Whats with the" these days, you see way too many a-holes that swear they're the shiznit driving M3s, I don't know what it is about that car that attracts ******".I drive one an im none of that.

 

& if you finish reading, I also said "..& I say this in a non-offensive way, my brother actually happens to drive an e92 M3" .. I said you see too many of those guys driving M3's, but not that EVERYONE that drives one is. This makes you one of the exceptions. It's kind of like with Porsches, you always see uptight old guys in their midlife crisis driving them, & you almost expect to see that driver everytime you see a 911. Well I'm 19, so I guess I don't fit into that stereotype either. There's exceptions for every stereotype, but in the end, the stereotype is there because of the MAJORITY of other people. Anyway, no offense.

 

COOL,But in a way ur right why people think that about guys with M3's,I drive one and every time i drive it, some body is tailgating me or wanting to race me.

 

Porsche drivers are known for being attitude-ish - of course this is a generalization; older generation M3 drivers I see can be obnoxious at times, but then this can be seen in any specialty driven car as people have that extra chip on their shoulder. You may think you have the 'fastest car on the road' - but be assured there are ten others ready to show you what time it is. Let's appreciate these cars for what they are and not focus on their drivers' hangups.

as for the OP - SL55 all the way. M3 without a warranty is bad news.

 

Ya, there is those occasional engine failures with the 996, but I think it's blown way out of proportion. What happens is people seem to think the cars are indestructable, & drive them as such, & then get surprised when something like that happens. Plus you always hear more stories about engine failures than you do about engines that run great, because the people with the good ones are out there driving them instead of telling horror stories.

Everyone's comments on here have basically reinforced what I've said about the SL55 over the M3. It's definetely sexier, rarer, more mod-friendly, tons of torque, bullet-proof, great technology, etc. But you're right, it does weigh a ton, although if you're worried about that, then the M3 isn't that great a choice either, of course it's not even as close to as heavy as the AMG, but it does feels like a pig on turns (at least in my opinion, & of course in comparison with a 911)... Again, if you ask me, I say go for a 996. It's even more of a head-turner & sexier, more mod-friendly, better handling, overall performance, faster, & FUUUNNER than either of the other 2 choices. Plus the seating is perfectly in between both. You see, the M3 seat large people in the back, & the SL will seat NO one since there's no rear seats. But the Porsche will fit 2 skinny girls, which is all you really need. Wow, it sounds like I'm trying to sell you a Porsche.

 

Pardon me if I am wrong , but this seemed like a no - brainer to me. SL 55 all the way. It sounds better, its faster than the now old gen M3 stock to stock , can be used as a DD / GT car , has the advantage of being a hard top convertible and with that s/c , it is more mod friendly .

It may have a few intercooler related issues but other than that it is rock solid I believe.

 

im starting to become sold on the sl55 and was thinking for $35k how many miles should i expect, and what preformance brands do i go for while upgrading the throttle body, ecu, headers, pullys, camshaft, air filters, and suspension, ect. what would i need to do to get around 550 hp?

thanks guys again for everything

 

Getting to 550hp is pretty easy. A higher boost pulley and accompanying ECU tuning will get you there. VRP and LET are two vendors that have good reputation and pricing for these basic mods.

 

ok the m3 stands at 333hp while the sl55 is at 493hp, and the benz weighs a little over 850lbs more but does that really make a big difference, does the extra 160 horsepower make up for the extra weight or no? how much would one have to spend to get to at least 550hp in the benz? or 450hp in the bimmer? if you were using the car as a crusier, going for long trips once a month(3-4hr drive) but want that extra power aswell which would it be? i hear the bimmers handling is way better but the sl55's handling can't be bad seeing how i never drove a sl55 i dont know but ive driven m3's many times and they do handle well but is it that much of a difference?

 

The torque in the SL55 is almost double that of an M3

 

Off the line or from a roll, the SL55 will easily walk the M3.

$2k should get the SL55 to 550hp (crank). You'll need forced induction to get the M3 to 450hp, which will cost considerably more.

When it comes to handling, the SL55 corners flat and grips pretty well. Where the M3 has an advantage is transient response, and handling "feel". But neither car is a Lotus Elise.

 

I just sold my 2002 BMW 330ci as well, and jumping into a SL55 next week!

Honestly, I wouldn't jump from a e46 to another e46 thats quicker, it's basically the same car but with a more powerful engine. prices on the SL55 are really down right now so its the right time to get one

 

The big issue for me is not being able to get the SL in manual. Sl55 has more mods for it but make sure you check around on the prices for those mods and make sure they are in your budget.

 

Ok i just bought an E55 after my M3 for 2 years, i didnt all the moding coilovers, hre's, exhaust, the whole nine yards (except forced induction). The M3 was an amazing car but it had no straight line go. My E class has everything i wanted to have in the M. You asked if the 160 hp makes up for the weight... mercedes is just a completely different car the difference in straightline power is insane. no m3 would ever even come close to keeping up with any 55k car. i have had plenty experiences with 996's also and the M deffinitly out handles it but and SL55 is still far more superior to both these cars.

 

You cannot compare a SL55 to a M3. Different classes, different target audience, different appeal... alsmost everything's different.

That said, I prefer the SL55...!