what will it take to beat a E46 M3 (besdies TT/SC)?? sorry, newbi here!
 

hey guys,

i dont know if this topic has been discussed b4..prob have, but i cant seem to find the exact question. Well, i dont have a G at the moment but is looking to get one within the next 4 to 6 months. of course, i still have other options such as M3, Z, and so on. but i have my sites on the G for a while now and have broken down the pros and cons..
at first i wanted a M3, but then with the higher price, higher cost to maintain, everyday usuability..etc... i thought, a G may be a better choice. of course, a Z may be faster and looks great too, but only two seats..hmm!

now, to the real question. If i get a G35 coup 6 speed (def. be the model i get..no way it be an auto)..be it 04 or 05, what mods do i need to have in order to beat a BMW M3? i know, u can just put in a TT or SC or NOS it..lol, but besides that, what else? basically, keeping the car NA, what mods can i do to beat a M3? whats the estimated cost for the mods required?

i have heard the Z guys saying that its easy for them to mod and beat a M3 without TT or SC..dont no how true it is!

a budy of mine has a M3, and i have driven it many times..awsome car and sure is FAST. so i hell dont wanna lose to him if i have a G.. thanks guys for the in put and hopefully i'll be rolling in a G in the near future :)

do all the bolt ons and gut your car

Other than a TT or SC, nothing even remotely affordable would get you there and you'd still have warranty issues.

--Steve

I'm no expert, but from what I understand, by the time you've spent enought money on bolt ons such as CAI, hi-flo cats, cat back exhaust, UR pulleys, headers, perhaps a new plenum spacer, grounding wires, lightweight racing wheels, iridium spark plugs, plus maybe a few CF body panels, you might as well have just gone and installed FI. Sure FI, still might cost a little more, but you'll likely be faster versus all the bolt on mods as well.

Sounds like you don't want to heavily mod your vehicle, but the key things that would enable you to get that kind of performance are either FI, or an engine rebuild with a new cam, racing pistons, racing oil pump, and on and on.

If voiding a warranty is a concern, then forget it. Headers, a new cam (or any other internals), and of course, FI will void it.

i have not decide on whether to heavily mod or not (i dont even know if i'll get a G..tho i hope so :). this thougth came up cuz it has been discussed alot in the Z forum (where i spend most of the time cuz thats what i wanted at first). anyways, they discussed bout M3 and Z and some people said its easy to mod a Z to be faster than a M3 without going FI. i dont no how true is that, but if it can be done "easily" on a Z, why not on a G? of course, my thought was maybe it could be done without too much mods and too much money. if its gonna cost alot, then might as well go FI..that i understand.

just that i see so many moded Z's and heard so much bout them...i assume there are alotta products for the Z/G to do to get it go faster than a M3...maybe i was wrong!

what are some good suggestions on FI's? i heard the APS single turbo is coming and sounds great! guess i better wait till everyting comes out to decide what car i want. how many people have Turboed or SCed their G's? there are alot of FI Zs these days, but dont seem to have as many Gs FIed....

are all the Z problems existing on the newer Gs (04 and 05)? tire feathering? transmission problems? etc...

thanks for the comments guys!! :) guess i'll be hanging out at the G forum more often now!

With all this concern about beating an M3, I think you have 2 realistic options:

1. Get an M3.
2. Subaru Impreza (STI) or Mitsubishi Lancer (Evo).

The G is not the car for you if a primary goal for your car is to be faster than M3's.

^ I was about to post the same thing until I got to yours.

I'd like to add Cobra or Corvette

How much will all of those modifications cost to make the G run faster than an M3? It may be worth it to just go out and buy the Bimmer if you want the performance?

well, i know there are a plenty of cars faster than a M3...be it cobra, vetts. but i just like how the G looks and performs for the money. sure, i can just get a used M3 or something, but the cost to take care of it will be alot higher than just the initial cost of buying the car. of cousre, my GOAL is not to beat the M3..its just that i want to be the fastest among buddies..plus, after reading the thread on how the M3 owners make fun of the G, i sure dont wanna lose to my buddy's M3 or any M3 on the road. now, if its a Vett..well, nevermind. lol

of course, STi, evo, GTO, and so on are cheap and fast..and can be made VERY fast. however, they look like *** with nasty interior. lets put it this way, i want the looks, luxury (which the Z lacks), the 4 seats, and good performance. of course, it sounds like M3 is the best option right? but like i have said, the cost is too high (add insurance and whatnot to that)... on top of that, the next gen M3 will be out in a year or so..which will boast a V8 with 400+hp...why get the I6 now? plus, i will just have one like my buddy..damn... no bragging rights :p

my question was just to find out if its possible without FI ...since i got the ideas that it could be done in a Z without breaking ur bank, why cant it be done in a G? of course, the G been more of a grand tour and heavier, and the Z is more sports car with a tad lighter weight. aight, well, if it couldnt be done, guess i'll just have to FI whatever i get..lol...be it a Z or G or hmm.

Honestly, to answer your question, I dont think its possible. Even with all the bolt-ons you'd be real close but in the end its just not worth it - even if it does mean bragging rights with buddies.

Hopefully I dont turn you away from the G. It may not be up to an E46 M3's performance but it is a great car with great value. The choice is still up to you. Good luck.

SC/TT = 6-7K

Still cheaper than the M3, but you will void warranty and maybe reliability....not saying that M3 are really reliable...

If all your after is to beat your buddy's M3, then get an EVO or WRX STi. It will be much cheaper.

but sti and evo has nasty interior tho, that's why m3 cost more, it's fast sport still luxury. i dont really think m3 is over price, sti, evo is focus on pure performance but m3 is not just performance also luxury. i'd get m3 but e90 m3 that will surely blow your friend's e46 m3 haha
back to topic just do FI, wasting too much money on NA.

If luxury and performace to beat the M3 is what is wanted, then the C6 Corvette may be the answer.