What's the best M3...

"The Stig's former college room mate" (das-stig) 09/12/2016 at 10:54 • Filed to: None

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...that isn’t an M3? any model year, must have been comparable in price when new. US market only!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 10:57

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IS300 Sportcross

bob and john > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 10:58

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IS-F. more reliable, little left field, 5.0L V8.

Brian, The Life of > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 10:59

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ATS-V

Batman the Horse > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:00

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Just to get this out of the way: C63 AMG.

magman007 > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:00

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There really isnt one. There is no direct comparison. I’ve tried to find something id rather drive than an e46 m3, and there really isnt anything on the market that compares. Sure the 370z might have similar power, but the interior is crap and only holds 2. Mustang might have more power, but its heavy, and everyone owns one. Camaro you cant see out of, etc.

If I had to submit a choice, it would be a 190e cosworth, or the lexus isf, and c63 amg. but even those, with their automatics, dont quite compare.

Kanaric > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:02

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Boss 302

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:02

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ATS-V. Naturally.

Party-vi > bob and john 09/12/2016 at 11:05

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IS-F is least M3, or at least the first-gen was.

LongbowMkII > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:09

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330i ZHP?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:35

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Current C63. It’s better than the current M3 anyways. Drove both side by side a while back, spiritedly. M3 was lacking, in more ways than one.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:37

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Porsche 944S, or 944 turbo as a contender to the E30 M3. Similar size(although the Porsche is 3 inches shorter and the backseat is more useless) and curb weight, IRS, analog.

Obviously the 944 is more of a sports car in body style.

I think the S2 is probably the best match in power while remaining NA but was a good bit more in price whereas the turbo was very similarly priced to the M3.

404 - User No Longer Available > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:41

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M2? All I know is, it is NOT the S4/S5.

Kanaric > magman007 09/12/2016 at 11:42

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To a E46? I think there are a few compairisons and maybe even BETTER choices if you are talking “when new” prices. Like a 03/04 SVT Cobra, mustang with 390hp and IRS, would I think maybe even a better choice than that M3 when they were new.

Used you are right, it’s hard to compare because it’s a lot of car for the used dollar. You would have to get something significantly older or import a car to beat it.

If 370Z being a 2 seater killing it wasn’t a thing then I would pick that over an E46. I had a 350Z and having a 2 seater with little hatch space sucks if you want a daily driver. It made me eventually hate the car and I got rid of it.

All that said maybe the 135i. You can get them for as cheap as a E46 M3.

Kanaric > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 11:43

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I mentioned this in a reply to someone but SVT Cobra from 03/04. The “terminator” mustang was a serious M3 (and Supra) killer when it was out. It even had IRS.

bob and john > Party-vi 09/12/2016 at 11:56

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arguable.

The Stig's former college room mate > bob and john 09/12/2016 at 12:08

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some are really left field...

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > The Stig's former college room mate 09/12/2016 at 12:20

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S60R!

The Stig's former college room mate > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 09/12/2016 at 12:41

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Good choice!

Quick S60R story...

I’m at a track say at Summit Point a couple years ago. There’s a father and son that came together. Dad has a new S60R, son has one a few years old (probably Dad’s old one.) It’s the kid’s first track day. He’s probably 18 years and a day old looking at him. Kid ran in the novice group all day with an instructor. He picked it up pretty well and by the end of the day was doing pretty good. For the last session, he asked his instructor to drive his car while he rode right seat. (rookie mistake!) So for the last session, his instructor drove this car at 10/10ths. They pull back into the paddock. The kid climbs out of the passenger seat. He’s covered in sweat, shirt soaked through, and he can barely stand because his legs are shaking. His dad looks at him and asks how his ride was. He looks at his dad, gets this huge grin on his face, then procedes to puke in his guts out into his (rental) helmet!

Party-vi > bob and john 09/12/2016 at 15:18

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True, is arguable, but dropping a V8 into an IS250/350 does not an M3 make.

magman007 > Kanaric 09/12/2016 at 15:21

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true, there may be better performance buys, but the 03 cobra has a deplorable interior. Even the little things like auto up windows, the passender side mirror tilting when reversing, these cars suck you in, accustom you to a certain way of life, and then everything else seems sub par. 135i and 335i are great, but lack limited slip differentials.

bob and john > Party-vi 09/12/2016 at 15:56

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No. But bigger brakes, harder suspension, wider tires, stouter trans and wider body brings it closer. Only thing it REALLY needed was an LSD.

Party-vi > bob and john 09/12/2016 at 16:01

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Really sounds like a sport package car with a bigger engine at this point, minus the transmission and body work. I did not know they got a different transmission than the other cars.

bob and john > Party-vi 09/12/2016 at 16:34

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yep. IS-F came with an 8 speed. regular ISs came with a 6

and you can make the same argument for the M car. Just a sport package. bigger engine, brakes, wheels, tires, etc etc. same treatment applied as the ISF. whats the difference?

Party-vi > bob and john 09/12/2016 at 16:37

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The difference? Provenance.

/end snoot

bob and john > Party-vi 09/12/2016 at 16:37

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*snickers* okay there wise guy :P

Vicente Esteve > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 09/12/2016 at 21:48

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I couldn’t care less if it was worse in everything than the M3. The noise is worth it by a LONG way.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Vicente Esteve 09/13/2016 at 00:27

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Agreed.