upgrade to m3 worth it?

[slowcar]

currently driving ecobox: 2006 bmw 325i 6sp (mods: m3 steering rack, m3 control arms, 3SI) - putting down whopping 200whp. slow enough to mash the pedal without getting into too much trouble.

clean slate, e90 m3 is a no brainer, high revving, last of the breed NA v8, with a solid luxury/sport interior.

but for the same money...

• M5/M6 gets more engine + luxury
• cayman handles better + luxury
• ur pick of american muscle for powa

I feel like i got 3/10 of the m3 experience, so wondering if the additional 7/10ths is worth it

[Richneerd]

E90 M3 whatever price you are looking at + 5k on top of that for maintenance. That will what you be looking for, unless the previous owner did everything already and it's ready for play.

It brings a smile to my face all the time when I bang through gears and rev match. Coming off the freeway onto the on ramp down shifting and people behind me be like daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmm.

[romero1990]

I am coming from a 2015 100HP Jetta. My E92 is most DD and spirit drives. It's worth of every penny. I am delighted evey single time getting into my M3 regardless how shitty day I've had

[pbonsalb]

M5 might cost more to operate and maintain. Cayman might cost less to operate. Domestic V8 cars should cost less to maintain. Anything would be an upgrade from an E90 325i.

[SAMM3Y]

No skip it..

[tigermack]

What Cayman? 981.1? Those aren't that reliable, hard to find the right option car and most of them aren't stick shift. I don't think those came in PDK.

M5/6 costs so much in maintenance, you wish you never got rid of the 325.

TBH, what's your budget? Is this going to be a daily? If something happens, can you afford to fix it?

[ccdre]

Lots of nice BMWs out there without the M premium... I would suggest 135IS with N54 but I might be biased.

[6ixSpd]

You haven't even mentioned the most critical thing: budget.

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

M5 might cost more to operate and maintain. Cayman might cost less to operate. Domestic V8 cars should cost less to maintain. Anything would be an upgrade from an E90 325i.

Lol. /thread.

Originally Posted by ccdre

Lots of nice BMWs out there without the M A premium... I would suggest 135IS with N54 but I might be biased.

There's no such thing as a 135iS with a N54.

[ccdre]

Originally Posted by 6ixSpd

You haven't even mentioned the most critical thing: budget.



Lol. /thread.

There's no such thing as a 135iS with a N54.

You're right, N54 powered 135I with performance exhaust and a PPK/MHD/whatever tune.

[chocstraw]

N54 was a nightmare for me (flatbedded six times in 3 years), S65 ownership has been a complete joy. I don’t miss the torque. It’s dead reliable and razor sharp, very responsive.

I would take an S2000, a US E36 M3, or an E46 M3 over a FBO N54. They’re all about the sum of their parts: suspension, steering, brakes, all systems are an upgrade, never mind power.

S85 can be costly and I find time in the shop depressing and infuriating, so I avoided it. While I love the new american cars, especially the GT350, your decision to upgrade to an M3 rack and suspension bits makes me think that you should go M3.

I have not driven a Camaro but the regular Mustang GT and Challenger left me uninspired. There are only a handful of attainable cars that can grant you the feeling of a small, NA, 8k+ V8, there are a million 3 liter turbos out there.

I never worry about anything with E92 M3 and with the money I spent on my N54, I should have just gone S65 to begin with. When life threw bullshit my way, my M3 has always been there to make my day. It’s my one constant.

Also if luxury is a concern, the E9x M is more comfortable than the 3 series. Better leather and a more sorted suspension make for a better time.

N54 was not a budget car for me by any means. I spent 9k in 3 years on breakdowns and necessary maintenance. I would recommend finding a clean E90 at some carmax location and have it transferred then getting the highest deductible warranty. I paid $3600 for 50k miles (up to 123k) and a $300 deductible. It’s half paid off in a year and none of the repairs have been entirely necessary.

[850tgul]

Originally Posted by tigermack

What Cayman? 981.1? Those aren't that reliable, hard to find the right option car and most of them aren't stick shift. I don't think those came in PDK.

M5/6 costs so much in maintenance, you wish you never got rid of the 325.

TBH, what's your budget? Is this going to be a daily? If something happens, can you afford to fix it?

I think you meant 987.1 Cayman (06-08) which, as you say is not super reliable with IMS still a possibility and bore scoring enough of a risk to cause concern. 987.2 Caymans (09-12) are much more reliable with no IMS and no bore scoring issues and a much better oiling system. You can pick up a base 987.2 with about 50k miles for ~$25k and that is a hell of a lot of car for that amount of $.
981 Caymans (14-16), even base cars, start around $35k so a bit more than your typical e9x M3. In my personal experience, either a 987.2 or 981 Cayman will be more reliable than an e9x M3. Another consideration is that, while amazing, a Cayman is tough to live with if it is your only car. Not so much with trunk space, as all Caymans have 2 trunks, but more just the fact that they only have 2 seats and are a low slung sports car. I have both an E92 M3 and 987.2 Cayman and if I had to downsize to only one car I would keep the M3.

[slowcar]

thanks all.

budget is 20-30k. purely fun/toy car. no need for a daily as i am in the city. i like mountain carving and take cross country roadtrips about once a year though - so comfort is a factor.

planning on keeping the 325i for life, too much money/mods in that car. which begs the question, is it worth it to upgrade, if i already have an e90/plan to keep the lil beater?

n54 has way too many problems. lots of power sounds like fun, but would like some reliability - for example, an e55 amg is comparable in price and has more reliable power on tap. might as well pony up to the m3.

[SYT_Shadow]

you should drive the E9X M3, a Cayman S and whatever Camaro/american thing you're thinking about. That should settle things real quick.

You couldn't pay me to move from the E92 or the E90 into a Cayman S. I instruct in them all the time. I wouldn't do it for a GT4 either, but the thought of a Cayman S makes me laugh out loud at work this morning

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

you should drive the E9X M3, a Cayman S and whatever Camaro/american thing you're thinking about. That should settle things real quick.

You couldn't pay me to move from the E92 or the E90 into a Cayman S. I instruct in them all the time. I wouldn't do it for a GT4 either, but the thought of a Cayman S makes me laugh out loud at work this morning

Why? Too slow?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by porsche959

Why? Too slow?

The Cayman S or the GT4?

The GT4 would need much shorter gearing, they saddled the poor thing with gearing so long you use a full gear shorter than an E9X M3 to do the same turn.

The Cayman S just isn't fast, and a 7400(?)rpm in a NA engine was interesting in 1995 but we've moved on.

It seems like Porsche forces you to move to a GT3 to provide a proper engine and gearing.

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

The Cayman S or the GT4?

The GT4 would need much shorter gearing, they saddled the poor thing with gearing so long you use a full gear shorter than an E9X M3 to do the same turn.

The Cayman S just isn't fast, and a 7400(?)rpm in a NA engine was interesting in 1995 but we've moved on.

It seems like Porsche forces you to move to a GT3 to provide a proper engine and gearing.

Does the m3 hang with the caymans in the handling department?

[amrazM]

Get an M3 or live the rest of your life wondering if you should've gotten an m3

[850tgul]

Originally Posted by porsche959

Does the m3 hang with the caymans in the handling department?

Interested to hear SYT_Shadow’s thoughts as he has seemingly spent a good deal of time on the track with both. I would say that my 987.2 base with mild suspension mods (PSS9s, some Tarett goodies) completely outshines my zcp M3 in the handling department. From steering feel to steering sharpness to turn in to mid corner balance. Just very tough for a a sedan based chassis to compare to a purpose built mid-engine chassis.

Having said all that, I did push my M3 harder than I ever had before a few weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it behaved.

The drivetrain and high rpm pulling power in the M3 would easily walk away from the Cayman. Around town and below 5k, however, I think my Cayman feels every bit as strong but make no mistake about it, if horsepower and ultimate speed are your thing a Cayman is not for you, any Cayman. Neither is an M3, I suppose, but a Cayman even less so. If you appreciate handling precision and having a ball at low speeds, I think you’ll love them.

Accounting for everything though, I think the cayman is more fun to me.

I always said the perfect car would be a Cayman with the S65 in it. The closest thing to that would be a GT3, I suppose.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

I always said the perfect car would be a Cayman with the S65 in it. The closest thing to that would be a GT3, I suppose.

That would be pretty epic! But yeah, that would be a Cayman with a GT3 engine in it which is what they should make. I really had hope for the GT4.2 to have 470hp out of the 991 GT3 engine

At least Porsche is going back to the right path with the 6 cyl GTS/GT4 now

[850tgul]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

That would be pretty epic! But yeah, that would be a Cayman with a GT3 engine in it which is what they should make. I really had hope for the GT4.2 to have 470hp out of the 991 GT3 engine

At least Porsche is going back to the right path with the 6 cyl GTS/GT4 now

The want with the new GTS 4.0 is very high. Never thought I would consider a new Porsche but that one has me thinking hard.

[Denny347]

I upgraded from my 2006 330i to a 2008 M3. Both E90's. HUGE performance upgrade that feels like no American car I can afford for the same money used. I loved my 330i so I took everything I loved about that and added the S65 engine. Pure driving fun. This is not my daily driver, I have a company car for that. I also do my own repairs so maintenance is not expensive. I'm at 60k so I just replaced the plugs, thermostat, and alternator myself for $330 or so. Dealer would have wanted $2k.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by porsche959

Does the m3 hang with the caymans in the handling department?

at the track it sure does!