From Turbo S2K to 335i to Porsche or M3? Couple of questions about joining the club.

vbb · 06-26-2012, 03:43 PM

I have been "shopping" for a new car for awhile now. To give you some history, I had an S2000 and SUV, but sold both when the E90 335i came out in 2007 and ordered my first ever BMW. Of course, like most 335i owners, I had my share of trouble with the HPFP and it was in and out of the shop a bunch while they fixed those issues. I really liked the car, but it was on a lease, and with the troubles I had I was reluctant to buy it out so I let it go after 30 months.

I picked up another S2000 in 2009 and currently I have that as my weekend vehicle and a 2010 Acura TSX as my daily. I've put an aftermarket turbo on the S2K and it is moderately fast and handles exceptionally well... but it is not the type of car I enjoy driving to and from work. I also have two small children, so realistically the only time I ever drive the car is maybe once a week. I've put less than 3500mi on it in the last 2 years. It seems increasingly pointless for me to have a car that just sits in the garage all day, but I want a performance car and the TSX, though comfortable and a great daily driver, is not an exciting drive by any stretch.

I am flirting with the idea of picking up either a 2009 Cayman S or a 2007 911 (about the same price depending on mileage) because I've always been a Porsche fanboy, but I'm also thinking that with two children, I'd absolutely need a 2nd car in case the wife is somewhere with our SUV. So that brings me here. It seems the M3 is a good compromise. It has all the performance I could want, plus the practicality of an everyday driver. I suspect that is the reason many of you have your M3s. I have a few specific items on my wish list, and I hope that after a thorough search I can find something that fits the bill:
-Less than 35K miles
-DCT (No desire to row gears during a stop and go traffic filled commute)
-I'd prefer an E90
-White, Dark Gray or Silver
-Bluetooth connectivity
-Moonroof if E92

My main question is this... though I know the M3 has not had near the problems as those first gen. N54 engines had, I would still want something under warranty. If I were to pick up a 2009 or 2010 E90 from a private seller, what are the best extended warranty options if any that would be not only available to me, but worth the money? I know purchasing a CPO'd car would give me extra peace of mind, but dealerships tend to have their M3's way overpriced compared to what you can find on the private market.

Looking forward to responses and maybe being a future M3 owner!

Nine · 06-26-2012, 03:55 PM

(former AP2 owner) What does the 2009 Cayman S have that your turbo s2000 doesn't?

I have a feeling you will not like how soft the M3 is, you have been driving a very raw car...

vbb · 06-26-2012, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nine

(former AP2 owner) What does the 2009 Cayman S have that your turbo s2000 doesn't?

I have a feeling you will not like how soft the M3 is, you have been driving a very raw car...

The Cayman S has almost identical wheel horsepower to my low-boost turbo S2K (about 285whp), but more torque and more luxury/refinement. I could be completely wrong here, but I tend to think the Cayman would be more tolerable as a daily driver than my S2K, plus surprisingly enough it has more storage space. At the end of the day though, it's a 2-seater sports car much like my S2K is so it may not do what I'm hoping it will do for me.

I'm actually looking forward to something less raw than my S2K. It's a fantastic car to drive fast on twisty roads, but the same things that make it fun on a spirited drive make it kind of annoying on a commute. I know the M3 is much bigger and feels much bigger by comparison, but I am fairly certain I could commute in it without hating the drive, plus it will give me all the fun I want on those long and spirited weekend jaunts. That's just a guess though, I have not driven one yet.

How do you like your E92 compared to your old S2K. Much better, I presume?

Doctor J · 06-26-2012, 04:13 PM

sell them all and get an M5 -- problem solved

Nine · 06-26-2012, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbb

I'm actually looking forward to something less raw than my S2K.

How do you like your E92 compared to your old S2K. Much better, I presume?

my old s2000 and my current M3 have some similiarites, especially the high reving aspect, but I really wanted out of the s2000. I was DD'ing an s2000 and it just wasn't a great idea, I wanted more power, more space and more luxury. I think it is important to note that many former s2000 owners easily translate and enjoy an M3.

But I think there is a part of the population that always years for that raw, focused sports car feeling that the s2000 perfected. If you want it all, something has to give, the M3 doesn't give up much, it's a great all around package.

pbonsalb · 06-26-2012, 04:32 PM

Sell the TSX and S2000 and buy a practical and fun car like the E90M3, Audi S4 or RS4, Cadillac CTS-V, Mercedes C63, etc.

I like 911s and they do have a rear seat. Certainly consider one, but think about the issues that may arise. With the Porsche, when you are rushing to go somewhere, your wife will say it would be a lot easier to take her car than to get the kids in and out of the back seat of the Porsche and also there is limited storage.

With an E90M3 or similar car, I suspect you will get to drive a fun car a lot more often. Some people just like to own a fun car, but don't actually care to drive it that much and daily drive boring cars while the fun car sits in the garage. I have no interest in that.

I have a turbo E36M3 coupe that is my less practical car. I really like it, but when my wife wants to go somewhere or we have to take family somewhere, she does not want to take the turbo E36M3. So we had to drive her car. For a while it was a 2008 X5 4.8i Sport and that was pretty good for a truck, but not really much fun. Now it is a 2008 535xi Sport wagon and that is a little more entertaining, but still not very exciting to me. So the E90M3 has worked really well -- we have taken it on long trips and it can hold some luggage. I bought CPO with a bit over 1 year of factory warranty plus two years of CPO after that. Aftermarket warranties are a mixed bag. Some are good and some are not. Definitely do some research and look into the pricing.

If you could get your wife to buy a Cadillac CTS-V wagon or a BMW X5-M or a Porsche Cayenne Turbo or even one of those hotrod Jeeps, maybe the Porsche 911 would work OK for you since there would be entertainment when driving her car as well.

vbb · 06-26-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor J

sell them all and get an M5 -- problem solved

Nah... not interested in the M5, the cost of the M5, the gas mileage of the M5 or the size of the M5.

CarbonAlpine · 06-26-2012, 04:37 PM

I had an ap1 and I loved that thing, felt like I was driving a street legal go kart. It wasn't practical at all, but for the going price it's a great toy to have. I didnt like the m3, although it was fast...it didn't feel "fast". After spending tens of thousands modding it, I sold it and bought 996 turbo s. the brunt acceleration is what I was looking for, and I found it. The m3 was more comfortable but I don't care.

I've owned an e36, e46 and e92 m3 and my favorite was the e46. Which we all know has the raw feeling over e92.

vbb · 06-26-2012, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

With an E90M3 or similar car, I suspect you will get to drive a fun car a lot more often. Some people just like to own a fun car, but don't actually care to drive it that much and daily drive boring cars while the fun car sits in the garage. I have no interest in that.

You make good points in all that you posted, but the above is the best point of all. I don't want a car that I don't ever drive, and especially not a $40K+ car. Cars are meant to be driven, unless it is some ultra-rare collectors car, and though I'm okay financially, I don't have the money to let $45K sit in my garage. Whatever I buy I plan to drive. This is partially why I want to sell the S2K... I don't drive it.

Lorde · 06-26-2012, 09:31 PM

Can't make up your mind? BRZ.

Legion5 · 06-26-2012, 09:48 PM

just get a CPO M3 its practical and will have a full BMW 6 year warranty

Endless619 · 06-26-2012, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nine

my old s2000 and my current M3 have some similiarites, especially the high reving aspect, but I really wanted out of the s2000. I was DD'ing an s2000 and it just wasn't a great idea, I wanted more power, more space and more luxury. I think it is important to note that many former s2000 owners easily translate and enjoy an M3.

But I think there is a part of the population that always years for that raw, focused sports car feeling that the s2000 perfected. If you want it all, something has to give, the M3 doesn't give up much, it's a great all around package.

I got out of a heavily modified S2000 in 2006 and never looked back. I would say go for an M5.

I went through the NSX, 350z, Z4MC, E46 M3, S2000, and E92 M3 and out of all of them I really liked the Z4MC even over (at the time) $60,000 S2000. Now with some nice mods on my E92 M3 I would take it over any of my cars including a modified 02 NSX.

My weekend and fun car is my modified E92 M3 and my daily driver/commuter is the newer style 2009 X5. Best of both worlds.

Longboarder · 06-26-2012, 11:01 PM

Have you test driven an M3? If not, do a test drive where you can ring the sh*t out of the car for quite some time. And don't be afraid to bounce it off the rev-limiter.

My first M3 test drive was disappointing because I tried driving it like my chipped/meth 335. Like flooring it at 3,000 RPM and expecting it to accelerate quickly. I also didn't get to appreciate the full abilities of the handling of the car. My second and third test drives allowed me to see the car for what it really is and so I placed an order recently.

I'm in your shoes in that I have a 3 year old son and so that 911T was a non-starter unfortunately. Needed a larger car (but still wanted a coupe) to fit a child seat, my dog, my surfboard (inside the car), and of course co-workers and clients.

Good luck.

bnombe · 06-26-2012, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snig

Can't make up your mind? BRZ.

not sure if u were serious...

BRZ is too weak for anyone coming from S2K. I had an AP2 for 3+ years and had a chance to autox the FR-S couple weeks ago, nice handling but very unexciting. Doesn't even make any right noise can be heard from inside or out

:

adc · 06-26-2012, 11:34 PM

Any BMW with remaining factory warranty can have the warranty and maintenance program extended separately. Warranty is for the piece of mind in case something expensive breaks, and there are a lot of those in an M. Maintenance is only worth if you need new brakes, otherwise the minor stuff you can DYI for pennies on the dollar compared to dealer prices.

Chowster · 06-26-2012, 11:51 PM

Sounds like an E90 M3 fits all your criteria, except you made a comment about gas mileage! The new M5 probably gets similar or maybe better fuel economy than E9x M3s. An E90 M3 is an amazing car for those of us who daily drive the car, shuttling kids regularly, all while still having an outstanding engine hiding underneath the hood, waiting to play.

Endless619 · 06-26-2012, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chowster

Sounds like an E90 M3 fits all your criteria, except you made a comment about gas mileage! The new M5 probably gets similar or maybe better fuel economy than E9x M3s. An E90 M3 is an amazing car for those of us who daily drive the car, shuttling kids regularly, all while still having an outstanding engine hiding underneath the hood, waiting to play.

I would get an X5 for the kids... lol I got mine for a dog and hauling crap around the M3 just cannot achieve.

DARK_M3 · 06-26-2012, 11:58 PM

Haha you sound like me. I sold both my 370z and my SUV and got into an E90 M3. I have 2 small kids that I cart around as well. I could not be happier!

MMMMM3 · 06-27-2012, 12:10 AM

Get a MY11 e90 M3, the last ones were produced in Sept 2011, so the factory warranty should last a while. Mine was made in May 2011, and I've extended the factory warranty to June 2016.

Kayani_1 · 06-27-2012, 01:40 AM

Some M3 owners use their cars as garage queens and instead drive a 1982 Corolla all week long

.

They are scared to take their M3 out in fear that people will get jealous and scratch it. After 4 years of ownership they may barely have 25K mile on the car. Then they trade in their immaculate M3 that was never used like it was meant to be. Just to buy another latest and greatest performance machine that disappears in their garage known as black hole. All the while they enjoy the daily drive in their beater 1982 Corolla week in and week out.

On the other hand we have those M3 owners that use their car as daily driver and refuse to treat them as garage queens. Hell they even substitute them as weekend track car and use it like it was meant to be.

So you have two totally opposite kind of owners of M3. So their opinions will vary based on who is giving the advice.

Bottom line is E9x M3, E60 M5, and E63 M6 are all awesome cars that you could pick from and would enjoy. Off course M3 being the best all rounder and most fun of them. These cars can be good daily drivers given you can live with there poor gas mileage.

Now, their is another option but they are quite hard to find now. It is 1M. Almost as much fun as M3 minus the fantastic NA. S65 engine. It has better gas mileage and has ability to be tuned for cheap to extract another 30% power. Down side the besides the high revving S65 is a bit less room in rear seats.

Otherwise, if you are not in a hurry buy a Subaru BR-Z and wait for the next M3. The next M3 might not be as raw as this one. But it will be a better daily driver with higher performance.

Good luck either way

vbb · 06-27-2012, 05:18 AM

While I appreciate people suggesting the X5, M5 and BR-Z, none of those cars is on my list. There are a lot of capable and fun cars out there, but my short list is very specific:
1. 09 Cayman S w/PDK + beater truck or SUV for those times I really need the space/utility
2. 10-11 M3 coupe or sedan with DCT
3. Keep my 05 Turbo S2000 and 10 Acura TSX

The reason I'm leaning away from keeping what I have is the fact that I don't really drive the S2000. If I would go with the Cayman S, I'd drive that most of the time and only drive the beater when I really needed it. If I go with an M3, it'd be my only car. My wife hauls our kids in our SUV 90% of the time, but every now and again I do, so I need a car that has backseats even if they are relatively small. An E90 also gives me the possibility of carrying 4 adults comfortably which is a plus, but not a necessity. That said, since I have a fairly specific list of options/colors I'm looking for, if I found an E92 that hit all of them for the right price, I'd go that route and deal with the occasional inconvenience of not having 4 doors.

And there's still the question of warranty. Right or wrong, BMW makes me more nervous about repairs than Porsche does.

M3Dreams · 06-27-2012, 06:35 AM

FWIW, previous to the M3, I was driving a non-boosted AP1 S2000. Like many have said, it's a go kart for the road. However, after getting into an E90 (I have kids and 4 door was the only choice for me) M3, I have never looked back. While the S2000 was thrilling and more involved, for some reason I did not have the smile on my face every day driving the S2K that I do driving the M. It's the M3's duality that amazes me the most. Also the fact that douche bags on the street automatically do not assume that you want to race. In fact when they do, they are blown away that a 4 door just blew their sporty coupe away. Then there is the amazing sounds of the S65. The rev matched down shifts of the DCT are heavenly.

I made the switch about 2 years ago. Recently a friend of mine bought an S2K and brought it over for me to inspect and tell him if he got a good deal/car or not. Getting back into the seat was nostalgic, but when I hammered down even while the engine was well into the VTEC range, I felt no excitement.

Point being, the M3 is the most versatile, well rounded package that has been called the "Best car in the world" by several magazines. There is definitely truth to that statement.

06-26-2012, 03:43 PM	#1
vbb Captain 1866 Rep 935 Posts Drives: 2022 M4 manual Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: present iTrader: (4)	From Turbo S2K to 335i to Porsche or M3? Couple of questions about joining the club. I have been "shopping" for a new car for awhile now. To give you some history, I had an S2000 and SUV, but sold both when the E90 335i came out in 2007 and ordered my first ever BMW. Of course, like most 335i owners, I had my share of trouble with the HPFP and it was in and out of the shop a bunch while they fixed those issues. I really liked the car, but it was on a lease, and with the troubles I had I was reluctant to buy it out so I let it go after 30 months. I picked up another S2000 in 2009 and currently I have that as my weekend vehicle and a 2010 Acura TSX as my daily. I've put an aftermarket turbo on the S2K and it is moderately fast and handles exceptionally well... but it is not the type of car I enjoy driving to and from work. I also have two small children, so realistically the only time I ever drive the car is maybe once a week. I've put less than 3500mi on it in the last 2 years. It seems increasingly pointless for me to have a car that just sits in the garage all day, but I want a performance car and the TSX, though comfortable and a great daily driver, is not an exciting drive by any stretch. I am flirting with the idea of picking up either a 2009 Cayman S or a 2007 911 (about the same price depending on mileage) because I've always been a Porsche fanboy, but I'm also thinking that with two children, I'd absolutely need a 2nd car in case the wife is somewhere with our SUV. So that brings me here. It seems the M3 is a good compromise. It has all the performance I could want, plus the practicality of an everyday driver. I suspect that is the reason many of you have your M3s. I have a few specific items on my wish list, and I hope that after a thorough search I can find something that fits the bill: -Less than 35K miles -DCT (No desire to row gears during a stop and go traffic filled commute) -I'd prefer an E90 -White, Dark Gray or Silver -Bluetooth connectivity -Moonroof if E92 My main question is this... though I know the M3 has not had near the problems as those first gen. N54 engines had, I would still want something under warranty. If I were to pick up a 2009 or 2010 E90 from a private seller, what are the best extended warranty options if any that would be not only available to me, but worth the money? I know purchasing a CPO'd car would give me extra peace of mind, but dealerships tend to have their M3's way overpriced compared to what you can find on the private market. Looking forward to responses and maybe being a future M3 owner!
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06-26-2012, 03:55 PM	#2
Nine Banned 49 Rep 1,922 Posts Drives: Not ZCP, FML. Join Date: May 2010 Location: DC, Miami, NYC iTrader: (2)	(former AP2 owner) What does the 2009 Cayman S have that your turbo s2000 doesn't? I have a feeling you will not like how soft the M3 is, you have been driving a very raw car...
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06-26-2012, 04:13 PM	#4
Doctor J Captain 33 Rep 741 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 M3 DCT Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (0)	sell them all and get an M5 -- problem solved __________________ 2010 BMW M3 vert with DCT & Akra (sold) 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S
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06-26-2012, 04:32 PM	#6
pbonsalb Lieutenant General 5234 Rep 10,616 Posts Drives: 18 F90 M5, 99 E36 M3 Turbo Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: New England iTrader: (4)	Sell the TSX and S2000 and buy a practical and fun car like the E90M3, Audi S4 or RS4, Cadillac CTS-V, Mercedes C63, etc. I like 911s and they do have a rear seat. Certainly consider one, but think about the issues that may arise. With the Porsche, when you are rushing to go somewhere, your wife will say it would be a lot easier to take her car than to get the kids in and out of the back seat of the Porsche and also there is limited storage. With an E90M3 or similar car, I suspect you will get to drive a fun car a lot more often. Some people just like to own a fun car, but don't actually care to drive it that much and daily drive boring cars while the fun car sits in the garage. I have no interest in that. I have a turbo E36M3 coupe that is my less practical car. I really like it, but when my wife wants to go somewhere or we have to take family somewhere, she does not want to take the turbo E36M3. So we had to drive her car. For a while it was a 2008 X5 4.8i Sport and that was pretty good for a truck, but not really much fun. Now it is a 2008 535xi Sport wagon and that is a little more entertaining, but still not very exciting to me. So the E90M3 has worked really well -- we have taken it on long trips and it can hold some luggage. I bought CPO with a bit over 1 year of factory warranty plus two years of CPO after that. Aftermarket warranties are a mixed bag. Some are good and some are not. Definitely do some research and look into the pricing. If you could get your wife to buy a Cadillac CTS-V wagon or a BMW X5-M or a Porsche Cayenne Turbo or even one of those hotrod Jeeps, maybe the Porsche 911 would work OK for you since there would be entertainment when driving her car as well.
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06-26-2012, 04:37 PM	#8
CarbonAlpine Captain 204 Rep 835 Posts Drives: ///M4 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Miami iTrader: (25)	I had an ap1 and I loved that thing, felt like I was driving a street legal go kart. It wasn't practical at all, but for the going price it's a great toy to have. I didnt like the m3, although it was fast...it didn't feel "fast". After spending tens of thousands modding it, I sold it and bought 996 turbo s. the brunt acceleration is what I was looking for, and I found it. The m3 was more comfortable but I don't care. I've owned an e36, e46 and e92 m3 and my favorite was the e46. Which we all know has the raw feeling over e92. __________________ F82 M4 AW Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Previous BMW: E36 Reiger Custom Green vert E46 ///M3 Cabonblack vert E46 ///M3 AW vert E63 645ci AW Coupe E92 ///M3 AW E93 ///M3 SG Vert
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06-26-2012, 09:31 PM	#10
Lorde Ya ya ya, I am Lorde, ya ya! 266 Rep 2,772 Posts Drives: E90 M3, 2015 SQ5 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Snig iTrader: (10) Garage List 2008 BMW M3 E90 [0.00]	Can't make up your mind? BRZ.
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06-26-2012, 09:48 PM	#11
Legion5 Major 175 Rep 1,379 Posts Drives: e92 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (12)	just get a CPO M3 its practical and will have a full BMW 6 year warranty __________________ Clean cars are happy cars! CANON PHOTOGRAPHER
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06-26-2012, 11:01 PM	#13
Longboarder Major General 3431 Rep 6,771 Posts Drives: 2016 BMW i8 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Monarch Beach iTrader: (1) Garage List 2012 BMW e92 M3 [0.00] 2021 BMW X5M [10.00] 2015 Porsche 991 Tu ... [10.00] 2015 Porsche 991 GT3 [10.00]	Have you test driven an M3? If not, do a test drive where you can ring the sh*t out of the car for quite some time. And don't be afraid to bounce it off the rev-limiter. My first M3 test drive was disappointing because I tried driving it like my chipped/meth 335. Like flooring it at 3,000 RPM and expecting it to accelerate quickly. I also didn't get to appreciate the full abilities of the handling of the car. My second and third test drives allowed me to see the car for what it really is and so I placed an order recently. I'm in your shoes in that I have a 3 year old son and so that 911T was a non-starter unfortunately. Needed a larger car (but still wanted a coupe) to fit a child seat, my dog, my surfboard (inside the car), and of course co-workers and clients. Good luck. __________________ Current BMWs: 2022 X5 40i, 2016 X5 50i 2015 Porsche 991 Turbo S 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo (930) a couple others IG: longboarder949; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT1...eoFBszPIK0gf9w
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06-26-2012, 11:34 PM	#15
adc Major General 2751 Rep 6,759 Posts Drives: 2018 F80 M3 ED Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: MD/DC iTrader: (12)	Any BMW with remaining factory warranty can have the warranty and maintenance program extended separately. Warranty is for the piece of mind in case something expensive breaks, and there are a lot of those in an M. Maintenance is only worth if you need new brakes, otherwise the minor stuff you can DYI for pennies on the dollar compared to dealer prices. __________________ 2018 F80 Santorini 2019 Z4 3.0i 2022 X2 M35i
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06-26-2012, 11:51 PM	#16
Chowster E60_to_E90 36 Rep 1,201 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 M3 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Surrey, BC, Canada iTrader: (2)	Sounds like an E90 M3 fits all your criteria, except you made a comment about gas mileage! The new M5 probably gets similar or maybe better fuel economy than E9x M3s. An E90 M3 is an amazing car for those of us who daily drive the car, shuttling kids regularly, all while still having an outstanding engine hiding underneath the hood, waiting to play. __________________ 2011.5 E90 Dinan M3, SS II, M-DCT, EDC, M Drive. 20" MORR VS8.2 wheels Performance Mods: Dinan St.1 suspension, exhaust, intake; TTPs; BPM St.II, DCT, servo tunes Cosmetic Mods: OEM CF splitters, mirrors, center console, spoiler; Arkym CF diffuser; LUX; tint
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06-26-2012, 11:58 PM	#18
DARK_M3 Banned 105 Rep 1,292 Posts Drives: 08 E90, 89 Grand Wagoneer Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: So Cal iTrader: (3)	Haha you sound like me. I sold both my 370z and my SUV and got into an E90 M3. I have 2 small kids that I cart around as well. I could not be happier!
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06-27-2012, 12:10 AM	#19
MMMMM3 First Lieutenant 7 Rep 340 Posts Drives: 2011 Jerez Black e90 M3 DCT Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia iTrader: (0)	Get a MY11 e90 M3, the last ones were produced in Sept 2011, so the factory warranty should last a while. Mine was made in May 2011, and I've extended the factory warranty to June 2016.
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06-27-2012, 01:40 AM	#20
Kayani_1 Lieutenant Colonel 81 Rep 1,656 Posts Drives: BMW E92/E60 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston iTrader: (1)	Some M3 owners use their cars as garage queens and instead drive a 1982 Corolla all week long. They are scared to take their M3 out in fear that people will get jealous and scratch it. After 4 years of ownership they may barely have 25K mile on the car. Then they trade in their immaculate M3 that was never used like it was meant to be. Just to buy another latest and greatest performance machine that disappears in their garage known as black hole. All the while they enjoy the daily drive in their beater 1982 Corolla week in and week out. On the other hand we have those M3 owners that use their car as daily driver and refuse to treat them as garage queens. Hell they even substitute them as weekend track car and use it like it was meant to be. So you have two totally opposite kind of owners of M3. So their opinions will vary based on who is giving the advice. Bottom line is E9x M3, E60 M5, and E63 M6 are all awesome cars that you could pick from and would enjoy. Off course M3 being the best all rounder and most fun of them. These cars can be good daily drivers given you can live with there poor gas mileage. Now, their is another option but they are quite hard to find now. It is 1M. Almost as much fun as M3 minus the fantastic NA. S65 engine. It has better gas mileage and has ability to be tuned for cheap to extract another 30% power. Down side the besides the high revving S65 is a bit less room in rear seats. Otherwise, if you are not in a hurry buy a Subaru BR-Z and wait for the next M3. The next M3 might not be as raw as this one. But it will be a better daily driver with higher performance. Good luck either way __________________ nickname"BAD 3",MHD E85 tune,RennArt catback non-resonated exhaust,VRSF Downpipes, VRSF 7"FMIC,VRSF stock side inlets,SSQV BOV,ECS CP,M-performance alcantara steering,retrofit M3 paddle shifters,Alpina B3 tranny flash,AFE power seal CAI,LED angels,ST Coilovers,M3 upper/lower control arms,E93 M3 Front Swaybar ,235/35/19x9 ,275/30/19x9.5. M sport bumpers, CF diffuser. When in doubt..flat out.
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06-27-2012, 05:18 AM	#21
vbb Captain 1866 Rep 935 Posts Drives: 2022 M4 manual Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: present iTrader: (4)	While I appreciate people suggesting the X5, M5 and BR-Z, none of those cars is on my list. There are a lot of capable and fun cars out there, but my short list is very specific: 1. 09 Cayman S w/PDK + beater truck or SUV for those times I really need the space/utility 2. 10-11 M3 coupe or sedan with DCT 3. Keep my 05 Turbo S2000 and 10 Acura TSX The reason I'm leaning away from keeping what I have is the fact that I don't really drive the S2000. If I would go with the Cayman S, I'd drive that most of the time and only drive the beater when I really needed it. If I go with an M3, it'd be my only car. My wife hauls our kids in our SUV 90% of the time, but every now and again I do, so I need a car that has backseats even if they are relatively small. An E90 also gives me the possibility of carrying 4 adults comfortably which is a plus, but not a necessity. That said, since I have a fairly specific list of options/colors I'm looking for, if I found an E92 that hit all of them for the right price, I'd go that route and deal with the occasional inconvenience of not having 4 doors. And there's still the question of warranty. Right or wrong, BMW makes me more nervous about repairs than Porsche does.
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06-27-2012, 06:35 AM	#22
M3Dreams Private First Class 89 Rep 166 Posts Drives: F83,F30340,E82135,E90M3,E46330 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN iTrader: (4)	FWIW, previous to the M3, I was driving a non-boosted AP1 S2000. Like many have said, it's a go kart for the road. However, after getting into an E90 (I have kids and 4 door was the only choice for me) M3, I have never looked back. While the S2000 was thrilling and more involved, for some reason I did not have the smile on my face every day driving the S2K that I do driving the M. It's the M3's duality that amazes me the most. Also the fact that douche bags on the street automatically do not assume that you want to race. In fact when they do, they are blown away that a 4 door just blew their sporty coupe away. Then there is the amazing sounds of the S65. The rev matched down shifts of the DCT are heavenly. I made the switch about 2 years ago. Recently a friend of mine bought an S2K and brought it over for me to inspect and tell him if he got a good deal/car or not. Getting back into the seat was nostalgic, but when I hammered down even while the engine was well into the VTEC range, I felt no excitement. Point being, the M3 is the most versatile, well rounded package that has been called the "Best car in the world" by several magazines. There is definitely truth to that statement.
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