Another evo to m3 thread.....
Funny that. I'm in management myself and get a lot more positive attention with my Evo than if I had gotten an M3. Human Resources rationalizes that such things (hobbies included) are a reflection of one's personality -- risk taking, one's ability to plan, etc.
Point here is that the Evo is as rice as one makes it out to be. I'm known to be a petrolhead hereabouts, and senior management knows I track my car regularly, and I know my stuff goes to show that I put in the same care and attention in my work life. That I am getting in various sponsorships also enhances the understanding that the car was not bought because it is:
1. cool
2. good for street racing
3. loud for the sake of being loud
4. fast for the sake of being fast
5. good for drifting
6. all of the above
Not bragging, but I wanted to debunk the myth that the Evo is not a 'proper' car for management folk. My directors refer to it as the 'race car', and not in a negative light.
Stick with the evo, and enjoy what you do. Besides, do you really want your management peers to see how easily you succumb to peer pressure? Enjoy doing what you do, and be who you are.
I came quite close to getting an E46 M3 as well, but I decided I didn't want to give up the joy of learning more about the evo, and to be able to track the car in a cost-effective fashion (financial prudence is also a value treasured by management)
Point here is that the Evo is as rice as one makes it out to be. I'm known to be a petrolhead hereabouts, and senior management knows I track my car regularly, and I know my stuff goes to show that I put in the same care and attention in my work life. That I am getting in various sponsorships also enhances the understanding that the car was not bought because it is:
1. cool
2. good for street racing
3. loud for the sake of being loud
4. fast for the sake of being fast
5. good for drifting
6. all of the above
Not bragging, but I wanted to debunk the myth that the Evo is not a 'proper' car for management folk. My directors refer to it as the 'race car', and not in a negative light.
Stick with the evo, and enjoy what you do. Besides, do you really want your management peers to see how easily you succumb to peer pressure? Enjoy doing what you do, and be who you are.
I came quite close to getting an E46 M3 as well, but I decided I didn't want to give up the joy of learning more about the evo, and to be able to track the car in a cost-effective fashion (financial prudence is also a value treasured by management)
agreed..but bottom line, the EVO is a 'boy-racer' car. You can tone it down all you want, but it does not have the distinguished, professional appearance that, say, a BMW M3 has. I feel that that is what the OP is looking for and thus your comments, though agreeable, don't have much bearing on what I feel the OP really wants
^^ Is why I am generally annoyed/bored with BMWs and thier owners.
Fianancially and socially secure people don't care and drive cars that are fun and that make them happy.
Last edited by wingless; May 29, 2007 at 10:44 AM.
I have owned 4 M cars, 2 with S54 motors so I can answer your questions pretty dead on.
Pros:
1. The M3 is a gorgeous car.
2. Depending on the trim, the interior can be very nice.
3. Lots of bells and whistles compared to the Evo.
4. Good car to be seen in.
5. The S54 is one of the all time great engines.
6. The concept of the SMG is fantastic.
7. Most M3s come with a 6 year/100K warranty on the engine.
Cons:
1. The M3 is not slow but it is also not very quick (it did not live up to my expectations).
2. It is on the slightly overweight side of things and you can feel it.
3. The SMG is slow to shift compared to a truely great sequential manual (I had a Ferrari with an F1 box which is how trhe SMG should shift) which is also dissappointing when you consider BMW claims shift times that are faster than everyone elses.
4. You may need the 6 year engine warranty, I had a rod go through the side of the block on an otherwise stock and UNABUSED car with only 12K miles on it. It is not a design issue but was a constant assembly issue that plagued many S54 engines (not only the '01-'02 range). The good news is that is if hasn't happened by 23K miles, it probably won't happen and if it did, BMW will probably cover it.
As to maintaining it, parts are expnsive when they get out of warranty and silly little things like climate controls, sunroof motors, window lifts, etc will ding you hard. HOWEVER, this is no different from any other German car and should not be seen as a con, just the way it is. The cars are built well and will look and feel new far longer then any Evo provided you keep it up.
Drvie the M3 on an extended test drive. If you come away happy with the performance and like the SMG,, buy it and don't look back. This will be a subjective decision as it is VERY different from an Evo.
If you come away unhappy with the performance. Try out an '01-'03 E39 M5. They are very fun to drive and have much more performance on hand (and ready to be extracted) then an M3 despite the slight increase in size and extra weight. These cars can still be had with low miles and in your budget if you look hard. WHile I never liked the E46 M3 compared to other M3s, the E39 M5 is my favorite of all M5 generations including the new E60 (amazing car but too ugly and too much techno garbage that ruins the experience of driving it).
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions as I can probably answer them.
Pros:
1. The M3 is a gorgeous car.
2. Depending on the trim, the interior can be very nice.
3. Lots of bells and whistles compared to the Evo.
4. Good car to be seen in.
5. The S54 is one of the all time great engines.
6. The concept of the SMG is fantastic.
7. Most M3s come with a 6 year/100K warranty on the engine.
Cons:
1. The M3 is not slow but it is also not very quick (it did not live up to my expectations).
2. It is on the slightly overweight side of things and you can feel it.
3. The SMG is slow to shift compared to a truely great sequential manual (I had a Ferrari with an F1 box which is how trhe SMG should shift) which is also dissappointing when you consider BMW claims shift times that are faster than everyone elses.
4. You may need the 6 year engine warranty, I had a rod go through the side of the block on an otherwise stock and UNABUSED car with only 12K miles on it. It is not a design issue but was a constant assembly issue that plagued many S54 engines (not only the '01-'02 range). The good news is that is if hasn't happened by 23K miles, it probably won't happen and if it did, BMW will probably cover it.
As to maintaining it, parts are expnsive when they get out of warranty and silly little things like climate controls, sunroof motors, window lifts, etc will ding you hard. HOWEVER, this is no different from any other German car and should not be seen as a con, just the way it is. The cars are built well and will look and feel new far longer then any Evo provided you keep it up.
Drvie the M3 on an extended test drive. If you come away happy with the performance and like the SMG,, buy it and don't look back. This will be a subjective decision as it is VERY different from an Evo.
If you come away unhappy with the performance. Try out an '01-'03 E39 M5. They are very fun to drive and have much more performance on hand (and ready to be extracted) then an M3 despite the slight increase in size and extra weight. These cars can still be had with low miles and in your budget if you look hard. WHile I never liked the E46 M3 compared to other M3s, the E39 M5 is my favorite of all M5 generations including the new E60 (amazing car but too ugly and too much techno garbage that ruins the experience of driving it).
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions as I can probably answer them.
I would not sell your evo for a used M3 with that kind of mileage. If you want to upgrade, that's great, I'm glad to hear you're very successful. But I would not buy a used M3. For one, the former owner probably beat the **** out of it. Buying a used vehicle is buying someone else's problem.
if your concerned about the boy racer look take off the wing...im wingless and have aftermarket rims and to me it does fit my idea of being a more mature individual's car..but still mean/aggressive at the same time...the m3 is a beauty..but it does not scream professional to me...its a damn sports car...if youre concerned about what people happen to think about you then you do not need to buy a sports car..LOL..buy a luxury sedan
E92 335i with procede piggyback will own an E46 M3. That's 400 ponies and 420 tq. Stock for stock, the 335 lapped the Ring 4 secs slower than the E46 M3. The 335 is a very capable car. They start at 39K new. Procede is 1400 bucks. All this M3 talk is silly. It is a nice car, but is dated and underpowered. I would consider a 335i, 335xi, coupe or sedan. Or an E39 M5.
Newbie
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Chicagoland
Speaking of being a professional... partners and directors in our group drive some really ... eco****box, such as Toyota corrola, acrua integra... Basically they don't really care about the image thingy. If they need to go visit a client, they will call and get a limo.
Managers in our group generally drive better cars (G35/Bimmers) than the higher level directors and partners...
Managers in our group generally drive better cars (G35/Bimmers) than the higher level directors and partners...
Evolving Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 127
Likes: 1
From: Ft. Myers, Florida
Well I wouldn't touch the m3 if I could not get my hands on the extended warranty. As I said before the current warranty expires in August of 2008 so it has more than a year left. I can afford the car but I probably can't afford repair costs like a blown motor, tranny, rear diff, etc. SMG is nice because you never have to replace a clutch. I also considered the 335i for those of you saying that I should test drive both. I really don't even know the price tag of a 335i to compare at the moment.
To sum up this long and boring rant, SMG should only really be considered if the driver were to track it and wanted fast, consistent shifts. It would be fun to do that on a track. Other than that, steer clear of the SMG and go for the manual... that is if you do decide to sell your evo for an inferior M3.
Buying a used car at close to $40K is silly, IMO. If I was in the OP's shoes, then I'd keep the Evo and look into getting an older luxury car for under $20K. Something like an A8 or a 740IL. That way you have a fast, track worthy car, and a nice ride to impress ppl @ work and da hoes...
I suppose that if one _m_u_s_t_ have an M, then an M5 would be the way to go... M3's get pwned by Evos at the track and on the street.
l8r)
I suppose that if one _m_u_s_t_ have an M, then an M5 would be the way to go... M3's get pwned by Evos at the track and on the street.
l8r)
Last edited by Ludikraut; May 29, 2007 at 03:17 PM.
If you want to impress management, don't buy new, buy smart - Typically this means buying or leasing a demo or a slightly used car in which you can save on value lost out the door, closing the gap on out of pocket and residual value.
Drive what you want to drive - follow the rule above and you can impress anyone you want with your eco-smarts...
For example (and please note I don't include financing fees, money factors as there are many 0% or money back options today that offset these fees)
Mini has a residual value of about 72% after 3 years.
If you could purchase a demo at a 15% discount, it would cost you
25000 - 3750 = 21250
Sell for 18k after 3 yrs
Cost of driving a mini for 3 yrs - 3250 (or about 90/mo) + fuel @ an ave of about 32mpg + ins...
You could buy an Audi R8, drive it for 3 years and sell it for more than you paid... true, but j/k.
My GF is going with a Mini for the reasons stated above...
Do as I say, not as I do....
Drive what you want to drive - follow the rule above and you can impress anyone you want with your eco-smarts...
For example (and please note I don't include financing fees, money factors as there are many 0% or money back options today that offset these fees)
Mini has a residual value of about 72% after 3 years.
If you could purchase a demo at a 15% discount, it would cost you
25000 - 3750 = 21250
Sell for 18k after 3 yrs
Cost of driving a mini for 3 yrs - 3250 (or about 90/mo) + fuel @ an ave of about 32mpg + ins...
You could buy an Audi R8, drive it for 3 years and sell it for more than you paid... true, but j/k.
My GF is going with a Mini for the reasons stated above...
Do as I say, not as I do....
Buying a demo = Stupid idea if it is a performance car
Demos are never broken in properly and abused to death.
Case in point, I was at my local Porsche/Audi dealer to demo a BRAND NEW no miles RS4. I took it out for a drive and was very easy on it including short shifting, no sustained revs, no hard braking, etc. The dealer was encouraging me to beat on it and push it to the limit which I was not interested in doing as someone else was going to own that car. I represent a minority, most people would have beat the hell out of it and done so for many 100's of miles until some guy who didn't know any better spent $74K and an abused, not properly broken in car. Granted they don't give the keys out to just anyone but still. Same thing with a new AMG and Aston Martin that I drove, the dealer insisted that I stomp on it and I wouldn't.
If this is what happens with high-end machines, what do you think happens to realatively inexpensive cars like Minis, 335s, etc!
I bought an Evo 900 miles away because I think break-in is important and every one around hear had 25-100 miles on it. You can bet those were hard miles. BTW, When I first went test drive the Evo, I asked for a used one and took that for a drive instead (they had offered up a "new" one).
At least if you buy a used car from the original owner, you can get a feel for how it was treated, be it good or bad. Not so with a demo and you can bet it was flogged no matter what the dealer claims!