E46 M3 vs 330Ci Sport

beaker wrote: I think the prices will continue to slide fairly quick and can see quite a batch of decent E46 M3's available for �15k to �20k within 18 months.

Excellent.  Once the E46 CSL is down to �15k (5+ years I expect), I'm going shopping  

Steve.

Just make sure they've had their bottom-end recall as any E46s that have gone out of warranty may fall of the radar and be potential time bombs further down the line.

SundayJumper wrote: beaker wrote: I think the prices will continue to slide fairly quick and can see quite a batch of decent E46 M3's available for �15k to �20k within 18 months. Excellent.  Once the E46 CSL is down to �15k (5+ years I expect), I'm going shopping   Steve.

Wow. On the horizon a convergence in prices soon between those of the best E30 M3's and the cheapest E46's.

I respect those cars a lot yet they leave me cold for they are a bit dull when off the boil and the Mitsi 4-pot has to be the dullest sounding 4-pot ever devised. Do like the MRs but the servicing is plain silly.. Scoobie WR Type 25 an absolute loon of a car but has the looks of the ugly bird of the girl you really fancy (in this case an E46 M3).

However I look at Noble and see that can be done from very basic components with much smaller budgets. M Gbmh has twice the talent and 20 times the budget yet are constraiend bvy corporate BMW. The biggest problem has been BMWs insistence of gettign back into F1 and marketing V10 engines when they need to be in GT and endurance and buidling some sport cars.

For me things went downhill for 'M' after the M1. Which is a bit of a sad state. The E30 M3 for me was the last true M car.

Does M = Motor..way. Perhaps.

The CSL gives me hope and the MCoupe showed a devlish side still exists in there.. somewhere. BMW seems focussed to adding CSLs to each line up. Isn't that what the M-car is supposed to be in the first place?

With the possibility of a 3 series 3 litre turbo - I really don't see the place of the M3 anymore.. or is it CSL..  BMW should sell and market one halo 3 series model and offer add-on luxuries or clubsport trim to suit needs. It's like the GT3-RS 911. Why have both models. Offer one model in differt trims like they used to do. CAR MAKERS - STOP DIFFERNTIATING THE MARKET WITH INVISIBLE LINES THAT AREN'T THERE!!!!  It's the McDonald's 1000 variations of a theme and what do the Americas do - they sell different platform cars with the same engine config (5.7l anyone) .. crazy.. what's the point???

BUT I'm in a it of a dilehma because the M5 has neem a true great road car for so many years and is almost unbeatable, again making the E46 superflous. Why own an E46 M3 when you can have an E39 M5 second hand for less money?? From a drivers perspective my problem is I don't see the purpose of the M3 when other 3 series do 90% as good and other M cars past and present can do the whole track thing so much better.

Perhaps because of the Macca it's as if BMW doesn't feel they need to try. I mean Bugatti-VAG chasing a car years later than was powered by an engine not far removed from 2 M3 engines. I also think BMW's abandoning of the turbo after the 2002 was its' biggest faux pas.

Of course from a marketing perspective I can completely undertand the purpose of the M3, but that doesn't mean I'd buy one despite how good it is. If anthing it'll get better as the M3 wil become distinguished by a V8 engine to go up against the Audi S4/RS4 but I still think BMW fudge too many halo cars into too many ranges, placing more pressure on M Gmbh to turn around new models.

Give M Gmbh a 2-3 cars top to turn into true drivers cars. Get more involved in Motorsport and let's see those cars race therein.

You know you start typing and then you can't stop, apologies..

J

Guys, you're forgetting something - it's the buyers choice.

Whether you think the purist feel should be available only or not, the fact is BMW know they'd struggle to sell them without certain options.

I too find it strange that some options are picked by buyers (PDC being one of them) but I can understand someone picked aircon perhaps.

To say the options shouldn't be offered at all is just ignoring the market the company has to sell them to.

Agree entirely Rhys (and my comment about PDC was purely in relation to the CSL).

Different people buy different cars for different reasons - the trick is to recognise that not everyone wants the same out of a car that you do.

However, to say that the M cars of today mean "Marketing" and are wasted because they're just used for motorways and trips to the shops, well what sort of response do people expect to comments such as that?  Stereotypical opinions based on little substance or fact, and quite what that comment is meant to contribute to a community feel on the forums I do not know.