Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel
I tend to agree and here's why.
It might very well be true that, generally speaking, people do not cross-shop luxury branded vehicles with non-luxury branded vehicles. In fact, I would say that's probably a fact. However, performance models present an interesting exception. When it comes to those of us who rank pure performance high on the list of shopping criteria, I would say that cross-shopping between luxury and non-luxury brands is much more common-place. Don't get me wrong, I know that many of us enthusiasts still like to be pampered too. But when push comes to shove I think the majority of us will give up some luxury for better performance.
It's not uncommon for the Z06 to come up in discussion around here, for example. Clearly that's not a luxury car, but it does deliver very compelling performance for the money. Sure, it might carry a very luxury-sized price tag. But it is not a luxury car by any stretch.
The new Mustang GT presents any interesting case. M3 performance for the price of a 328i. On a 40k budget, I'd wager that less than a quarter of M3 owners would genuinely find the 328i more appealing than the Mustang GT. Perhaps more than that would end up with the BMW for other reasons (simple brand preference or "snobbery" among them), but I'll bet that at least half of us, given a 40k budget, will actually go test drive the GT and probably a lot of us would take it home. Granted those numbers are SWAGs, but I doubt I am far off here.
Going forward, people looking for a high performance coupe with a 400hp+ V8 will have to give the Mustang a second look. And lets be honest, after 2013, the M3 won't even satisfy that criteria anymore.  |
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I am far from a fan boy of any one manufactor. I am a performance car enthusiast first.
I have had the Mazda RX7, Corvette Z06, Audi S4, BMW 335i, and now the M3. Of all those cars, the closest I have come to a fan boy is the Z06. That car is on a completely different level then the rest of the cars listed. But since I have a little one and don't have the extra income to have a dedicated toy car, the 2 seater sports car market isn't an option right now.
I test drove the 2011 Rousch GT (more show then go) and wasn 't too impressed, but having driven the regular brembo equipted GT, I am not only cross shopping, I am very close to trading from the M3 to the Mustang.
Here is why.... Like I stated about, I am about performance first, luxury second. My biggest complaint about the M3 is the manual gearbox, with the issues that I have had with grinding and BMW saying "can't reproduce problem", I am fed up. I would love to have a DCT equipped car, but that prices me out (I got a killer deal on the current M3, think $7500 truck money + $1K below invoice)
No, the Mustang can't quite be driven as fast because of lesser shocks/struts (easy fix
www.griggsracing.com) , but all other performance equals the M3, plus better gas mileage and cheaper repairs after warranty.
I will give complete props to the M3 for being what it is, I just HATE the gearbox, it kills the fun and is embarrarssing when shifting at redline from 1st to 2nd results in grinding a lot of the time (see muiltiple threads on this), and for $25K less minus about $5K in suspension work to the Mustang, I will have a car the will hang with SCCA prep cars and still be civil enough for the street.
Yes, I know, i know stock for stock blah, blah. But that is the only area the Mustang needs a little work to fully (performance wise) to surpass the M3.
Oh and to boot the Mustang interior isn't that bad, most certainly not $20K worse then the M3. As far as status...
Who gives a rats ass about what others think of your ride. Who spends all their time in it? The automobile is about self expression, not to impress others, for those that need a status to feel important, I feel sorry for you.
Just my .02 from a performance car guy.