E46 M3 Cabriolet SLOW!!!

[Mark]

Okay

I am also happy to use our tame racing driver, the GmasterT

You want me to let G drive my car

[Stuymac]

His M3 is an Ex road car that he has built. There is another M3 in the series - prepared by Demon Tweeks and cost the owner £70k - that comes nowhere...

[Jim]

You want me to let G drive my car

Whats the matter...

Chicken?

[frisbee]

I recon, in the right hands, the Non Turbo'd M3 will wipe the floor with even a stage 3 14 on the track

I've seen almost standard 320's that are extremely quick on the track with a skilled driver. Put a good driver in almost anything and it'll be quick, look at the difference between the formula 1 drivers and the celebrities in star in a reasonably priced car.

M3s just arent that quick in a straight line, far too heavy.

[Richy_Boy]

You make all the points for looking at a car like an investment and none like being a car enthusiast.

We have had this conversation before on another thread and as I said, yes I have.

Exclusivity is for boring people who don't own a car for the right reason, i.e.: the driving experience, if you want exclusivity go find a rare stamp or do collect something where its purpose is to be rare, not to, for example be a driving experience...

Your car, driven for the purpose of driving, will be less fun in any circumstance to my m3, keep kidding yourself if you want, consider yourself to be a gentleman and enjoy your tax relief because if you consider those to be the highlights of a car owning experience then its a polar opposite to most peoples...

That's just boll0cks

I think your just upset as you pass at least one M3 each day you go to work

The handling and power of my car are FAR better than any non-M3 and I would suggest on a road there will be very little between an M3 and my car point to point. Sure, I'm not going to deny an M3 is more of a raw sports car, but frankly I don't drive 'on the edge' anywhere near as much as I cruise around to work and back... which is where my Alpina will wipe the floor with your suit-mobile.

Rich

[Mark]

I cruise around to work and back... which is where my Alpina will wipe the floor with your suit-mobile.

So the Alpina is a far superior car to 'cruise around in'

You must be so happy


My Mondeo is far superior to cruise around in than my 200 but it doesnt mean i enjoy driving it more

[Jim]

Not really I drive a diesel fiesta van as a commuter car and tend to ignore every other car on the road as its in my way. You seem far too hung up on exclusivity, image and all of the things which shouldnt have a bearing on why you choose x as a car.

You came onto a thread where people were talking about using their cars as driving machines, tried to present a badge of exclusivity as a viable alternative and seem affronted when I make relevant points to the thread. Sure if I wanted a car that was more comfortable than a 330ci then I would buy an alpina, if I want a car that has a place in this thread I would choose an m3 or a 200sx

Believe me, I'm all for everyone to do what they want how they want but in a discussion thread I like relevant discussion

[PhilMorrison]

Best car I've ever owned below , and I've owned a lot of cars . I cannot begin to describe what an absolute pleasure it is to drive.
It will literally grip your face off

[Richy_Boy]

You seem far too hung up on exclusivity, image and all of the things which shouldnt have a bearing on why you choose x as a car.

A true enthusiast would drive their car daily and many people buy 200sx's as they're a 'dark horse', an unknown quantity - how is that so different from exclusivity?

You came onto a thread where people were talking about using their cars as driving machines, tried to present a badge of exclusivity as a viable alternative and seem affronted when I make relevant points to the thread.

I came on the thread in the middle of a 'I think this is best' discussion and offered an alternative viable sports car to the mix which not many people outside of the BMW world even know about. You seem to have taken an objection to this

If I wanted a balls out driving machine as a second car, I'd have an Elise 111S or R, not an M3 - but then that's my personal taste.

Believe me, I'm all for everyone to do what they want how they want but in a discussion thread I like relevant discussion

Indeed, not an M3 Coupe as the thread is about M3 cabs.

Rich

edit: That looks awesome Phil...

[Mark]

A true enthusiast would drive their car daily and many people buy 200sx's as they're a 'dark horse', an unknown quantity - how is that so different from exclusivity?

A) Do you think Model T enthusiasts drive their car every day How about F40 enthusiasts No they dont. Being an enthusiast doesnt mean you have to drive your car every day what it means is you enjoy your car for what it is not for its image and cetainly not for how many there are in the country

B) A car being unknown to the uneducated isnt the same as being exclusive One is being smart and the other being snobby and no one driving a Datsun can be accused of being a snob

[docwra]

It will literally grip your face off

Ive always said you could do with a new one

[Richy_Boy]

Thanks for your kind words Mark... it's nice to know you can have a sensible conversation on this forum still without peoples personal and differing views turning into insults.

Good progress chaps.

Rich

[TrIcK^]

A) Do you think Model T enthusiasts drive their car every day How about F40 enthusiasts No they dont. Being an enthusiast doesnt mean you have to drive your car every day what it means is you enjoy your car for what it is not for its image and cetainly not for how many there are in the country

[bladerider]

But the important question Phil,

Are you gonna set fire to it and the garage ???



Im not sure what a "Stage3" S14 is to be honest, but until the Nissan gets past 350bhp and has new brakes and suspension theres very little point comparing the two. And once at that point it would come down to what parts had been used as much as anything, and where it was being tested, road, track, what kind of track - Lydden or Silverstone etc.

And what is the point of such comparisons, the M3 is more expensive to buy, weighs more, but is far better built and setup as standard. The only comparison that can be made of the cars is on price, so a second hand E46 M3 for 15k could be compared to a S14a with 10k's worth of mods. But this is really such a weak thing to do, people over on GTR do it all the time against Porsche and Ferrari etc and there is truly no point whatsoever.

And once that argument is gone you can easily put KW's, AP's and a couple of grand towards exhaust and tuning and you suddenly have a csl effectively, which if you strip the interior out of completly will suddenly give Yak, SM and other "proper track" S-bodies a very hard time for similar or less amount of expenditure on tuning. At this point you need to think about 500bhp+ in your Nissan and this is when it becomes even less relevent because at that stage you need to replace almost all major components and if you were to do this to the BMW you could once again extend the advantage.

So really there is no comparison other than for numpties to race on the road which is pointless and often about the driver unless its a simple power race down a dual carriageway.

J.

[Silane]

That looks great

[Yakko]

Edit: I was going to write a massive rant, but I've given up.

I'll say only this.

Horses for courses.

[Jim]

Edit: I was going to write a massive rant, but I've given up.

I'll say only this.

Horses for courses.

Whats the point of a rant, this is all about opinions and experiences, theres nothing wrong with posting about either

[Yakko]

Yeah, I think that's why I gave up!

Anyway, i've just got a lowly 330ci, so i'm neither exclusive enough or fast enough to warrant listening too!

[steve(s14a)]

As an initial point of reference Ive just looked at one of the Team Apex S13's times at brands and it was a second slower than the M3...

Im also talking about an E36 (Non Evo) that was RR'd at Dyno Demon at 261bhp at the flywheel at the start of the season...

I love the S Bodys, but I think the M3 is a more drivable car on a track

One of the times? What? The fastest time? The slowest time?

I just can't believe a standard E36 M3 with 261bhp is such a hardcore track beast that it can beat 400bhp S13s running with sorted handling. What the hell are we all doing in S-bodies lol?

Is the M3 stripped? Running on slicks? Running in the dry vs maybe a wet time for the 200? Is the time credible? What were other cars on the same day doing? (i.e. is this driver superhuman? etc.)

So many factors....

[Mark]

Yeah, I think that's why I gave up!

Anyway, i've just got a lowly 330ci, so i'm neither exclusive enough or fast enough to warrant listening too!

Pauper boy