Quote:
Originally Posted by GT3fan
Looking for a possible change and better reliability.
I’ve enjoyed my m3 for the past 2+years. I intended to daily drive it, but only drove it a couple thousand miles. The main reason is because I park in a 12 level parking structure and the LSD groans a lot around every tight corner to the top.
Also, I’ve had to replace the TA’s and HVAC condenser at considerable expense. Now my Indy recommends the valve covers replaced due oil leaking, which smells after a hard run. Bad luck on this 1 owner car w/ under 50k when I bought it I guess.
Has anyone driven a GSF? They are relatively rare and prices have come down a lot. 2016’s are now about $50. I don’t track the car or drive in the canyons anymore and have a 911 as my fun car.
I’ve watched positive reviews on them. Chris Harris prefers it over the f10 m5 and the smoking tire guy raved about the GSF. Motor trend preferred the CTSV, but I don’t need a ballistic missile anymore and prefer a hassle free car instead.
Thoughts?
|
Here are my experience
I was exactly in your scenario when my E90 M3 6MT was due for an upgrade and I picked the GS-F over everything else as it seemed like the most logical upgrade as it keeps the high revving (relatively speaking) NA V8, 4 Door and RWD.
GS-F drives very similar to a more torquey E90 M3 and the transmission shifts very fast when driven aggressively. The GS-F maybe heavy for 467HP but it still drives very nimble as it is lighter than similar sized performance cars such as the E53/63 or M5. With full bolt-on and tune, the GS-F will be around 440-450 whp which is plenty if you are coming from a E90.
The GS-F is more like the Scion FRS of the Sport/Super Sedan segment, where it's emphasis is not only on acceleration (although 0-60 in 4.3 is not that slow) but rather driver involvement, steering with throttle (Torque Vectoring Rear Diff), handling and etc.
Another thing for me was the reliability aspect, of course there are turbo charged or more technologically advanced motors with tight tolerance that responds so well to tune but the GS-F has a V8 motor derived from the tried and true Toyota trucks and SUVs (All in the Toyota UR engine family). Yes, not as high revving exotic or with all cutting edge technologies, but I can live with that.
The way I look at it is, I can trade the 20% HP deficit or the 1 second slower of 0-60 time or the numerous seconds slower than M5/E63 on this and that track for 200k + reliability and piece of mind (Especially in my financial situation as I don't have the means to swap cars every 2-3 years especially with the depreciation on the performance European cars).
I am willing to spend similar money but only have 80-90% of the fun of a full M or AMG but knowing that my car will last well into 200k range (many high mileage ISFs). In the end I don't have a M or AMG, but I still have a relatively light (~4000 lbs) and practical large sedan with naturally aspirated 7300 RPM V8 RWD and 467 hp.