Money issues aside, E92 M3, GTR or R8?

[mkoesel]

Not on the list, but I will take an AMV8 over an R8 in a heartbeat. Honestly never been a fan of the R8 styling, though I know I am in the minority there.

[Wads]

GTR, R8 then M3 in that order

[Zeiss]

[asif163]

The R8 is stunning to drive and to look at, a Nissan is a Nissan- I know the GTR has amazing performance etc but, it's a Nissan- I'm not paying upwards of $80k for one. The M3 is obviously fantastic but, IMHO can't compare to the styling and poise of the R8.

[!Xoible]

i'll tell u why i picked M3. I desperately need a manual car. DCT setup of GTR would not work for me. i'd rather drive a slower less car that's manual than not. at least for the next 5-10 years.

I didnt pick R8 coz of space, car isnt as appealing as others in its price range (i know u said money aside, but i'd be driving a porsche for that money - a car with a much longer history of refinement for street and track) and it's an audi after all. it's not a lambo, it's just an audi

[exadius]

There is a 2 year waiting list for the R8, and so far only 400 in the US so it is rare. The same will happen at first with the GT-R, but it is so damn ugly. And since I want to acutaly drive around in one it has to be the M3. Plus there is already a great community of M3 owners to share the fun with.

[Krank]

Like others have said, it has to be an M3

Nissan's are... well... Nissans, regardless of the performance claims or the cult following by the ricer scene, I will never spend my own money on a Nissan. Subscribers to "Sport Compact Car" would have you think it is the best car ever released in America, but no matter what they do, it will still be a ricer in my book.

R8 and M3 however, are both fairly classy vehicles, with more than adequate performance, and civility for daily driving. That being said, I have driven both in Germany and I just keep coming back to the M3. The M3 is the car that really makes you feel the excitement of driving. It is almost spiritual when you hear that engine at 8400 rpm. Don't get me wrong, the R8 is an amazing piece of machinery, but it just doesn't make me feel the way I do in the M3.

For my money, I went for the M3 and used the money I saved to by my wife a new 128i. She thinks it is "so cute".

[dechoong]

Originally Posted by malter2.0

I voted for R8. Design is beyond words...easily the hottest car on the road.

+1

Went down to the dealer's last weekend to see GT-R in the flesh. This thing is massive (think 599GTB but taller) and blocky. No doubt it'll look intimidating bearing down on your rear view mirror, but as a design practice it's not my cup of tea. Interior is no more roomy than M3 for something this big (surprised), and the rear seats are no more useable than a 911. One other thing about the quad exhaust... it's concaved inwards so that it looks big at the tip but the diameter of the hole is actually smaller inside.

[mchm3]

Originally Posted by rickc

If you are a performance junkie then the GTR.

If you want the best of all worlds, performance - comfort - class - looks.. the m3

If you have money to burn and want a badass looking, attention-grabbing pussy magnet car, the R8


just my opinion. also, a nissan will always be a nissan.

european cars = class

agreed

[M2381]

R8 because its so exotic looking and still pretty fast.

[JEllis]

Originally Posted by dechoong

+1

Went down to the dealer's last weekend to see GT-R in the flesh. This thing is massive (think 599GTB but taller) and blocky. No doubt it'll look intimidating bearing down on your rear view mirror, but as a design practice it's not my cup of tea. Interior is no more roomy than M3 for something this big (surprised), and the rear seats are no more useable than a 911. One other thing about the quad exhaust... it's concaved inwards so that it looks big at the tip but the diameter of the hole is actually smaller inside.

Word, according to CAR magazine the GTR is 10 inches longer than a Corvette! And the Corvette is a long/big car.

Jason

[BMW F22]

I voted for the R8.

[BobbieBrighto]

If the R8 is good enough for Iron Man, it's good enough for me.

[murellus]

r8 for the best looks at 100k and the performance isn't too shabby either

m3 for the most engaging drive of the 3 (granted i've only driven the m3 but i can't imagine the gtr being as engaging to drive from reviews, and the r8 loses points for awd)

[footie]

If this was purely about which was quicker from A to B then the choice would be easy, GTR without question. But we know there is more to living with a car than just that and then practicality has to come into play, which really should rule the R8 out and hand the win to the M3.

But as this question is being asked on a car enthusiasts site then driver enjoyment and looks have to be as important as the other two, maybe even more so. On looks alone the R8 is a class act, better in some people's opinion than most other supercars never mind a pimped up coupe and a rice racer. Then we come to the driver enjoyment and here again the R8 leads to way, it's steering feel is vastly better than the other two, the interior design also adds to the experience and then there's the lower seating position, all adding to the sense of drama and excitement.

No question the M3 engine is the best both in note and throttle adjust-ability, it's not only quick but with it's rwd chassis there is more fun to be had than being quickly and it's the most practical allowing more people to enjoy in the fun.

For me, if the money is taken out of the equation then the order would be easy.

R8 followed by M3 and last GTR.

But if money is important meaning no second car then the order would be

M3 followed by GTR and then R8.

I personally would never place the GTR first, it's too extreme for me.

[JEllis]

Originally Posted by footie

If this was purely about which was quicker from A to B then the choice would be easy, GTR without question. But we know there is more to living with a car than just that and then practicality has to come into play, which really should rule the R8 out and hand the win to the M3.

But as this question is being asked on a car enthusiasts site then driver enjoyment and looks have to be as important as the other two, maybe even more so. On looks alone the R8 is a class act, better in some people's opinion than most other supercars never mind a pimped up coupe and a rice racer. Then we come to the driver enjoyment and here again the R8 leads to way, it's steering feel is vastly better than the other two, the interior design also adds to the experience and then there's the lower seating position, all adding to the sense of drama and excitement.

No question the M3 engine is the best both in note and throttle adjust-ability, it's not only quick but with it's rwd chassis there is more fun to be had than being quickly and it's the most practical allowing more people to enjoy in the fun.

For me, if the money is taken out of the equation then the order would be easy.

R8 followed by M3 and last GTR.

But if money is important meaning no second car then the order would be

M3 followed by GTR and then R8.

I personally would never place the GTR first, it's too extreme for me.

I like your points. However, I am not convinced the GTR is less practical than the M3. Interior room is a concern but neither have vasts amount of rear seat space. Out of the group the GTR's gas mileage is actually pretty good. The AWD in the GTR will come in handy on slick roads where the M3 will struggle for grip. The M3 has a more comfortable suspension setup, at least in the UK. US spec GTR's will have a better ride apparently. Nissan service costs are far cheaper than BMW's. However, I am not sure am not sure if Nissan will charge more to work on GTR's or if their is a maintenace plan like Audi and BMW. In my mind its kindof a toss up praticality wise between the M3 and GTR.

Jason

[michaeldorian]

Originally Posted by exadius

There is a 2 year waiting list for the R8, and so far only 400 in the US so it is rare. The same will happen at first with the GT-R, but it is so damn ugly. And since I want to acutaly drive around in one it has to be the M3. Plus there is already a great community of M3 owners to share the fun with.

I agree the M3 community is one of the best and is very active.

[michaeldorian]

Originally Posted by BobbieBrighto

If the R8 is good enough for Iron Man, it's good enough for me.

[michaeldorian]

I understand what some people say about the porsche, but from just a style and look standpoint the 911 sitting next to an R8 looks so dated for some reason. I've always love the M3. Maybe time to work harder and buy both.

[michaeldorian]

Originally Posted by Krank

Like others have said, it has to be an M3

Nissan's are... well... Nissans, regardless of the performance claims or the cult following by the ricer scene, I will never spend my own money on a Nissan. Subscribers to "Sport Compact Car" would have you think it is the best car ever released in America, but no matter what they do, it will still be a ricer in my book.

R8 and M3 however, are both fairly classy vehicles, with more than adequate performance, and civility for daily driving. That being said, I have driven both in Germany and I just keep coming back to the M3. The M3 is the car that really makes you feel the excitement of driving. It is almost spiritual when you hear that engine at 8400 rpm. Don't get me wrong, the R8 is an amazing piece of machinery, but it just doesn't make me feel the way I do in the M3.

For my money, I went for the M3 and used the money I saved to by my wife a new 128i. She thinks it is "so cute".

Excellent point. I have yet to drive the R8, but from my understanding the redline is at 8200 so it a pretty high revving machine also. I don't remember a single time where I didn't have a smile on my face on my E46 when the engine hit 7K RPM's. I can imagine the M3.

For me there is something about the R8 design that feel so modern. I've never been Audi fan but that car is quite something else. As for 911's, I'd never pick up a C2 over a R8. Price being the same. GT3 would be the only one I'd consider.

Thanks everyone for there opinions. I have an R8 on order but the allure of the M3, its active community and that bit of cash I'll save is really getting to me. However never owning a mid-engine car, the R8 seems like a good bet.

[SHADY1]

Why : don't have to wait a year plus on BMW delays for a M3 to be produced

I am not feeling the GTR

[shchow]

Interesting question...sort of like asking which 3 movies you liked and in what order, but you only saw one of them.
I understand this is a "what if" scenario, but we can really only base it on looks alone. Any impression on driving characteristics are all indirectly obtained from review mags.
Money no object...R8, GT-R, M3
Practicality...M3, GT-R, R8