Yes, the label on the door..thanks very much!

 

Well, I don't have a label on my driver's door!
I have the airbag inspection label on the pass. door and the tire pressure on the gas flap.
Should I look somewhere else? or is it on the engine lid? confused!

joel

 

Well, WTF??!!! MINE is missing also! I was told that it was because the door had been repainted, but if it is it's a fantastic job. (Whereas the left front fender and hood had been repainted and it was obvious, and not a very good job..I'm getting them redone by a shop I KNOW does great work.) Yours may have been repainted too, then. Or they didn't put them on for a while? I know it's nowhere else on my car, I've been over it completely. That is the only place that the build sticker is. Figures!

 

The E46 M3 is not like every other BMW. Just drive one. The throttle response and torque is awesome compared to a regular 3 series.

 

after you have the car inspected by a Porsche technician, buy an extended warranty that covers seals and gaskets. If you run into a rear main seal leak you'll be glad you have it

you wont reget getting a 996

 

Ill chime in, here.

If you are shifting towards an S54-powered BMW as a 'reliability fix' for either the MkI or MkII 996, you may want to do some more research on the power plant. Just try putting "S54 engine failure" into Google.

BMW had plenty of teething problems with that engine and was basically forced to offer 100,000 mile warranties up until mid-year 2003 and eat the cost of hundreds of popped motors (not to mention the cost of performing the recall service on every single car) in an effort to maintain consumer confidence in their product.

Now... don't construe my statement to be anti-BMW or anti-S54 M3 - Ive owned two E46 M3's, an 01 and an 03.5 and will probably own another again; awesome cars - but the frequency with which that engine suffers catastrophic failure, although still insignificant from a percentage standpoint, is probably well above the frequency of catastrophic failures experienced in both the 3.4L and 3.6L 996 engines, combined.

That said... first post.

 

98k miles on my buddies 03 M3 and BMW just replaced all the coils.

69k on my engine and it grenaded. Curious what you guys think about how the companies stand behind their products

 

disagree about the reliability? or you just prefer the M3?

 

absolute nonsense

the IS350 is no where the car the E46 M3 is... wasn't intended to be. the only lexus i'd take over the E46 M3 is the new ISF.

 

I dont think anyone will dispute the "greatness" of the E46 M3 BUT, if you care about reliability and cost of ownership, the Lexus will undoubtedly be a more solid choice. And you get reasonably good straightline performance to boot, on par with a 996C2 according to Newport 996.

 

come on! ; ) we all have been around the internet for a while. 50% will say is crap and 50% will praise. Which side are you? : ) I'm active around many non car related forums and it's all the same:
glock vs colt
marble vs granite
laminated floor vs real wood floors
panerai vs rolex
knock off furniture vs original designers
mac vs pc

it's a never ending battle!

joel

You can find a 15K mile 996 with a blown engine and a 150K miles one running just fine. go figure

 

Think you quoted the wrong post there, champ.

 

I think its heavily dependent upon the dealership.

My old BMW dealership was absolutely fantastic. I complained about a notchy shifter and they gave me a new clutch and flywheel at no cost.

By contrast, my last dealership (moved) would try and nickel and dime me for everything.

As for Porsche... I always tried to stay as far away from those dealerships as possible...

 

Man, it may not have the WOW or performance factor, but I highly recommend the Lexus IS350. I have the 250 as a daily driver and it never ceases to put a smile on my face. It's comfort is amazing, its "keyless go" is convenient, its heated/cooled leather seats are very comfy, its ride is stunning, and with 50k miles it has not been to the shop for a single thing other than oil changes.

On the other hand, my 996 is fast, loud, rough, flashy, uncomfortable, and fun...

When I wake up tired, not feeling like shifting, wanting to be able to hold a conversation on the way in to work, caring about being able to drink a cup of coffee (with a place to put it), and not beat myself to death, I always chose the lexus. Only when I think about it the night before when I am fully awake, thinking about speed, and staring at this board do I drive the 996.

 

no doubt my bad dog hopefuly it didn't get your panties in a bunch like most of th eother dudes on the 'net