sport or m3

[iil325i]

what do you think i just went looked at a m3 but not to sure i love the sport its got the 6 pot for start with and would be cheaper and looks better in some ways but the m3 is a m3 what would you get

[Bob_S]

the M3.. thought it would be obvious? lol

depends what you want it for though I guess

[kam-325i]

If i could afford the M3, i would have it, no question.

[maxfield]

M3 everytime

It's like sayin either Hi-tech trainers or addidas trainers you'd pick adidas evertime

[bmwe30mtech]

is it for everyday? Do you mind the LHD?

[panesar_e30]

the sport wins all the time, 6 pot sounds like pure sex.

i dont like the left hand drive business although thats wat makes it an m3.

thas my view anyway.

[oguz327]

ive allways wanted an m3 myself, trouble is left hand drive! ive heard this can be a bit of a problem for overtaking. also isnt the m3s engine alittle more fragile and more expensive for bits?
ive got a sport for weekend use only, but if i could afford it i would still have a m3, there so cool and sexy.
if it was to be used everday though i personaly would stick with the sport!

[iil325i]

the sport wins all the time, 6 pot sounds like pure sex.

i dont like the left hand drive business although thats wat makes it an m3.

thas my view anyway.

this is what i was thinking, if i get the sport it would be every day but i would put the 3.5 in it. if i get th m3 i woud use a dog to go to work in lol

nise mario lol wonder where you got that lol

[herman]

M3

[maxfield]

My dad says overtaking aint to bad as you can see through cars but vans lorries etc are hard. Yes the parts are alot more expensive and a M3 would be mroe to maintain

[oguz327]

if u can afford it and have a run about for work, id have the m3 evertime!

[iil325i]

if u can afford it and have a run about for work, id have the m3 evertime!

yer got a nova lol and you insure the m3 as a sec car

[oguz327]

top man, go for it!
off topic, have u sold the leather seats bro?

[sheldo]

id personally stick with the sport. Its a good looking car (not quite as good as the m3) but its got the better sound aswell.

Not only that but the cost of maintaing the m and if the engine does let go a lot harder to sort out.

[Demlotcrew]

Cant say i agree that the Six sounds better.

Andrew

[Dan318-is]

Cant say i agree that the Six sounds better.

Andrew

il second that. i think m3 engines sound gorgeous

ive allways wanted an m3 myself, trouble is left hand drive! ive heard this can be a bit of a problem for overtaking. also isnt the m3s engine alittle more fragile and more expensive for bits?
ive got a sport for weekend use only, but if i could afford it i would still have a m3, there so cool and sexy.
if it was to be used everday though i personaly would stick with the sport!

If they are looked after and not driven hard from cold, m3 engines last for nearly as long as m20s. true, parts are expensive, but im sure they wouldnt b eas bad as people say; the m3 iv have been in was a 195 brake version, 167000 miles on the clock left hooker and when the guy took me out it went liek fucking stink!

just for the heritage and history i would have an m3. they are rarer, more desirable, and if looked after will make you money im sure

[Davenotouring]

Money no object, I'd have the M3.

Otherwise...the Sport.

Both cars sound completely different, but I love both.

[Simon]

Cant say i agree that the Six sounds better.

Andrew

I've got to agree there, it was the only thing I wasn't looking forward to buying the M3 going from a sport, but the noise the S14 makes at full chat is awesome..proper racing car noise!

Then again, I do love the 6 pot noise though, but I've got the touring with a sebring on it for my 6 pot fix!

[Simon]

BTW, LHD really isn't a problem, it makes you a better driver!

[karlp]

The M3 was built for the track so simple things like changing gear are 'track orientated'. Costs are very high (M20 water pump Ԛ£25 - S14 water pump Ԛ£140).
Spark plugs are very hard to get to unless you have the correct tools.
Insurance will be higher - LHD.
Adjusting the valves is not easy.

BUT - you will always wish you bought one.

If you have a second car then go for it.

Karl

[Fushion_Julz]

I've got one of each...although my 325 isn't a sport, but an SE

The M3 is superb in every way...It feels tighter and more tuned in the chassis and the brakes are phenomenal: even standard!

However, it isn't as relaxing or easy to drive quickly in it as in the 325. For everyday town and motorway driving the 325 will be a better choice. If you drive on good A or B roads or plan track days, then the M3 is your weapon, without doubt.
You'll get used to LHD within a week...overtaking isn't a problem...Just don't drive so close to the vehicle in front: problem sorted!

The S14 engine isn't fragile at all...in fact it's stronger and more reliable than the M20, really...But if you do need to do something to it, it will cost more in parts (usually).

The real thing, though, will be purchase cost vs retained value.

A good 325 Sport can still be <Ԛ£4K, but unless you maintain it "as original" and keep it in good condition I can't see it ever reaching a real "classic" status.
The M3, on the other hand, needs >Ԛ£5K to stand any chance of getting a good one (unless you are very lucky or have good contacts). However, it is only ever likely to go up in value...It is a real classic car and already has a "cult" status which means its value is assured almost regardless of mods or (minor) damage.

[iil325i]

if i got m3 might put the 3.5 in it like koss i think his name is with the white alpina m3, that f**king flies, i no he has a turbo as well but could do something like that at a later date lol

[Karan]

m3

[Geeman]

Agree with Simon... LHD does make you abetter driver. You take more not of what's happening on th eroad in front of you. You have to plan your overtaking manoeuvures a little earlier, plus being LHD makes it feel more special.

Giles.

[e30bmlover]

m3

enough said.

[Karan]

i think the everyday use point is silly cos both arent exactly practical are they!! for that reason the m3 wins.....only thig is money and running it bu even this can be done cheap if ure careful

[whiterhino]

ive owned both cars and would buy an m3 all the time.the handling is like a go-kart and the car screams through the rev band.then theres the looks and left hand drive is no probs at all its all part of the m3 feel.by the way i wouldnt put a 3.5 in either a sport or m3 personally i think that would be changing either cars personality.just tweak whats already there.

[glenbat]

sorry to butt in bein dim but is a sport a 325i? like a limited edition?
Or just a standard 325?

[nav786]

i would go for an m3 everytime no doubt. plus i prefer LHD to be honest. i have driven quite a fe LHD's and it just feels better, overtaking is harder but not too much of an issue.

[m3ben05]

M3 any day, they are in a different league.

Overtaking is not a problem, maintaining one is nowhere near as bad as people make out and it can be used every day (i do) with decent fuel consumption if driven normally.

[gary]

I've got one of each...although my 325 isn't a sport, but an SE

The M3 is superb in every way...It feels tighter and more tuned in the chassis and the brakes are phenomenal: even standard!

However, it isn't as relaxing or easy to drive quickly in it as in the 325. For everyday town and motorway driving the 325 will be a better choice. If you drive on good A or B roads or plan track days, then the M3 is your weapon, without doubt.
You'll get used to LHD within a week...overtaking isn't a problem...Just don't drive so close to the vehicle in front: problem sorted!

The S14 engine isn't fragile at all...in fact it's stronger and more reliable than the M20, really...But if you do need to do something to it, it will cost more in parts (usually).

The real thing, though, will be purchase cost vs retained value.

A good 325 Sport can still be <Ԛ£4K, but unless you maintain it "as original" and keep it in good condition I can't see it ever reaching a real "classic" status.
The M3, on the other hand, needs >Ԛ£5K to stand any chance of getting a good one (unless you are very lucky or have good contacts). However, it is only ever likely to go up in value...It is a real classic car and already has a "cult" status which means its value is assured almost regardless of mods or (minor) damage.

I endorse all of the above. I have owned both separately in a previous life and now am lucky enough to own both of these cars today.

The M3 is a track honed machine for the road. LHD is not that much of a problem as others have eluded to. Just hold back drop it down a few cogs and floor it, before you know it you are past your slower moving friend in the caravan towing Volvo and a spec in the distance before any on coming tractor can hinder your progress.

Up until last year I ran my M3 as my daily runner with no problems to report from either LHD , dogleg box or running costs. The only thing I found tiresome after a while was the lack of torque or power at the lower reaches of the rev range. I found that I was constantly swapping gears in heavy traffic.

The 325 on the other hand was a more relaxed drive as well as a less frantic engine, lazy shall we say (both me and the car) and thats what I missed when I owned my first 235i sport some 7 years ago and why I bought my new one recently, that and I needed another daily driver as I was putting my M3 Sport Evo off the raod for the winter and putting it on a classic insurance policy with limited mileage.

I would some up both cars as follows.

The 325i Sport is a very well mannered muscular sophiticated bodyguard. (Jean Claude Van Dam if you will)

The M3

Vinnie Jones....... (Just grabs your balls and skull f***s you until yor eyes
bleed)

Personally I would have the M3 everyday of the week. But I'm lucky these days I can have my cake and eat it

[Simon13]

chalk and cheese mo fo's.

[Hyperion]

let me put my 2cents over here, we had this discussion a while back, i did say then it would be cool to have a RHD M3, but there are few and far and there was talk of them being not "true" M3's. I dont like LHD cars at all, but i love the M3 so i say a Sport for everyday and a M3 for the weekend.

[Patm3]

Go for the M3, LHD takes a while but once mastered you enjoy it, insurance can be cheap if you do it classic through a company like AON, probably work out to Ԛ£340 - 3000 miles limit or Ԛ£500 - 5000 miles limit, you have a choice. Parts can be a problem but GSF work for me most of the time.

[Fushion_Julz]

Nah, come on...Parts are never (or never have been yet) a problem for my M3...
They need a couple of days to get ordered, but then so do parts for my 325i.

Prices are a bit higher and some are eye-watering (Water pump Ԛ£150ish exch, Thermostat Ԛ£60ish) compared to regular E30 prices.