[rye m3]

Lease the car for 3 years and the new M3 will barely be here. Then you run the risks of having the first production year of a car with 3 turbos. Great time to buy an E90 with low financing rates and incredibly high used car prices. Heck, the V8 may even be a keeper down the line, although I suspect people are going to get crazy about mileage in the next few years.

I also looked at the RS4 as an alternative. Read really bad stories about carbon fouling due to the DFI in the engine, as well as suspension issues. They have more neutral handling, but still are heavy and tend to understeer. Also, they don't quite have the styling flair of an M3. Cool exhaust note though. Anyway, I passed. I was also REALLY attracted to the new S4. Easily chipped under warranty by STaSIS to 400 hp. Better mileage and more torque than an M3 even stock. Better clutch and shifting than an M3 (if you don't believe it, go test drive one). In the end though, it really just looks like another A4. Even for a lot less money than an M3, it wasn't worth it.