Advice on buying a BMW M3

Yucca

Yucca

Yucca

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Happy new year all

After years of thinking iv decided I want an M3 (over a C63 or Range Rover Sport). Iv chose this as its super fast i.e. lots of fun, convertible which I would like to have for a couple summers and still 'practical' with 4 seats.

Im after a E93 convertible with an automatic gear box and high spec. My initial thoughts were to spend about £25,000 but iv read that 2010 models have the competition package, sports setting, 10mm lowered suspension etc which makes it even more of a beast. A quick look shows id have to spend closer to £30,000 for this.

I appreciate its a very expensive car to run and maintain. I intend to keep it for 2 years and them sell for something more sensible. So the plan is to loose the least amount of money and have the least amount of headache!

Also concerned about warranty.

Any comments/thoughts welcome folks!
 
You'll need at least £30k for a Competition Pack E93 (I'm not even sure you could get the comp pack on an E93). Warranty is a must. You're probably best buying from a dealer so you can negotiate 2 years AUC warranty. There's nothing specific to look out for; if I were you I'd look out for one with frozen paint. I'll write a bit tomorrow.
 
I don't know if the competition pack is only on the coupe/4 door or the E93 convertibles also?

If it is NOT then is there any reason why I should spend 30k rather than 25k other than the age of the car? Is there any difference between a 2009, 2010, 2011 model?

What does AUS stand for?
 
AUC is approved used car.

When doing my own research on the E9X model there did not seem to be any major failings that I could find. So I don't think you'd run into massive issues if you didn't have a warranty. Buuuuuuuuuuuuut having one is definitely a good idea.
 
Yucca said:
I don't know if the competition pack is only on the coupe/4 door or the E93 convertibles also?

If it is NOT then is there any reason why I should spend 30k rather than 25k other than the age of the car? Is there any difference between a 2009, 2010, 2011 model?

What does AUS stand for?
Click to expand...

AUC is a BMW Approved Used Car warranty. It's the most comprehensive warranty you can get aside from a manufacturers warranty.

I'm almost sure you couldn't get the comp pack on the E93. There are a few cars with the comp pack for slightly ess than £30k so I'd be prepared to pay £30k for a high spec low mileage example. All late 2008 build cars got CIC iDrive and a slightly updated dash. If you go for a 2010 car then you'll definitely get CIC iDrive.

Read this, it's very informative (mainly because I helped write it :p)

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=29371
 
Yucca said:
If it is NOT then is there any reason why I should spend 30k rather than 25k other than the age of the car? Is there any difference between a 2009, 2010, 2011 model?
Click to expand...

The only differences are:

a) Cars produced after September 2008 have a considerably better iDrive system
b) Cars produced after March 2010 are facelift models. For the M3 it was a fairly lame facelift with the only noticeable change being minorly different rear lights and some cheaper plastic for the sunvisors.

a) is important, b) isn't. So you might as well find a 2009 model year car and save some money. Careful, not all 09 plate cars are 2009 model year cars.
 
It doesn't make sense to me for the e93 to have been offered with the competition pack. The car is heavier, handles worse and the performance is blunted. If anyone cared about the performance and competition pack, they wouldn't chose an e93.

Do you really want a convertible? Its not like the c63 or rr sport were available in this config. I'd buy a coupe with the pack and try and get it under 30, which when I looked recently was hard with the right spec, miles AND being an auc car.
 
To be honest, An e93 isn't that fast.

Its basically a previous Gen coupe in forward moving characteristics.

This isn't bad as the E46 M3 is still a fast car there's no doubt but it's not a performance package as good as the E46 coupe is as an allrounder but it is a very good convertible regardless.
 
Eliot said:
To be honest, An e93 isn't that fast.

Its basically a previous Gen coupe in forward moving characteristics.

This isn't bad as the E46 M3 is still a fast car there's no doubt but it's not a performance package as good as the E46 coupe is as an allrounder but it is a very good convertible regardless.
Click to expand...

254e1e52_zps5fe6a0e4.jpg
 
I don't understand why my comment is confusing people.
I admit that it was poorly worded but it's not hard to understand what I'm getting at there really..

He mentioned an E93 M3 in the same sentence as a C63 (which is not available in convertible leaving only a saloon, coupe or estate as a possible)
Therefore I'm just making it known that a C63 is actually in a different league from a performance perspective (as is a E92/0) as its not lugging around all that extra weight.

I'm also pointing out that it is around about as quick on paper (in a straight line) as the previous gen coupe was (and E46) and even then that car has better handling (I've driven both and actually, to me, even though the power to weights are nearly identical between a E93 Conv and E46 Coupe, the E46 "feels" faster in a straight line)

As long as you go into the purchase realising this then they are fantastic, If you expect a car with E92/C63 performance but with a retractable roof then that isn't the case.
It's actually like driving a E92 coupe with 10 or so Alloy wheels and tyres in the boot.

Then again a Range Rover Sport is also on this shortlist so I imagine that's not an issue....
 
I've a 2012 E92 M3 with the comp pack and pretty much everything said above seems spot on. I paid £37k in May for mine and it was AUC.

Have to say I don't know if you can get the E93 with the comp pack, but as mentioned it wouldn't make much sense for it to have it.

Main things you want are the new CIC, an uprated stereo, front pdc and obviously a decent colour!
 
Many years ago I had the same idea. I even put a deposit on a e93 m3 but in the end I decided a e93 335i with a remap makes much more sense. It's 75 % of the car with under half the running costs.
 
Dr House said:
Many years ago I had the same idea. I even put a deposit on a e93 m3 but in the end I decided a e93 335i with a remap makes much more sense. It's 75 % of the car with under half the running costs.
Click to expand...

And half the price. I know it's an M3 and all but 30 grand for an E90 gen car just seems totally bonkers.
 
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