OK - I'll bite again.

For those are commenting that Pork's do not have enough poke - it would be interesting to check out the actual performance figures. I remember when I got my STi V - it was a rocketship - it was like driving the Millenium Falcon and that feeling never went away.

I then had my 993 - it felt quite slow really - nice to drive but slow.

The actual figures were really surprising. The 993 had a quicker 1/4 time and made speed much more easily above 60mph.

911s, especially none GT/Turbo cars are just so evenly balanced in all interaction points that no individual bit sticks out. But they do provide an holistic performance that would easily challenge an M3.

Do steer clear of Tip gearboxes though - they are awful!

 

My mates selling his M3 e46 on here (private section) Under your budget mate. £10k CASH! Just thought I'd let you know bud.

I didn't rate these at all, till I drove it. Awesome car. Just IMO tho!

 

the Carrera and the M3 have the same 0-60 time.

I just think value for money the //M is the better car, everytime you get in to the beast you get in to a nice modern cabin, all the toys and and all round comfortable nice place to be.

The Porsche IMHO looks ****, the whole lay out looks like it was taken from a 90's Saab and some of the colour combo's are nothing short of vomit inducing!

The M3 looks much nicer, it's a rather aggressive looking beasty (especially with eibachs and spacers)

Just my personal preference obviously, like I say I was in your shoes two months ago and walked away with the //M

One of the women at work and her partner are huge Porsche Enthuiasts (he has bags of cash so has tried them all LOL) and he gave me the real run down of the 996 :

1. Purists hate it becasue it's not air cooled, they see it as the black sheep of the porsche family
2. The Tip box is toilet, very lazy!
3. You can't buy a red one because that's not the done thing LOL
4. If it has any sort of body kit on it, it devalues it, so no GT3 or aero kits allowed
5. The engines leak oil like a Sieve, something to do with gaskets etc etc.

 

Of the 996 range, only the GT2/3 and Turbo are appealing.

I saw a gold coloured standard 996 at the weekend and the car looked pretty dowdy. Factor in average performance and it doesn't make sense.

The 997 is a completely different ball game.

 

Oh one downer of the M3 is the Brakes are ****!

 

I know 996's have to run on super unleaded like scoobies but do m3's also have to run on the special stuff?

Ps.... My mates are trying to convince to go for a Evo 8 340mr...with a few toys.

 

Yes Mate, M3's are to be run on SUL

Do not buy an Evo if you like driving..... If you want a mind numbing experience in a fast car with no driver interaction then go for the evo LOL Sorry Evo's are ****

 

I do know what you mean buddy, I drove my uncles 340mr on track for an hour and it had blistering power and real solid delivery but it didn't feel fun

My mate istelling me I could get one and with very minimal tweaking I could have it up to 400bhp etc which tbh doesn't interest me massively at the mo. The temptation to mod is always there and I want to get away from that a little bit for a while.

I will test drive a m3 next week hopefully.

 

Agreed mate, you can fart in an Evo and give it 400bhp, they are amazing machines for modding and for bragging rights down the pub, but that is it IMHO.... I sold mine after 6 months as I was so chuffed off with it.

M3 is a good car mate, you can buy mine if you like...... I have another plan and am not going to try it on a mint M3 LOL

 

Some interesting info, are the M3 brakes really that bad?

 

the M3 brakes are not great, don't get me wrong they do the job ok under normal driving but under hard driving tehy certainly show their true potential... or lack there of!

I certinaly miss the Brembos off of my old STI.

 

Hmm.. food for thought as I will be going to the ring on a regular basis if I get an M3. Surely there are upgrades available for them?

 

What's the new plan Tony? There are cracking m3s out there, I'd love a carbon black csl version if had to get one...

 

Ring on standard M3 brakes is not an option IMHO. They are simply not up to the job of containing the power and weight of the M3...not by a long shot.

 

M3 + Ring on Standard Brakes = An eraly visit to the Barrier and a Lowloader home!!!

There are a million upgrades for them though but be prepared to budget £1600 for a good set!

New Plan is - Sill my mint E46 buy a cheap not so mint E46 and Supercharge the **** off of it, I fancy adding the 525 kit to it for a laugh and then buying a motorbike as well

 

996 Carrera - rubbish other than being faster than an M3 and having FAR better brakes that won't let you down

 

I drove a 996 C4 with the aero kit the other day, was hugely dissapointed with it, maybe it was a bad one. Brakes were wooden, it was a fair bit slower than my sti & not that nice inside.

 

996's don't have to use super because the ignition will retard itself but you just won't make full power without it.

I know of 996's that are getting on for 90k - 100k miles and have only ever run normal unleaded.

 

Ah interesting, I got told super unleaded is a must on 911uk.com

 

Like I said above - I thought my 993 was a fair bit slower than my STi V...


...until I timed it!

 

I thought 911's were hard work to drive because of the engine hanging off the back; always teetering between oversteer and understeer?

I know they improved the geom but one wonders what was compromised?

 

Whatever they have done they have clearly got something right as so many professional drivers would have a 911 as a driver's car and the better 911s are so often so highly rated by those that review them and drive them.

Their must be a reason why

 

Apparently the old 964's and 993's were models that people really needed to be on top of and have to worry about that rear end coming out... The 996 is said to be alot tamer and more well rounded.

 

back in 1984, (in my year off) I worked for an advertising agency in Fulham and drove loads of MK2 VW GTI's (i was basically a glorified delivery driver) but the difference between cars was unbelievable

some of them, you would get in, and they would just feel right - brakes, engine, handling, urge - spot on - others (usually owned by the secretary’s) were rubbish

so maybe DJon drove a secretary’s 911

 

Fair point - although for reference my 993 had 80k miles on it and had had six previous owners so hardly mint.

Still timed faster than my Sti V even though it felt much slower. It is about linear v. turbo delivery.

 

I think I drove a bad one, it didn't feel quite right on the test drive & it was rusty in some odd places.

It hasn't put me off wanting one, just made me think I need a turbocharged version, or a go in a 3.6 C4 at least, the one I drove was a 3.4

 

Yes i went for an e46 m3. Its a wicked car. Does everything so well!

i believe the e46 m3 engine can adjust its timing to adjust for sul/norm however i only put in vpower.

For the same price you can get an m3 5 years newer, half the miles, twice the toys and doesnt look dated.

I found the insides to be a completelty different generation.

the 996 was the most dissappointing car ive ever drove. Probably because ive built them so high up during my life!

M3 brakes are fine for the road, over power assisted. You can easy upgrade to CSL cheap enough, also if you can afford to track an e46 m3 you can easily afford a proper bbk.

Best car ive owned by a country mile...

 

Great that you are pleased with it. I am sure it will be great. I had an E46 BMW 330CI Sport which was excellent. The M3 can only be better.

One of the finest cars I have ever driven was an M3...










...albeit the latest incarnation, stripped, lowered and caged. Brilliant to drive

 

yes i totally agree -- it would be ridiculous to try and compare the "feel" of a car by simply comparing performance times on a piece of paper

my point was that even within the marque it is hard to compare feel, as two of the same cars can feel totally different to drive

993 was/is the prettiest locking porker imo though -- that ****, sex on wheels

porsche 911/m3 two completey different cars imo

 

all of this leaves me with alot to think about but i have the feeling my heart may rule over all in this debate as i've never really been a "bmw man"....

Hopefully someone out there knows what i mean by this, I do "like" beemers but i don't think i love them, i went to a BMW garage in birmingham today just to have a look around and even thou i was impressed with the new/nearly new cars in the dealership my heart wasn't racing as it would be in a porsche garage and as i know alot of beemer lovers i know would be that i know.

Oh if only i could just still have the scooby it would save all this agro :-(