jhale

OK, I thought I would never go back to BMW after a series of bad luck with my last E30 but now I find myself reading every magazine I can find on the new 2008 M3. I recently borrowed my friends E46 with the complete Dinan package (headers, exhaust, etc.) and I was blown away how much giddy yup this car had. I just recently purchased a '06 Volvo V70R wagon for the family with all of the Evolve performance upgrades (345hp/360/tq) and man my p-car is starting to feel slow.

So, please help me from putting up my p-car for sale... Maybe it's time to find a 993 Turbo...

JH

993Dude

You know, a buddy of mine was hot for a 993 like mine and he was way down the trail. Then an M3 with the competition package became available and he bought that in a snap decision instead because the dealer claimed a bunch of people were looking at it. I must tell you that there's just something I find too "pedestrian" about BMW's. Part of it is the horror stories that I hear with respect to maintenance. Another buddy has a 740 that has required at least one $4K repair job for the past 3 years running and the car has left him stranded at the side of the road prior to each one. Every once in a while I get sucked into the hype and updated electronics on new cars, but on the ride home I keep coming back to the solid engineering and tactile feel of the 993. They don't make them like they used to.

goofballdeluxe

OK I'll bite: the new M3 is overweight to start off with. Not nearly the pure car an old E30 M3 was. Also, as the years have gone by, each iteration gets heavier, with more irrelevant gadgets, and also uglier. This new M3 is so swoopy and feminine looking; the front headlight treatments are shaped so that it looks like it has freakin' eye shadow around the headlamps, for Chrissakes. It looks like the automotive equivalent of Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra".

My advice: if you really wanna a great new BMW, save $20K and buy a new 135i. Lighter, more tossable, a great engine and nearly as fast as the new M3. With the 20K you saved, mod it out and you can blow away a new M3 at your favorite stoplight.

vjd3

I had an 03 E46 M3 SMG and while the performance was excellent, the overall build quality was a big disappointment, the car was full of rattles, and even though it was under warranty, they were telling me 30k miles is "a lot of miles" for a convertible, and they couldn't get rid of them. Had numerous other annoying electrical foibles, etc.

You will not find a similar community of enthusiasts, either; the M3 forums out there are largely full of kids calling themselves "thugz" who discuss how to best "pimp" the car and tell their street racing tales ad nauseum.

I'd stay in this fold if I were you ;-)

Rassel

I saw the new M3 two weeks ago and also the old M3 CSL. The new M3 looks a bit ordinary. Have you tried a 993TT? If not, I'm sure it will slap those silly Baader-Meinhof-Wagen out of your thoughts..

hutch

I had a E36 M3 that I conveted to Euro spec's, it was a great car. I then purchased a E46 M3, what a piece of **** and overweight. You think Porsche is bad to deal with try BMW, the new M3 is probably a nice daily driver if the motor and rear end and transmission will hold up not to mention their electronics problems. Also you will have to purchase a set of brakes if you drive hard.

zicoramone

...or a 996 TT or a GT3 or a GT2.
There are newer and faster 911. Your car is becoming a classic, you know...
The Porsche factory didn't close it's doors after 1997

CDILL

I also had a E36 M3 I loved the car but the more I think about it the E36 always had something wrong with it not to mention the depreciation I think I lost 10k in about 2 years. If I had the means I would definetly go for a 993TT. I have driven many of them and there are still very few cars that can provide that much enjoyment.

IamSMC

As you noticed, alot has changed since the e30 M3.

Though we got the watered down version of the e36 M3, it sold like hotcakes. There was so many choices, 2 Dr, 4 DR or Vert.

Then the e46 M3, car of choice for track junkies. Or a Vert for the wind in your hair days.

The e92 M3 should be an awesome car. But since you mentioned the 993tt, the M3 doesn't seem as awesome anymore.

Sooner

Go drive one when you can. I am sure it's a great car & will feel very fast, however it's a completely different feeling than the 993. It is a sport sedan/coupe & i think BMW has gone down the comfort first path. It's probably a great street car & daily driver, but you will definitley feel less connected to the road/car than in the 993.

I would buy one if I could have both, but choosing just one, I'd stick with the 993 (or upgrade to a Turbo or 997).

BobbyT

I can't find the source now, but it may have been the WSJ, an article stating that BMW had the highest warranty repair cost per unit in the industry, around $3,000. Lots of my friends own BMWs, one in particular bought over 20 new ones in three years. It seemed that every time I saw him at Starbucks, we walked out to see his latest, everything from 540s to an M5, 7s, and even a Z8. He had "issues" with every last one of them, and was left stranded more than once. The M5 had two transmission replacements. Kudos to the sales force at BMW for their ability to keep selling these cars. I look at them when I'm in the market for a new sedan, but never buy. IMHO, Chris Bangle has ruined the looks of every car they make, with all the conflicting design elements and Dame Edna headlights.

flatsixforme

I can't weigh in on the M3 but I feel someone needs to point out the obvious between the 993 and Volvo (and any turbo car for that matter). You live in Denver (5000+ ft. above sea level) and drive a NA 993 and are comparing this to your turbo (I am assuming your volvo has one) engine in the Volvo. I used to live in CO for college and frequently drove my 200hp v6 tacoma from Denver to Kansas City. EVERY time I would get to sea level and get gas for the first time I would always admire my "new" power that I had due to the more dense, oxygen rich air. The truck felt so much more alive. This, as we all know, is the downside of living at altitude. To further this point, I drove a friend's identical truck, however, with a TRD supercharger at altitude and at sea level (on a road trip) as we were discussing this same point...there was not nearly as much of a difference in relative performance.

My point: A turbo-charged engine goes a long way to erase the negative affects of less oxygen in the air when driving at altitude. I have driven a 3.2 p-car from 5000ft up to 9000ft and it feels disapointingly slow at that altitude. I have also driven my WRX from sea level to 10000ft in one day and noticed very little in performance loss.

So.....if I was still living in CO, my car choice would absolutely include cars that were turbo-charged or supercharged to get me back to the level of performance the sea-level folks experience!

Get the 993 turbo!!!!!!

Best,
Adam

quattroleap

Have you driven a 07 RS4?? I guess if you did you wouldn't be considering a M3. Get a 993T and stay within the Porsche/Audi group they're more
dependable.

RAPID

M3 is a great car, it has 4 seats, you can do you shopping with it, and be very very quick on the ring with it. However if you want to drive your car stay with the 993!

TheOtherEric

+1. Absolutely spot on!

IIRC the new M3 is like 3500+ lbs, which is way overweight for a sports car. The 135 holds a lot of promise, especially being twin turbo (hello mods!).