a clean E46 M3 for the money I paid for the E92, but I always wanted an E92... I think it has better shapes and hasn't aged that bad . Plus that 8400 RPM V8...

I love the comfort and handling on my 335xi, the M3 will only be better...


Hey mate, I lived in Melbourne, AU many years... That is not a country where you can buy these cars... all is too expensive. I owned the E46 M3 CSL there, it cost me north of 80k... I was babying it like it was a jewel scared of potential gearbox failure... never again. Manual all the way.

My M3 is manual. the M5 V10 I owned was also manual, I knew about the gearbox issues... I actually fixed the vanos pump on it, replaced rod bearings... then I sold it (cost me under 4k in US) . I saw the GT350 coming out, and I had to have it.

Now I am bitten again by the M bug to be honest. It's something special, different car than the Shelby; but I will never replace the GT350R with an M. With an F430, maybe.

Wow you had an E46 M3 CSL? How do you move up from that other than doing a manual swap? I love the E46 M3, especially the CSL. You can't beat that induction noise and that engine is glorious.

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[torque124]

Wow you had an E46 M3 CSL? How do you move up from that other than doing a manual swap? I love the E46 M3, especially the CSL. You can't beat that induction noise and that engine is glorious.

Yes indeed, I had one... It was one of the best cars I ever owned. But very expensive then and there, and doing a butchery on it with manual transmission would have killed the resale value. I just sold it around 2013 when I left Australia ...

Cheers

 

[oldbmwfan]

I'd still love an E46 M3 someday. I have a feeling they're going to get expensive soon...

Wanted an E39 M5 until a friend had one and spent as much money on maintenance/repairs as he did for the damn car.

As an E39 M5 owner ... yes. I generally avoid any BMW with a V8, but the S62 is just so good, and the overall package is so right, that I deal with it. I bought one that had already had piles of money poured into it, and I still went in another $5K above my purchase price in the first 16 months, and that's with me doing most of the work. It's sorted out now, and only 90K miles on a 2001 so it has a lot of life left.

Overall, BMW parts cost a lot more than Ford parts, but not really any more than most Japanese makes, and a good bit less than Porsches. For the most part, they're not any harder to work on. And in their favor, the basic durability and overall quality is really great - my 6-y.o. Fiesta ST shows more corrosion and cracked plastic and other signs of age underhood than my 20-y.o. M5, or even my 1993 5-series wagon did (and that car had >300,000 miles on it).

 

[JAJ]

Always wanted one of these... I know I know, it won't be a GT350R, but I just like it. It is not THIS car, but it exactly like it... Pics to follow after the normal wash polish ceramic protection...

Congratulations! I had a brand new 2008 E92 M3 Coupe when they first came out. Brilliant! Loved it! Had it for three years, problem-free as I recall. Great car!

 

[JAJ]

As an E39 M5 owner ... yes. I generally avoid any BMW with a V8, but the S62 is just so good, and the overall package is so right, that I deal with it. I bought one that had already had piles of money poured into it, and I still went in another $5K above my purchase price in the first 16 months, and that's with me doing most of the work. It's sorted out now, and only 90K miles on a 2001 so it has a lot of life left.

Overall, BMW parts cost a lot more than Ford parts, but not really any more than most Japanese makes, and a good bit less than Porsches. For the most part, they're not any harder to work on. And in their favor, the basic durability and overall quality is really great - my 6-y.o. Fiesta ST shows more corrosion and cracked plastic and other signs of age underhood than my 20-y.o. M5, or even my 1993 5-series wagon did (and that car had >300,000 miles on it).

I actually had two E39 M5's. The 2001 was one problem after another, but the 2003 was rock solid. Should have kept it, except it wasn't really a track day car and that's the direction I was heading in. Traded it in for the E92 M3.

 

[gregkirk]

I'd still love an E46 M3 someday. I have a feeling they're going to get expensive soon...

I had a red E46 M3. It was a beautiful car and sounded great -- just not Shelby great. On the other hand, I spent $5000 to replace the M-differential at about 70,000 miles and was nearing another $5,000 - 10,000 in repairs as it got close to 90K.

If you get a vintage M3, don't get the SMG, find a solid six-speed and have a budget for repairs. Don't pay too much because at some point you are going to write a giant check for something.

 

[torque124]

Here is the real thing

 

[torque124]

I'm going to be slammed for this, a quick compare to the R.

Driving the M3 home and a bit around town, it is great. In M mode, the response in any gears 2 , 3 or 4 *feels* much stronger than on the R. This V8 seems to be pulling more torque at low revs....
There is also a drama, engine noise coupled with intake noise which fills the cabin, and it just gets better all the way the 8400 RPM redline...
It is not mainly screaming exhaust noise like in the Shelby, but a combination of intake, engine noise and some exhaust all together. Very pleasant.

Now, the M3 has a ratio of 8.4 lbs per horsepower, and the R just 7.03. No question the R will be quicker on the quarter mile, but I expect the M3 to have a jump initially due to higher torque from start, and no dip at 3200 rpms. Plus, in any straight race, horsepower wins, no question.

The adaptive suspension is nice, in normal mode absorbs potholes and such much more than the R in normal mode; in sport + mode, it is just as stiff as the R in track mode, maybe a tad less, can't really tell but they are close.

Now let's get to the steering. I am sorry to report but this is where the M3 kicks ass. I can feel the paint on the road in sport mode... It is the classic pump and fluid steering, none of the electric wizardry which I loved to hate in the new cars...
You feel the tire profiles biting into the road when turning at high speed.

I disabled the traction control; one button and it's done, and I could pull some nice sideway slides unheard off in the R, it is much easier to control. The car is smaller and lighter and when you push it, you can tell ....
Next step is going to be in spring, a track test side by side. I will most likely buy a set of SC2's for it also, so comparison will be very relevant with same tires.

Cheers

 

[torque124]

. And in their favor, the basic durability and overall quality is really great - my 6-y.o. Fiesta ST shows more corrosion and cracked plastic and other signs of age underhood than my 20-y.o. M5, or even my 1993 5-series wagon did (and that car had >300,000 miles on it).

.... you are so right. I am sorry if I offend anyone, but American cars rust sitting in the dealership. My neighbor wanted an SUV and he was shown a couple of them with signs of rust under the fenders (brand new cars, never owned) after sitting a year or more in the Muzzi ford park nearby..

And people complain about reliability on BMW ? I would never buy a Shelby over 15k miles, and yet my 125k miles 335xi is good as new, and my son's 195k miles (yes, 195 k ) VW Golf is just perfect. Needed a new clutch, main seal and cam cover seals, it's clean as a bedsheet .

My previous GT350 track pack was showing signs of heavy rust under the rear bumper, when Ford took it off under the bumper sagging recall. That was a 2 years old car at the time, never sat outside EVER, not driven in rain, let alone in the winter.

I think the major enemy on these cars will be rust as they age, despite the engine Armageddon stories. Until then, I am enjoying it as much as I can

 

[sk8ermoo]

I'm going to be slammed for this, a quick compare to the R.

Driving the M3 home and a bit around town, it is great. In M mode, the response in any gears 2 , 3 or 4 *feels* much stronger than on the R. This V8 seems to be pulling more torque at low revs....
There is also a drama, engine noise coupled with intake noise which fills the cabin, and it just gets better all the way the 8400 RPM redline...
It is not mainly screaming exhaust noise like in the Shelby, but a combination of intake, engine noise and some exhaust all together. Very pleasant.

Now, the M3 has a ratio of 8.4 lbs per horsepower, and the R just 7.03. No question the R will be quicker on the quarter mile, but I expect the M3 to have a jump initially due to higher torque from start, and no dip at 3200 rpms. Plus, in any straight race, horsepower wins, no question.

The adaptive suspension is nice, in normal mode absorbs potholes and such much more than the R in normal mode; in sport + mode, it is just as stiff as the R in track mode, maybe a tad less, can't really tell but they are close.

Now let's get to the steering. I am sorry to report but this is where the M3 kicks ass. I can feel the paint on the road in sport mode... It is the classic pump and fluid steering, none of the electric wizardry which I loved to hate in the new cars...
You feel the tire profiles biting into the road when turning at high speed.

I disabled the traction control; one button and it's done, and I could pull some nice sideway slides unheard off in the R, it is much easier to control. The car is smaller and lighter and when you push it, you can tell ....
Next step is going to be in spring, a track test side by side. I will most likely buy a set of SC2's for it also, so comparison will be very relevant with same tires.

Cheers

No need to apologize or fear of getting slammed. It's an appropriate observation. The E92 has ITBs, a great induction noise, and a very unique exhaust note for a V8. BMW M cars of that era and before were the complete package. They were great driver's cars that appeal to everything you said. I miss my M3 for the reasons you mentioned. The Mustang will never have the complete package. The interior sucks, build quality is questionable, and the foundation of the car is made for rental car companies and raging lance corporals to blow all their money on. The GT350 is just taking a POS car and making the drivetrain very fun. It's very European when discussing driving dynamics and...that's basically the main positive. It's a BIG positive though for 60k! I bought this car for the insane drivetrain and competent suspension. That's it. No other car can offer what it does at this price point.

 

[Crowd Hunter]

I daily drive a BMW. It's a fun little car with lots of power. I do all the work on mine myself too. It almost makes me wish I had bought a convertible Mustang.

 

[oldnick9333]

BMW = Bleed My Wallet lol. They are nice though.

I would like to apologize in advance...

What's the difference between a porcupine and a BMW?














A porcupine has it's pricks on the outside...

I had new 1974 2002tii. Back in the day, the car was the shitz. It was a fast cornering fuel injected
limited slip rear-end 4-banger manual that surprised a lot of people. Very few people knew about these cars. I finally sold it in 2015. Mechanically, they were not bad to work on except
tuning the fuel injection and the linkage for top performance. I loved that car. Original cost
was around $ 8200.

I would not own one now......cost, reliability, too many on the road and people calling them BEEMERS instead of bimmers. Also, BMW stands for Bitchers, Moaners and Whiners at that.

To the OP, nice car. Hope you enjoy it.

 

[AndiObb]

Comparing Ford and BMW makes no sense at all. As all of you said: you have to afford the ongoing costs - but you shouldn´t complain about it... you knew it before buying. Living here in Germany, the regular list price of an M3 with appropriate configuration is something about 90k USD. In comparison an GT350 (not R) is about 105k USD - without having proper support in case of issues, only importer, no regular model, issues getting parts and so on.... Almost everything makes sense, it´s only the question from where you look at it. And (don´t now if it´s a german saying only): the gras is always greener on the other side of the fence. I could get an BMW quite "cheap" but would love to have a GT350

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