Booo.

Oil sump/hold/tank....**** off

 

for me a bit of exclusivity, open an auto trader and see the 15 pages of 3 series, i know not m3 s and they are great cars, but normally pages and pages of them and loads on the road too.

the looks of the bm arn t quite porsche either.

996 every time.

 

just a few other to consider around the 30k mark second hand

2005 05 Reg FORD MUSTANG GT 500 (350BHP)
FERRARI 328, 28000 miles, Grigio/Crema
1974 JAGUAR E-TYPE V12
2004 04 Reg Subaru Impreza 2.0 WRX-STI WR1,
2003BMW M3 SMG, 03 reg
2002 02 Reg Jaguar XK XK8 4.0 V8
1989PORSCHE 911 CLUB SPORT
2004 04 Reg MERCEDES-BENZ SLK 200K
1998CHEVROLET Corvette Convertible, Indy
1991 FERRARI TESTAROSSA 2dr Coupe

may or maynot be any use to you but hey always an idea

 

Then open Top Marque's and a 996 drop's out along with all the credit card appliccation form's and bank loan appliccation form's.
Turboman, you don't say what model your looking at getting, i've driven a 996 turbo quite a lot, and can reccommend them for performance, but not running cost's or build quality, but to be honest for £30k i'd be a bit dubious of buying a 996, there's plenty out there that have been neglected and maybe clocked by people who've bought them and could not afford to run them and service them properly, if i was you i'd buy a BMW and wait a bit/ save a bit more money, because 996 price's are still in freefall due to the new 997, and the old 993 stalwart's.

 

Funny cause an In II for my 530i is around £400, seems strange that its more for a lesser car???

The In is not a basc service its the most expensive one, oil service at BMW is £180, Inspection I is £240 Inspection II £400 give or take.

Obviously if you get them to do other stuff then the bill will add up, but we are just talking about basic servicing, i can assure you if you get th eporsche dealer to do extra things over and above the standard service then it will be second mortgage time...

I dont disagree the 911 is difference class to the M3, just dont talk like its cheaper to run cause thats simply not true.

 

A £500 job to repair, and it only weaps a little oil. Could happliy leave it until a clutch needs doing and replace then.

Not good that it does it on new cars, but on a 5 year old car, it's really not that big a deal. RMS has been blown out of proportion.

 

Is RMS really only £500 to repair??

Ive read extensively on the topic and this is the first Ive heard of a cheap fix...please elaborate if possible.

 

Your looking at about 8 hours labour from what I understand.

 

So far my 996 has been no more expensive (a little cheaper) than my STi Type R. And not much more expensive than my 323.

The M3 will at some point become a sub 10K car, as will the M5. The porsche will never become that.

When you see a 10-15 year old M3/M5, do you really look with admiration? No matter what the age of a 911, it still has something special, something that people look at with a certain amount of awe.

As for performance, I've had a few encounters with M3's, and there is little in it to 80, above that I can slowly pull away. I've only had one encounter with a M5, in a straight line there was nothing in it (only got up to 90).

I out handled the M5 with complete ease (I do have the sports pack). I can also out handle the M3 without breaking a sweat.

 

is that the turbo,Mad Gypsy..?....

 

I got some quotes for the RMS "fix" from Paragon and JZM,

Paragon:
the Rear Main Seal = £16,
Intermediate shaft seal = £38 (best to do both)
5.5hrs @ £68/hr = £374
Replace clutch at same time = £395
(the above prices are +vat)

JZM:
£502.90 inc vat (no clutch)
To replace the clutch at the same time adds £464.10 (inc vat) to the above price.

It is advisable to replace the clutch at the same time IF your mileage is high enough that you would need one soon, OR if you have left the RMS leak for a while and the oil has contaminated the clutch plates.

The RMS fix is good enough for 99% of cases.

 

A 996 turbo would easily pull away from an M3 at any speed.

 

Alas, no it isn't. Just a plain old C2.

 

ok lets cut the crap chaps.

without sounding anti bmw, the e46 m3 now is like a company ford focus.

but with an extra !, its a focus 2.0 lol.

its boring its combfortable, its fast, whats the point who wants to relax in there armchair when they get home from work ?, answer all of us, therefore lets leave it to the armchair, not an armchair that thinks it can excite, it could when released but now its just another 3 series bmw haters get over it.

its had its lime light lets move along.

id rather a 2.5 slow porsche boxter, you know why ?, ill tell you...........

its a porsche
it drops its top
it shows you dont conform to the flash ***** brigade.



did i say its a porsche ?

 

I had a E46 M3 followed my a MY00 996 C4.

Both cars have quite similar abilities (albeit they are different).

The M3's engine is better, but the Porsche's handling is better. 996's interior is not really up to M3 levels (by some way!)

RMS is an grossly exegarreted, but saying that I had a couple of things go wrong with the 996 (air-con and engine solenoid). The M3 had (under warranty): 2 x new gearboxes, 2 x propshafts, 2 x differentials, 2 x engine recalls, 1 x SMG recall, 1 x new climate control system, 2 x new windows (due to faults), 2 x new headrests, and the list goes on.

IMHO, the M3 is a slightly better car given the price difference. However, who ever dreams of owning a BMW? I don't think either were so good that I'd buy another one (997/E90).

I would say head says BMW, heart says Porsche.

 

Holy $hit, why did you call yourself this? :-)

 

 

I kid you not. The most frustating thing is haveing to run the car in three times! (one from new, and two more after each engine recall)

Forgot to mention a new clutch after 1 year!

 

Have to agree with you on the Boxster. I bought a 2002 Boxster S on Saturday and am completely over the moon with it. It exceeds my expectations and they were very high in the first place. Opentop motoring brings a new element to driving and in the Boxster I don't feel the need to drive fast like in my Sti. The Boxster is so much more balanced and better riding than a Scoob.

I also considered buying a 996, VXT or 993, but chose the Boxster because it is the best all round package for me considering handling, useability, engine noise, ownership experience, driving position and enjoyment.

Alan

 

I'd take the M3 over a Standard Carrera.

997 Carrera S is very nice, or a 996 / 997 Turbo

Or how about the new porche? Maybe worth a drive.