Would you buy your child an M3 as a first car?

[CAT3B]

No way my kid will have a M3 as a 1st car. Too powerful, too expansive.

[apecush]

My 1st car (>10 yrs ago) was a 1983 ford thunderbird. 112 horsepower and a chassis as stable as a wheelbarrow. I straight up loved that thing. Sure I would have loved a sports car, but the car meant freedom and responsibility. I ditched that thing a couple of times and tapped a few cars/street signs with it, and it kept on trucking. I would have surely killed myself in a car with 4x the power. Looking back, I'm greatful I started off in a POS, because it kept me humble and made me appreciate just having a car (which obviously was the intended purpose).

If you want your kid driving a "nice" car (to keep up appearances, etc...I understand, I've certainly got nothing against that) get something new, fuel efficient, and (for the love of god) underpowered.

[Sy546]

would i buy it for them? depends. If I'm that filthy rich where i have ferraris sitting int he driveway, sure why not. But it depends on the kid. Every kid is different.

I bought my own S2000 at 18, and supercharged it (400 hp) after 8 months and multiple track/auto-x events. But i was always responsible. My father never cared about how fast my car was b.c he knows i love my cars more than almost anything, id be the first person to drive carefully b.c i actually care about my car.

[mjf5]

When I was 16 my parents gave me a brand new 1988 e30 M3. One year after getting the car I ended up in a high speed chase that resulted in me getting into a horrific accident that injured everyone in the car. However , because BMWs are so well made the car ended up saving the lives of myself and 2 friends in the car. The M3 of today is a much more powerful car and probably not the best choice for a new driver. A more practical choice would be a standard 3 series.

[1MOREMOD]

Well how many kids do you have, and how many do you want?

[Templar]

Originally Posted by ottoblotto

Doesnt anyone remember P-Diddy getting his son the $350K+ Maybach for making honor roll?

Ugly ass cars... I don't care how much they are, they look like big old boats. Sure, the interior is something to marvel at, but really?

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by ottoblotto

Doesnt anyone remember P-Diddy getting his son the $350K+ Maybach for making honor roll?

Your kid is all screwed up in the head if he actually wants a Maybach.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

There is no way in hell I would give my child an M3 as a first car.

That's asking for trouble IMO. I think a 335 will more than suffice, even a 328 is perfect for a new driver.

I'd say a 335i is just as bad as an M3. Maybe even worse considering it has all that torque right up front and less grip. At least the M3's power delivery is gradual.

[Im4citadel]

Originally Posted by CallMeWonder

My dad bought me a used 2009 M3 as my first car.(16 yrs old) ITs for good reasoning though, I've been working with him and the family businesses since I was 12 and it wasn't just easy work it was some labor like lifting. I also made him a promise that I'll try to do superior in life and become successful and wealthy like he is.

I dont brag or anything about it either. I'm really humble and thank God for how blessed I am.

As for driving skills, I really respect the cars power and I dont abuse it. I have never floored the car. I havent even hit red/yellow on it yet. Gonna get my driving skills down before I even attempt that.

Your father has done you a great injustice by purchasing this vehicle for you. For starters, your experience in the family business in no way suffices, or in this case, justifies the purchase of an M3. While I can admire your efforts in the "hard lifting" I can hardly imagine a 12 year old being capable of executing a proper days work in any sort of blue collar field. Additionally, while your promise to your father is admirable, it is flattery at best. Money will come and go young man, but a firm foundation of work ethic and achievement is a right of passage that all boys need to become proper men.

As I read the posts on this thread I feel as though your age group, who has been afforded these misgivings (that is truly what they are), are delusional as to what achievement truly is.

If you, yourself set the goal of purchasing or even financing the vehicle and achieved it through your own accord than there is nothing I or anyone else on this forum can say. But the reality is that most in your age group are no where within the solar system of retaining the financial stability to purchase a 60+K vehicle. Most, I would fair to say all, of you don't even know how to file for your tax returns. Why? None of you have held a job sufficient enough to do so. You don't know what a rent payment or mortgage feels like. What if that beautiful M3 got into an accident? Would you know what it feels like to balance your budget for the month to pay the insurance copay, rent/mortgage, bills, car payment, etc?

In my personal opinion it is nice to see that you are grateful for such a giving family as yours, but if you truly want to be grateful you should have opted to earn your way to an M3. Your parents, no matter how wealthy they may be, dont have to pay for your meals, housing, schooling, sports, etc. I hope you realize that all of this costs money. Money that needs to be earned through ACHEIVEMENT.

Stay safe in that M3!

[CallMeWonder]

Originally Posted by Im4citadel

Your father.......safe in that M3!

Thanks for the interesting response, I can assure you though, I am in no way spoiled or anything. Any person that I show the car to doesn't even mention or question the fact that I'm spoiled, they know how hard working I am. Nor do I disrespect how hard you guys work for your guys along supporting your families. I can only imagine

[14bmws]

Not if you love him

[VegasEgg]

Originally Posted by Im4citadel

Your father has done you a great injustice by purchasing this vehicle for you. For starters, your experience in the family business in no way suffices, or in this case, justifies the purchase of an M3. While I can admire your efforts in the "hard lifting" I can hardly imagine a 12 year old being capable of executing a proper days work in any sort of blue collar field. Additionally, while your promise to your father is admirable, it is flattery at best. Money will come and go young man, but a firm foundation of work ethic and achievement is a right of passage that all boys need to become proper men.

As I read the posts on this thread I feel as though your age group, who has been afforded these misgivings (that is truly what they are), are delusional as to what achievement truly is.

If you, yourself set the goal of purchasing or even financing the vehicle and achieved it through your own accord than there is nothing I or anyone else on this forum can say. But the reality is that most in your age group are no where within the solar system of retaining the financial stability to purchase a 60+K vehicle. Most, I would fair to say all, of you don't even know how to file for your tax returns. Why? None of you have held a job sufficient enough to do so. You don't know what a rent payment or mortgage feels like. What if that beautiful M3 got into an accident? Would you know what it feels like to balance your budget for the month to pay the insurance copay, rent/mortgage, bills, car payment, etc?

In my personal opinion it is nice to see that you are grateful for such a giving family as yours, but if you truly want to be grateful you should have opted to earn your way to an M3. Your parents, no matter how wealthy they may be, dont have to pay for your meals, housing, schooling, sports, etc. I hope you realize that all of this costs money. Money that needs to be earned through ACHEIVEMENT.

Stay safe in that M3!

I'm sick of hearing stuff like this! You act like you wouldn't take the M3 at 16 if you were in his shoes! There's nothing wrong with working for the family business or accepting high dollar gifts at a young age.

[cwidjojo]

whatever it is, they'd have to learn a manual car first

[Im4citadel]

Originally Posted by Jrollsp

I'm sick of hearing stuff like this! You act like you wouldn't take the M3 at 16 if you were in his shoes! There's nothing wrong with working for the family business or accepting high dollar gifts at a young age.

At no point did I even remotely mention a problem in him working for his family business. With the obvious misinterpretation aside, in response to your last statement...

Originally Posted by Jrollsp

There's nothing wrong with...accepting high dollar gifts at a young age.

All I can do is repeat what was said earlier...delusional...

[Im4citadel]

Originally Posted by CallMeWonder

Thanks for the interesting response, I can assure you though, I am in no way spoiled or anything. Any person that I show the car to doesn't even mention or question the fact that I'm spoiled, they know how hard working I am. Nor do I disrespect how hard you guys work for your guys along supporting your families. I can only imagine

Where to begin with this one.........

Lets break this down shall we:

Originally Posted by CallMeWonder

I can assure you though, I am in no way spoiled or anything

In all honesty, I am sure you are a great kid and have the best interests for you and your family, but "being spoiled" is not just reserved for those who throw tantrums when they don't get what they want. That's certainly an obvious act of being spoiled, but when a 16 year old boy has been GIVEN an E90/92 M3 the common majority of people out there will take that as "being spoiled".

Any person that I show the car to doesn't even mention or question the fact that I'm spoiled, they know how hard working I am.

So here you admit that you are spoiled or at least acknowledge "the fact" that the world might view you that way. Also...do you only show the car to family and friends? If you were to show the car to me, my immediate thought wouldn't be to think of your work ethic or job...you're 16.

Nor do I disrespect how hard you guys work for your guys along supporting your families. I can only imagine

I couldn't for the life of me understand what you were properly trying to convey here, but if I could surmise it would be to rebut by stating you are the bigger man by not pointing fingers like us.(Am I right?)
In no way, shape, fashion, or form are posts like mine meant to disrespect you and your generation. How could we judge your character when you haven't even had time to develop or enhance one? We are however clearly stating that your parents are raising you the wrong way. That unequivocally I AM CLAIMING. Take it as you will.

I'll leave you with my own views and take this how you feel you should.

I'm an attorney for a midsize financial firm and I see countless young men and women role in and out of our office (brokers, traders, analysts). The ones I see that hold onto their employment are the ones that have the drive and tenacity to stick with it (it's an extremely tough industry for these guys). They have this because they don't have parents they can call to ask for more money. The one's who do have that safety line, never seem to make the grade when it comes to quarterly evaluations. They don't know what the bottom feels like so they never feel that pressure to work that much harder and the truth is, it's not their faults. It's their parents that allowed them to never know what truly achieving something in their lives would feel like.

[mylydiamy]

I am 42 years old. Although my parents were and still are wealthy, they never bought me anything. I came to this country when I was 18 years old. I came alone with one way ticket , didn’t know a single person, didn’t have any prior work experience and barely spoke a few words of English. And I had only $175 in my pocket. I remember my first day after my arrival just like yesterday: it was a 16F cold winter day and I had a small back pack. 2 years later, I had my temporary Green card, was going to college and working full time at nights (driving limo), making $60K.

If you ask me what the best thing my parents did work me, I would say that they never game me anything after my departure. Now when I look back, I can proudly say I did it all myself and am proud of it.

This is how I feel. There is nothing wrong with giving your kid a lux car at 17, or buying him a house at 21….It is just a matter of opinion. Every person is different..

[James T. Kirk]

OP here. Boy, do I regret starting this topic. 14 pages? Really?!

I've never read so much judgmental horse s**t about parenting when the issue is really about safety and experience. It started out as a funny joke about a temptation I had to try to justify keeping my M3 in the garage, never seriously about really giving my child a 414HP monster.

I won't indulge in topics such as a child's worthiness, achievement or whether a material item can spoil a child. All opinions of that ilk are strictly cultural and vary widely based on a person's personal experience, education and economic background.

When I was growing up, my folks were broke and so I had to work to earn everything I had. (So what?)
When my younger brother was growing up, my folks had amassed a good amount of wealth and gave everything to him. (Who cares?)

Both of us turned out fine.
Neither of us resent the other.
Both of us would have probably killed ourselves in an M3 at 16. Get it?

And for all you teen racers who did get a sports car out of the womb... good for you. I'm glad you turned out okay and got a head start on building your high performance driving skills. I wish you well.

But as car accidents remain the #1 killer of teens, let's not forget that those killed in accidents with the same gift will not have the chance to post their regrets.

[Im4citadel]

Originally Posted by James T. Kirk

OP here. Boy, do I regret starting this topic. 14 pages? Really?!

I've never read so much judgmental horse shit about parenting when the issue is really about safety and experience. It started out as a funny joke about a temptation I had to try to justify keeping my M3 in the garage, never seriously about really giving my child a 414HP monster.

I won't indulge in topics such as a child's worthiness, achievement or whether a material item can spoil a child. All opinions of that ilk are strictly cultural and vary widely based on a person's personal experience, education and economic background.

When I was growing up, my folks were broke and so I had to work to earn everything I had. (So what?)
When my younger brother was growing up, my folks had amassed a good amount of wealth and gave everything to him. (Who cares?)

Both of us turned out fine.
Neither of us resent the other.
Both of us would have probably killed ourselves in an M3 at 16. Get it?

And for all you teen racers who did get a sports car out of the womb... good for you. I'm glad you turned out okay and got head start on building your high performance driving skills. I wish you well.

But as car accidents remain the #1 killer of teens, let's not forget that those killed in accidents with the same gift will not have the chance to post their regrets.

If you don't want the replies than don't post the topic.

As far as the topic changing from "safety" to "judgmental BS on Parenting"-if you couldn't see that coming than you're dumber than the pic you used for your profile.

Also-Why all the hostility in your response to the reply-posts from our members? Are they not allowed to have and hold their opinions to ANY topic on this forum? But I forgot that all your posts are littered with facts and everything that you write is infallible. I mean, come on, you are "The Captain of The Enterprise" after all.

My suggestion to you...please stop posting as if you are the only "rational" member on this forum...you only come off as self righteous and pretentious.

[Dave07997S]

I mean, come on, you are "The Captain of The Enterprise" after all.

Dude I laughed so hard..

Dave

[James T. Kirk]

Originally Posted by Im4citadel

If you don't want the replies than don't post the topic.

As far as the topic changing from "safety" to "judgmental BS on Parenting"-if you couldn't see that coming than you're dumber than the pic you used for your profile.

Also-Why all the hostility in your response to the reply-posts from our members? Are they not allowed to have and hold their opinions to ANY topic on this forum? But I forgot that all your posts are littered with facts and everything that you write is infallible. I mean, come on, you are "The Captain of The Enterprise" after all.

My suggestion to you...please stop posting as if you are the only "rational" member on this forum...you only come off as self righteous and pretentious.

.

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by CBS

1. Driver's Education
2. Student Driving School
3. BMW Teen Driving School (Accident Avoidance Training) in Spartanburg

The above for my 4 Teens before they ever get/got a car.
One Teen down, three still to go.

And no, I would never give them an M3 as a first car.

I like that ... great plan .... +1

[keisakura]

Originally Posted by eatrach73

no no no. If I had kids, they need to earn it.
This dad had to bust his butt to be where I am at.

however, i do think you know your kid best. if you think she can handle it, the go for it. maybe a month probationary period?