Lose the M3?

Steve

Steve

Steve

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,116
Location
Brighton - In the seat that Ro
What to do?

As much as I truely love the M3 an unexpected pay rise and another to come have thrown a bit more cash my way (not to mention clearing of a few bills)

With the tumble of e46 prices there are bargins to be had and the e46 is seriously growing on me dispite my previous reservations!!!

My mate wants my e36 M3 and I will only lose £600 on it after 6 months driving (3k miles) we will ignore the new tyres and other work that I have had done ;)

looking at 20-22k realisticaly, with the 19" alloy option as 18s look lost in those flared arches

Black is truely mean looking but the Pheonix yellow has strangely caught my eye.

Black

Vomit/dhiorea Yellow

What do peeps think, bit of a mad thought but a fun one, and no other car really jumps to mind for 20-22k

mmm newer M3 power goodness :D
 
Going to book a test drive at my local stealers tomorrow for the weekend if possible

I may hate it.............. ;)

I do love my current M3 though so will be a bit sad to see her go :(
 
Well have a test drive setup for Saturday in a 30k mile Black 'vert with hard top TV+sat nav 19" alloys H&K stereo, tyre pressure sensors, rain sensor, folding mirrrors, black leather

Only prob is I dont want a 'vert and I want the vomit yellow :) still it is a test drive none the less.

They also want a stunning 27k for it!!!!!!! oooooook

As for colour the estoril blue is reserved for an e36 in my book and looks mega wrong on an e46, the other blue posted is as rare as they came (only 1 nationwide on auto trader) silver is common as muck, red yeah whatever ;), steel grey with imola red leather is very nice.

The Pheonix yellow just seems to match the type of car as the estoril blues does on the e36. Althoug I kinda hate it but that makes me want it even more?????

I do Love the e36, I like the square and aggressive lines as I also love the e30, but I do fancy something a bit newer that doesn't rattle here and there and has the interior refinement to compliment the performance.

One day I would like to own one of each generation :)
 
Now I have just gone and confused myself :(

I know the cams on some of the 2002-2004 speed 6 engines can be doddy if they weren't changed but I am seriously in love. I can't stop thinking about it :o

4.0 Tuscan S
390 bhp
0-60 3.8 sec
60-0 2.5 sec
195+ MPH top end
No nanny controls/limiters etc
Dry sump

Oh and to finish it off it is £120 CHEAPER a year to insure than my e36 M3!!!!!

You can all say I am mad now :D

tvr_tuscan.jpg
 
Spent all day reading up on them and I am truely scared by the horendous problems they have and am amazed that owners put up with it.

On a TVR it seems that if you can hit 20k with no engine rebuild you are lucky over 25k you are a god amonge men

Windows/doors/boot will leak to varying degrees but thats expected apparantly

Speedo pods die regually

as do the engine, clutch, suspension, exhausts, electrics, heaters.

But when it does work it is amazing, which I am sure it is, but I a mnot going to live my life in fear of my car going pop :( such a shame

Anyhoo now to find me a poo yellow m3 that will see me to 250k on one engine ;)
 
wow the transformation is amazing

I would prefer an e36 to F40 kit though :(
 
Thats not hard though, the complex task of bleading my brakes fooled my local one. :rolleyes: :p
 
Awesome said:
Steve,

If you do not have a copy of BMW Car magazine March edition let me know as there is a 10 page article on buying/running the e46 M3. Some good reading in there.

I'll scan it in and E-mail it if you want, have you broadband ?

Kieran
Click to expand...

Cheers dude if you can get them into a sensible size I would appretiate it (might need to be sent over a couple of emails so as not to get bounced due to total size. email is in trust :)

An TomO

That is the norm which is so shocking, such a shame as hey are gorgeous cars with terrifying performance, will have to wait until I can get one as a second car and use it at the weekend etc :(

Will have to make do with an M3 ;)

2 hours to my test drive :D
 
Right sorry for the delay in my test drive report.

Off the bat the car is very nice to look at the flared arches really help to butch up what in y opinion is a ver sort uninspiring generation of 3 series.

THe exhaust note at start up and idle from the quad exhausts was lovely.

wasn't sure what to expect from the drive as the engine and box is vitally the same as the e36. Everyhing felt smoother and tighter, but the soft clutch and silky smooth gearshifts didn't fit well with me I expect them to be heavy being a poweful performance car.

It did feel a bit soft next to my e36 and not as raw and eager to go.

The biggest annoyance for me was the DSC and sport button, they have NO place on an m3, an m3 should be an m3 all of the time.

I assume it was done so that they could sell the car to every rich bitch that walks in wanting the top spec three series without worrying about her killing herself.

I have already start devising a way to switch the DSC off and the sport button on using a relay and maybe some circuitry if need be. the buttons will then be tucked under the center consol and blanking plates fitted. All will be reversable if I sell the car.

I REALLY hate those buttons, they are a travisty and almost enough to stop me buying an e46. Reading all the interviews with BMW when the e36 m3 was released and them saying that traction control had no place on an m3 as it was a pure performance car etc was spot on, I am gutted they deviated from that ethos in the name of sales :(

I will be going for one as they are still a stunning car but not as great as they could have been.

Seen a nice 02 cosmo black with red imola leather close to me, satnav 19s and all extras.

or there is a full loaded bar sat nav 02 pheonix yellow one a few miles away but it is an smg II which I have a feeling will annoy me as I don't like the car to do things for me.

God I'm a pain ;)
 
the one I drove did so I would say yes ;)

SMG was an option in late e36s and the e46s 95% of the m3s are manual (jusdging by all the ads have looked at ;))
 
hence my disclaimer as I didn't know official figures ;)

Wow that many women buying m3s these days then? ;)
 
Those buttons are an afront to all that is the M series, I don't profess to be the best driver in the world but nor will I be with the car trying to do everything for me, I want to feel her slip out so I can correct it, if I bin her in a corner thats life but I want to learn her limits not have them hidden from me.

I will not be driving her ever with sport mode off and DSC on at very least, the button removal may not happen but some of your reactions to the idea is worse than mine to having them on the car. If you don't like something on a car change it, thats what you do isn't it??? I am paying for M3 performance from the moment I turn the key not a key turn and two button presses

As has been said how do you slide round corners with DSC sticking its nose in?

Performance figures for an e36 and e46 are almost the same and I have managed without DSC so am not sure why every one is profisising doom and death?

I don't have DSC on my GSXR either and I manage to adjust my power to the conditions just fine.

ANyway moving on to more intresting news.

A deposit has been made on this beauty

2001 BMW M3
Manual 6 speed, Coupe,
47,000 miles
FSH 3 BMW 1 specialist
Metallic Phoenix Yellow,
19" Alloys,
Full Black Leather,
Satellite Navigation,
AirconClimate Control,
Cruise control,
Electric Memory Seats,
Electric mirrors,
Electric windows,
Electric sunroof,
Headlight washers,
Harmon Kardon Sound System,
Park distance control

He is getting the wheels refurbished, the bumpers respraid to sort a few minor marks.

And all for £19,790

lg905070113us.jpg

lg905070217gb.jpg
 
Each to his own with how the drive and what they drive, I have a strong attachement to the m3 series and hope to own one of each series one day, the DSC is a very personnal hatered for me and I don't expect many people to share that with me ;)

The colour is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar better in the flesh, every photo of one I have seen has been different.

I am not totally keeon on it and love it in a hate it kind of way :confused: :p

all the other colours are too boring a samey, for m an e36 needs to be estoril blue and the e46 needs to be vomit I mean pheonix yellow

Technically the money I saved on it could pay for a full pukka respray, not that I would do that ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom