I am in the market for a new car and have been toying with the following:

1. 2004-2006 M3 verts
2. Z4 M vert
3. 2005+ Boxster S

Due to my latest experiences with Porsche service, i have decided against the Porsche. Maybe in the future when it will not be a DD for me i will pick one up, but as a DD i cannot do it.

after doing some careful studying of prices i just figured that if i do european delivery on a new e93, option for option i can probably pick up a new vert for about $51k (before taxes) so i am thinking about that now. I was pretty much set on doing an e46 but now i am confused.

e46 m3: i love the look and the heritage of the car. the bad is that it will be older and after warranties ant stuff it will cost about as much as a 335i.
z4m: only two seats and will essentially require that i keep my "beater"

what do you guys think? thoughts? suggestions? much appreciated.

 

I would get the boxster S since you want a convertible. Otherwise an M3 coupe.

 

must be a convertible! i sold my bike so i want some open air .

 

hey guys, i have one request, please post a reason why you voted the way you voted. thanks.

 

M3 for me, I just prefer the looks of the E46.

 

id do the M3 vert

 

I drove a 335 back to back with an E46 M3 and would buy the 335i. More refined arguably as fast and personally I think its a great looking car. Warranty, maintenance, the 335ci is probably cheaper to insure if that matters and I suspect it may be a bit better on gas.

I like the E46 as much as everyone else but I believe the E90 will grow on everyone, hell I even kind of like my 7 now.

Go drive them and tell us what you think.

 

E46 even though I really dislike the idea of it in 'vert form.

 

I voted for Z4M, I wonder why (Vrazy power,funky looks very unique

E46 cab looks cool but is very heavy and it won't give the coupe's perf. if that's your any concern !

335 cab, in less then a year everyone and their cousin and his pet will have one driving around

just my 2 cents...

 

yeah, i am heavily leaning toward a m3 right now. just wanted to see if there was something i missed while making my decision. more suggestions are welcome.

 

E46 ony if getting a coupe.

The Z4M is the only choice if you are getting a 'vert. It has monster power, handling, as well as the looks! (Its probably a good bit faster than the E46 vert as well).

 

ok, since i am asking your guys' opinions on these, here are my rationales.

boxster s - great car. drives great. a bit slow, but doable. overall my top choice as far as driving. HUGE Cons however are the poor service department, and it will be at least 20% more expensive. hard to find one with the "right" options. will have to keep a second "beater" car around. since i live in the city, having a second car is a big hassle.

z4M - i like the drive but not as much as the boxster s. love the power, a lot. love the styling. love my bmw service and the maintenance. i know will not get nickle and dimed at bmw about stupid things. price is right on these. i know bmw's. CONS - less space than in a boxster s. a complete toy. will have to keep a second "beater" car around. since i live in the city, having a second car is a big hassle.

335i - you get the latest and greatest. you get a hard top. cons - as someone else mentioned, everyone and their mom's will have one in a year. not as cool as the m3. not exactly what i want. not a "true" sports car. this will be a large compromise for me since i would only buy this car cuz "it makes sense", not cuz i really want it.

e46 m3 - love the styling, vert or no vert. car drives great and comes with all of the above bmw perks. will keep its value probably best out of all of the above. is a classic. i can see keeping this car a long time, just to keep it. i can use it as a DD w/o having to keep other vehicles. it has enough space for 4 if i have to and it has enough space for suitcases for traveling. basically a practical sports car. CONS - it is slower than the boxster s and the z4 m. it does not drive as well. it costs more than a z4m and about as much as a boxster S. i already owned a 3 series so not much of a change from there.

so if i am missing something, i would appreciate it if you guys can point it out to me. otherwise, it looks like i am heavily leaning toward the e46 m3 vert.

 

Hey,

I was in the same predicament when I was car shopping 5 months ago and I got the M roadster and I wouldn’t think twice about doing it again. I know this sounds funny but I actually get urges to go out and drive. It's my daily driver and I wouldn’t call my self hardcore so definitely doable.

M3: old body style, that’s just going to start looking older and older especially when the new one comes out. It doesn’t handle as well nor is as fast as the M roadster and most definitely doesn’t have that wow factor anymore which is no wonder when you figure the amount of e46’s on the road let alone the amount of m3.

335cic: Yes it is def modable but it’s not an M , it's not just speed you want to look at it's the entire package, suspension, steering feel, the little tid bits that just complete the car. And once again when the new M3 comes out it's wont be as desirable as it is now. I have to admit I almost got the coupe though.

Boxster S: It's a Porsche makes it almost worth it by just that alone, but if you’re after a real sports car not that this isn’t but objectively the boxster s can’t touch the M roadster and those of you that are going to reply about handeling please read the next line.

M Roadster: need I say more. I think you should do it as long as the first thing you do is get rid of those ****ty continentals that come with it and replace them immediately with some PS2's or a comparable tire, the difference is night and day. I know it should have come with proper tires to begin with but o well. Anyone that says the Porsche handles better, well I invite you to drive my stock car with PS2's. All the mags that did the comparables had the continentals on the M.

Something else to consider is the c6 vette or wait for the new m3. For me the vette was nice but you can feel the cost cutting they did on that car and the new m3 from what I understand will be in the 60’s at which point I feel I would take an 05/06 911 over it.

Good Luck I hope that helps

 

Hey,
I must say E46 M3 for me. It is the most practical on a day by day basis if it's your only car. However, as a toy only, I would probably go for the M Roadster. It is definately faster then a Boxster S and a better value at that too. Sure, its not as nimble as the Porsche, but the M Roadster is a blast to drive in anger. The M is also not as popular as the Boxster in my area at least, which is enough to make you appreciate its appeal a bit more. As a daily driver, the Boxster and M Roadster a bit uncomfortable and very small inside with the top up in my opinion. Plus, with some minor work the the M3 vert, and it can sound incredible and be pretty fast too.
These vids are from a 01 Dinan S2 I had a while back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-71dMHouObs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdHCdwa5Sxo

-Marc

 

how do u figure a boxster s is a little slow. a pre 05 ran high like mid to high 13s with a 103-105 mph trap speed. the 05s ran mid 13s at around 105 mph and the new 07s run 13.3@107 mph. last time i checked, the z4m ran 13.3@105-107 mph so where is it SOO much faster than a boxster s? thats just not correct.

i think if youre worried about the boxster s, you shoudlnt get one if you need to keep another car around and are worried about the cost. buy the e46 m3. its your best choice. fast and nimble. add a full exhaust, intake, and tune and the likes and have an even better car, the way it should have been from the factory. if youre not going to mod then buy the 335i. i personally, dont really want to drive a 'regular' bimmer. sure i would buy a regular SAV bimmer, but prob not a regular car bimmer, just nothing special. if i were you and couldnt decide on any of these, i would just go out and buy a cayenne.