Yeah i'll never buy new either... the first 25% depreciation usually hits the next day after you bought the car lol :-D.. not that bad but you know what i mean

 

Hey Drew, I just got an '01 M3. My callsign over at e46fanatics is M_Thrizzle, LimeG35 is over there too. Have you popped in there yet?

Here are some of my thoughts so far on the M3 vs. G35.
- G35 exhaust is 100x better than the M3 (sexier and deeper; M3 has a rasp)
- G35 has more low-end torque, so you get that neck-snapping acceleration when you dig into the throttle, but at the high-end, it runs out of steam. M3 has more of a constant accleration build-up all the way to redline.
- I just took the M3 to the autocross on Sunday. It was extremely stable and well composed. The steering is much quicker and better, and you can just point the car where you want it to go.
- M3 seats are more comfortable, and the seat heaters heat up fast! BMW leather is much better than Infiniti. The M3 seats look better after 5 years than the G35 seats did after 1 year. There is also a handle on the upper top of the M3 seat to flip the seatback forward. Makes it much easier to get at stuff in the back seat.
- M3 steering wheel is nice and thick, but I prefer the G35 steering wheel buttons better
- Shifting: I'm still having some difficulty shifting 1-2 and sometimes 2-3. 1-2 in the G is also difficult, but easier IMO. The M3 shift pattern is lit up at night on the shift ****. Sweeeeeet. G35 has shorter throw though.
- M3 has more rear headroom and bigger trunk (and split folding seats)
- BMW Harman Kardon system is better than Infiniti Blose stereo
- Both cars look hot, in different ways. I still love them both.
- M3 is more expensive to maintain and insure. (Oil is $9/L)
- BMW Key has buttons built into it. Why have a separate keyfob? This is cool....the battery in the key gets charged while it's in the ignition!

Both cars have great resale (compared to other cars). I bought the M3 for less money than what the insurance paid me out (which was $1700 less than what I paid for it new).

 

P_Diddy,

Do a search on "Whalen shift ****" in the M3 forum. You should find lots of reviews. It'll really change your driving experience and shifting won't be notchy anymore. It's relatively cheap, too. It'll be my first mod when I get my MZ4.

 

I have said this more times than I care to remember, but I'll repeat it just for you.

1) Right around the corner = 2 more years - the new M3 won't be out until 2008. As of right now no one even has a clue about what it's going to look like. Add a $20,000 markup on a $55,000+ base price (my guess), plus the problems innate to 1st year models (e46 and e60 for example). Would you still wait for a brand new e92 M3? Oh, and how do you think you're going to like a bigger, heavier, V8-powered M3? I personally think that the e46 is perfectly balanced for my needs.

2) The whole engine blow up fiasco? The engine should be your last concern with this car. That's why there was a recall for all pre-5/03 production M3s and they were given a 6yr/100k mile engine warranty. The rest of the production run up until present, including my M3, were never affected by any rod bearing issues. If you visit any M3 forum, you will find people who regularly race, track, and auto-x their M3s and they don't seem too worried about redlining their cars or pushing them to the limit.

The key word when talking about M3s is driving experience. An M3 has everything a G35 has to offer and much, much more. Drive a 325/330 and an M3 back to back and you will change your mind, I promise you that

You pay a bit more for a car that you feel connected to and that gives you much more feedback than the G does. The G35 is an amazing car, but it's no M.

Good point, to me though both cars are dogs under 4k rpm. The big difference comes after that. The M3 goes from 4k to redline in an eyeblink.

To me it was the other way around, 1st to 2nd is easier in the M than it the G. Yours is an 01, so it doesn't have a clutch delay valve and should be even easier to shift. Then again, I had an 05 G which has a different clutch than yours did. I've never heard of the shift **** GP20 mentioned, I will have to look it up. But if you're looking to get a short shifter kit, Autosolutions and UUC seems to be the most popular ones.

Don't you wish you could have both, much like our own limeG35 who however hasn't driven his G35 since October when he got the M3

I can't really speak about that because my car is still covered by the 4yr free scheduled maintenance (something Infiniti does not offer). But once that expires, when you think about the oil change intervals, for every oil change on an M3 you perform 2 oil changes on the G (every 3-5K miles on average). So in the end, oil changes come out to about the same. Clutch jobs cost the same. Tires cost the same. It's just that BMWs have this maintenance nightmare reputation, they just didn't fit enough gadgetry in the M3 so it doesn't break down nearly as much as the 5, 6, or 7-series.

 

I use to own an '02 M3 and it is a great car. Having said that I would never buy one used for two reasons:1. they retain too much of their original value; and 2. too many M3 drivers beat the hell out of their cars. Buying any used car is an adventure, but buying a high performance used car is truly an adventure. So bottom line is that I wouldn't buy a used M3 unless it was a CPO car.

The only other thing that I didn't like about the M3 is that it is too similar in appearance to the run of the mill 3 series, and the High School lots near me are full of 325s and 330s. Sure the M has the quad exhausts, side vents, and lower profile tires, but the overall body shape is narly identical to the 3 series. It use to be that a BMW was a rarity on the road, but now at least in my area they are more common than Toyotas.

 

hey, yeah i just posted my first thread over there:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=340380

are you on M3forum.com too? cuz i joined that one too! i'm drewbagel423 on all of them

i agree about the exhaust, tho i will be removing the rasp on the M,
thank god about those seat heaters, cuz my on the G take FOREVER to warm up! and it gets cold here in jersey at night and early morning!
uuughhhhhh... now i'm stuck here at work and all i can think about is that 8k redline and those 6 individual throttle bodies!!!

 

I love the sound of the rasp on the M3.. It almost sounds like a Bike.. Insaneness. Congrats.

 

he drewbagel423 ,

Just sent a pm about stuff you have for sale.

 

replied

 

You guys talk about top speed of these cars. Whys it matter unless your on the track? Do you guys own motorcycles? If not you should buy one. Puts cars to shame

 

i was thinkin about getting one... but after a few days i decided "no thanks, i choose life"

 

There's a little too much "Walter Mitty" in all the forums.

 

Very informative thread!

 

I disagree that the M3 looks like a 3-series. It has a widebody kit and is much more muscular and aggressive looking. If the 3-series is regular Edward Norton, the M3 is Ed Norton in American History X. Not the same guy!!

I had worries about buying a used M3. The owner of the car I bought owns a BMW/Porsche shop and I asked him questions to satisfy my worries. He said he never tracked it because he has racecars to drive at Laguna Seca, and would never want to drive a street car after tracking a racecar. He understands about car warm-up and didn't push it hard before warm. Rod bearing was replaced under warranty and has some engine warranty left.

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Drew, I'm M_Thrizzle on M3forum too.

 

Hey congrats. Not too sure about the 96 month financing though. How much interest is that?!

BMW has really stepped up with their free service for 3 years. But if you purchased an 03, you will be right on the tail end of that and you will now have to pay for all servicing/repair related issues.