330i change?

Tom|Nbk

Tom|Nbk

Tom|Nbk

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Joined
12 Mar 2006
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Debating changing my 330i, although maybe I'm just being silly but the car it self doesn't really excite me. Yea it's fast when I want it to be in whatever gear but I think I want something a tad more sporty and excitable?

The 330i has been fantastic to me however and still feels like a quick car

Been looking at RX8's they seem good value for money, obviously I'd be looking for the 231. Would this be a silly idea?
 
Would it be a silly idea, yes.

Unless of course you want a particularly fragile engine.

Whilst I don't disagree that a 330i can be quite boring (although you'll not get much better in a saloon this side of an AMG or ///M), changing it out just to gain a bit of excitement (on a public road?) seems a bit daft, especially if it's got nothing wrong with it, and your budget isn't being increased after the sale of the 330i.
 
Fair, might just wait for a cheaper RX8 and get to use at the weekend and keep the 330i for long trips up North and to work.

But yes, I'm going to struggle to find something faster in my budget I think, that I can get on with anyway..
 
If you want a bit more 'fun' and 'excitement' then it sounds like a convertible is what you need. Something like a Z4 3.0, but you're not going to get one of those for what the 330i is worth :(


MX5? :p
 
330i is worth peanuts, may as well just keep it until it blows up, although after doing 4k In it I don't get the feeling that's any time soon..

After years of owning sporty Renault RS's etc I wouldn't mind something a bit, daft. The RX8 seemed to meet that :p
 
I don't think the RX8 will excite you any more than the BMW. It has the same amount of power in the same kind of well-balanced RWD chassis and yet because of the power delivery, it'll probably feel slower. It just looks more exciting.
 
The power delivery is more exciting too, but only up until the point it needs a refuel, an oil topup, or a rebuild ;)
 
Why don't you keep the 330 and keep a look out for something like a turbo mx5? They can be had for silly money, will give you something to work on and in terms of power to weight will be an enjoyable thing to hammer about at relatively low speeds.

That's what i'd do, the m54 is a really flexible engine but in the e46 it feels like it really needs some open space to get the most out of it, works for me as i mostly use mine during the week going to and from work but something light with a bit of power will give you low speed enjoyment.

The rx8 is a time bomb, if you want one then either buy a recently rebuilt one or spend no more than about 1500 to 2k and hope for the best
 
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330i for an RX8??!!?? Noooo!!!

I know you said you want something daft, IMO that's just doing something daft instead, you'd regret it.
 
That coupled with other things. They are all the same BHP wise, people with 231's getting 180-ish BHP on the rollers.

They are a steal though, you could grab a fully spec'ed 55-56 RX8 for £1k in need of an engine rebuild. Rebuild will cost £800.

Fully spec'ed RX8 for £1800.

Just have to worry about snapped crank shafts, eaten clutches, drinking oil etc etc...
 
Have you actually driven one? They aren't slow at all, genuinely a really good thing to thrash around...they're just.....a bit crap at staying in one piece
 
z4 is the obvious choice, same engine, couple hundred kilos less so noticeably quicker and more nimble, still usable day to day yet far far more fun ;) m54b30 suits the e85 z4 far better than the e46. but you'd need to add some money on top obviously...
 
rossk26 said:
RX8 for the weekend?

Never heard anything so ridiculous!
Click to expand...


^ ^ ^ ^

Fans of the RX-8 will slap naysayers for this, but the engine has potentially one of the worst fuel : range : performance ratios known to mankind.

The vehicle itself is a great looking car and very smart inside, but the engine gives you Ferrari economy for hatchback figures.

I believe they depreciate very fast too, and don't even look at the yearly tax (or showroom vehicle tax).
 
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