[journeyman73]

hi guys,

I just recently joined this (and another popular BMW forum) and thought i might post here to solicit some more thoughts...

my current lease ends in the next few weeks and i visited my local dealer a few days ago. i was thinking of getting a 335 and he mentioned the really attractive rates on the e93. since i had never been in an m3 before i figured i should at least test drive it.

holy smokes - unreal! aesthetics, exhilirating to drive, i even liked the ride better than the 335.

BUT, obviously it is quite a bit more than the 335 and i guess i am curious if many of you m3 drivers use it only for road driving or if most of you track (i think that seems to be the term) yours? in a way, i just wonder if the m3 would be overkill for me.

part of the issue is coming off the m3 test, the 335 (though clearly a great car) doesnt fill me with the same sort of excitement as the m3....perhaps i am already bitten and its too late.

Also, i have recently come across some posts here that suggest that for everyday (i.e. non-track driving) one might actually get better acceleration/power/performance characteristics from an 335is (or even 335i)??? This has jolted my thinking a little bit, since i had thought one of the things that i would be getting for the additional cost of the m3 would be unquestionably better performance, even in non-racing environments. is this not a given??

at any rate, thougts would be most welcome!