New ///M in the Family!

[SoreHead]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

That's one hell of a nice motor!

Oh yeh. What do you think? $6k? Maybe $7k?

[karussell]

woot! kudos to your wife. awesome car. my wife wanted the original M coupe. we bought an 02 M coupe in imola red with no sunroof in 2004. she learned to drive a manual so she could have it. miss that little hot shoe. enjoy your M's in good health!

[SoreHead]

Originally Posted by Skelekitty

Hmmm..... I think we're holding out for the diesel X3 or 3 series wagon to become available here in the US so that we can do some back roads camping/hiking and tow stuff. I think it would look pretty good in light blue though!

LOL!

I can definitely recommend the 3 wagon. We have one almost a year now and it's a great car. It's the 328ix with sports pack which makes for a fantastically planted load carrier. Pity it's the only engine choice (why is that?) as I would have gone 335 diesel. I drove one back in Ireland for a couple of days and it's a fantastic engine. Great economy and it's no slouch. Do you not get the wagon at all in the US?

I europe you get any body style with any engine (bar M wagon) which makes more sense to me? You can even get all the diesel engines in the Vert. The car has been tested and approved here and all the engines have too so why not offer them all?

[ching]

Nice mix, I've always loved the Z4MC... In fact, I would've bought the Z4MC instead of the M3 if I didn't need the backseats.

congrats!

[ersin]

I saw a Z4MC last week that I really liked. Went to buy it but it had just been sold. Oh well, I got the M3 instead. The back seat will come in handy one day.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by SoreHead

I can definitely recommend the 3 wagon. We have one almost a year now and it's a great car. It's the 328ix with sports pack which makes for a fantastically planted load carrier. Pity it's the only engine choice (why is that?) as I would have gone 335 diesel. I drove one back in Ireland for a couple of days and it's a fantastic engine. Great economy and it's no slouch. Do you not get the wagon at all in the US?

I europe you get any body style with any engine (bar M wagon) which makes more sense to me? You can even get all the diesel engines in the Vert. The car has been tested and approved here and all the engines have too so why not offer them all?

Yeah, you can get the wagon, but no diesel wagon in the US. The 335d's motor, in the X3 or even 3 series wagon, would be great for what we have in mind. Lots of torque for towing, good fuel economy, and as you say, no slouch. (The X5 is available in d form, but the X5 is just too big for us.) Like you said, in Europe it seems everything comes in a diesel (I looked at the UK BMW site--damn, I'd love to have access to some of those diesel vehicles)!

North America, particularly the US, is weird about diesels. I think they got a bad rap from when GM put out these POS diesels in passenger cars the 70s and early 80s (which would blow up--my dad enjoyed seeing a rod go through the hood); and then there were the Mercs like the 300D in the 80s that could barely make it up a steep driveway (I do not joke--I had a hard time a friend's dad's up our long/steep driveway). Diesels have been the realm of trucks and have largely been noisy, smoky, and generally nasty. That's not today's diesel, but it's a hard sell, and hence there are few models to choose from. A shame really, as the performance is great for certain applications. Mind you, petrol in N/A performance car is my thing, but diesel could play a stronger role if the perception changes.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by SoreHead

Oh yeh. What do you think? $6k? Maybe $7k?

I'm guessing more like somewhere in the 15k-25k range. A Roush crate engine, depending on which one, will run anywhere between 10k-24k. Mkoesel?

Originally Posted by karussell

woot! kudos to your wife. awesome car. my wife wanted the original M coupe. we bought an 02 M coupe in imola red with no sunroof in 2004. she learned to drive a manual so she could have it. miss that little hot shoe. enjoy your M's in good health!

Thanks. It's a hell of a lot of fun!

Originally Posted by ching

Nice mix, I've always loved the Z4MC... In fact, I would've bought the Z4MC instead of the M3 if I didn't need the backseats.

congrats!

It's definitely not a car for carting around passengers or a lot of luggage. The M3 can do that and kick butt. However, the MC has a unique charm and what it does do it does so very well! But it's a raw experience and it demands that you really drive the car. You cannot use the same style as driving the M3 with it at all. I think it's a "love it" or "hate it" car; no middle ground. It's not for everyone.

Originally Posted by ersin

I saw a Z4MC last week that I really liked. Went to buy it but it had just been sold. Oh well, I got the M3 instead. The back seat will come in handy one day.

It does. I actually use mine a lot, enough that sometimes I think I should have gotten the E90, especially with the MC we have in the family now. (No guys, I'm not trading the e92 for an e90--I'm sticking with the e92 for several years, and friends can just wait for the seat to move up and back and squirm into the back seat if they want a ride....)

[montreal red]

i have driven both the m3 and m coupe and i think between the two, you have the softer car!! the m coupe is definitely more hard edge and more of a "man's car" while the m3 is more of a unisex car. i have seen women drive m3s on the road but no women driving m coupes or m roadsters...

[Maseroche]

Nice addition and a big step-up from the Ford! Always liked these little monsters.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by montreal red

i have driven both the m3 and m coupe and i think between the two, you have the softer car!! the m coupe is definitely more hard edge and more of a "man's car" while the m3 is more of a unisex car. i have seen women drive m3s on the road but no women driving m coupes or m roadsters...

You're not going to get a disagreement from me on which is more hard-edge! I spent a good deal of time today driving it (Skelekitty had a friend over), and that assessment is spot-on. 3,200 pounds, low, seated almost on top of the rear wheels, a 2 seater, 6MT only (perfect 6MT and clutch btw--I wish the e9x M3s were like this), and back-end that really likes to step out on you, a car you need to adapt to rather than it adapting to you...oh, and one hell of a lot of fun!

Now, regarding "no women driving m coupes", you'll have to take that up with my wife! I can tell you there is at least one (Skelekitty) driving one now! And if you knew my wife, you'd know that the car matches her personality perfectly. (In fact, it's probably more "me" as well, but I'm not ditching the M3, the S65 has it's own unique kind of fun.)

I will look forward to driving the MC from time to time. Since we have both it's really easy to find "the right tool for the job". I'm not sure I'd take the MC on a prolonged road-trip for example; while the M3 is great in that role, along with being no slouch in it's own right. But a mountain back road or some twisties? The MC is the right tool for the job...

[JCtx]

Congrats again on the new baby. Seems like the wifey is a keeper . Not many like that; it'd take a court order to get most out of their automatic SUVs/minivans .

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Congrats again on the new baby. Seems like the wifey is a keeper . Not many like that; it'd take a court order to get most out of their automatic SUVs/minivans .

Thanks JC. It's a really fun car to drive...last of a breed, really raw and really fun. The wife is a keeper--she's got quite a unique personality--and it really does match the car. (The SUV has always kind of bugged her, but we had a practical need for it at one point....not anymore!)

[SoreHead]

Originally Posted by montreal red

i have driven both the m3 and m coupe and i think between the two, you have the softer car!! the m coupe is definitely more hard edge and more of a "man's car" while the m3 is more of a unisex car. i have seen women drive m3s on the road but no women driving m coupes or m roadsters...

Oh no. Prepared to get flamed. Haven't you been paying attention on here??/

[Skelekitty]

Originally Posted by SoreHead

Oh no. Prepared to get flamed. Haven't you been paying attention on here??/

Well, *I* won't be the one flaming montreal red, but if any of you boys feel the need to protect my honor, you go right ahead.

[mPlasticDesign]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

I agree--I really like the M Coupe style much more. Neigbors: More like they think we're nuts! Seriously, here in suburbia women drive SUVs not ///M Coupes or M3s--it's kinda bucking tide a bit. But we don't care--life is more fun when you do what you want and don't follow the pack.

Ron, WTF? Nice addition! I miss my Mcoupe so much. However, the sedan is more conducive to our baby situation.... Can't wait to see you guys with the new cars at EuroSunday!

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Thanks South. I hadn't thought of that--but you're right--red and blue! And we do plan on doing some drives together, eventually some at the track!

Maybe a patriotic Fourth of July photoshoot? Red Mcoupe, White M3 sedan and blue M3 coupe!

[kpao]

Finnegan and Skelekitty you have exquisite motoring taste. I currently own and love my '07 IR Z4M Coupe and am replacing it (with mixed emotions) with a LMB E93 DCT arriving in June! I love the undeniable "hardness" of the Z4M but am looking forward to a bit of a respite.

Will be putting the Z4M up for sale in a few months if you are interested in identical twins :P...

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by ///Metak

Ron, WTF? Nice addition! I miss my Mcoupe so much. However, the sedan is more conducive to our baby situation.... Can't wait to see you guys with the new cars at EuroSunday!



Maybe a patriotic Fourth of July photoshoot? Red Mcoupe, White M3 sedan and blue M3 coupe!

I like the 4th of July idea!

Yeah, we just can't stay away from BMWs. Krissi has had her eye on the MC for many years, and our situation has changed (fewer pets), so we don't need the SUV. It's one fun little car--I can see why you miss it. But with the baby situation the M3 sedan is a pretty darn good way to go!

Yes, we plan to be at the next ES with both cars....

[Nawaaz]

Many congrats on the new addition, Ron!

[Skelekitty]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Congrats again on the new baby. Seems like the wifey is a keeper . Not many like that; it'd take a court order to get most out of their automatic SUVs/minivans .

Yeah. I'm not "most wives." Not surprisingly, I wasn't "most brides" when we got married either. Thanks for the thumbs up!

[Olagüe]

Originally Posted by Johnny Lin

Nice, congrats

+10

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by Nawaaz

Many congrats on the new addition, Ron!

Originally Posted by Olagüe

+10

Thanks!

[lucid]

People have been complaining that they want a mass produced ~3000lb ~300hp sports car, and that BMW will not build it for them. Well, BMW did, and people didn't notice (less than 2000 sold in the US).