m3's on a false pedastal?

[treeseries]

watch the video til the end and see where it comes, i'd love to own one for the iconic status and my love for the e30 but cant help thinking that they are over rated. can anyone whos actually owned one please tell me different and why. i'd like to know how it feels owning one. but they seem to cost a fortune to maintain and run, if they aren't much quicker than a ford ka (sport mind you) where does all that money go? i cant justify it.

[kadettc]

The car is old by standards now. Go drive one. Proof is in that experience......................back in their heyday not a lot could touch them and they are still just a 4 pot. Look at today's equivelants. Technology does progress. need to be comparing it to like for like technology from the same age for a "fair" comparison.

[HairyScreech]

i think people forget the handling of the ka is awsome for what they are, thats where they make up the time.

[tailoutcharlie]

recent evo mag feature pitted all the M cars head to head in the roads around here actually. e30M3 came out on top due to the sheer driving experience and sublime road holding beating the new M3 in the process.

i've never driven one but tbh i dont need a 400bhp v8 to enjoy twisty roads.



ok maybe a 400bhp v8 would be finr..i guess

[kadettc]

i think people forget the handling of the ka is awsome for what they are, thats where they make up the time.

Not to mention the small matter of power/weight ratio which an E30 M3 in standard trim does not exactly have in its favour stacked up against some hatches being produced today.

[treeseries]

i know its not a fair comparison and im not comparing it to anything really but at £6k-£10k for decent m3's? the message im trying to get across and what i want answered is are the prices there fetching (£20k for pats convertable) and the image they are given justified or i bit far fetched. what justifys these prices. ask anyone on here myself included i'd love to own an m3. a guy whos name escapes me bought one in jersy and its in the photo gallery at the moment, it looks stunning and the ora that goes with owning a car like that must be fabulous. i was nursing a semi looking at the pictures but at the traffic light grand prix i'd be worrying if something slightly more exotic than a ford sport ka pulled up along side me.

[HairyScreech]

neither does the sport ka, 90hp and about 900-1000kg.

need to sell my mini so i can buy the bits to get mine finnished, 200hp and 800kg here we come.

in the words of jon_bmw (i think) "is that a shopping trolly your attempting to mechanicaly propel?"

[maxfield]

A good E30 M3 with a good driver can keep up with a lot on track.

From what I know, that car has plenty of miles, also Tiff didn't seem to be getting the best out of the car IMO.

[HairyScreech]

A good E30 M3 with a good driver can keep up with a lot on track.

From what I know, that car has plenty of miles, also Tiff didn't seem to be getting the best out of the car IMO.

to be fair i heard this as well, and aparently the delta they used was a bucket as well.

[kadettc]

neither does the sport ka, 90hp and about 900-1000kg.

need to sell my mini so i can buy the bits to get mine finnished, 200hp and 800kg here we come.

in the words of jon_bmw (i think) "is that a shopping trolly your attempting to mechanicaly propel?"

Shouldn't have gotten anywhere NEAR that then...............

[kadettc]

i know its not a fair comparison and im not comparing it to anything really but at £6k-£10k for decent m3's? the message im trying to get across and what i want answered is are the prices there fetching (£20k for pats convertable) and the image they are given justified or i bit far fetched. what justifys these prices. ask anyone on here myself included i'd love to own an m3. a guy whos name escapes me bought one in jersy and its in the photo gallery at the moment, it looks stunning and the ora that goes with owning a car like that must be fabulous. i was nursing a semi looking at the pictures but at the traffic light grand prix i'd be worrying if something slightly more exotic than a ford sport ka pulled up along side me.

Lack of good ones, and people being prepared to pay that for them. When they stop selling at those prices they will drop. So yes, they are justified. I would happily spend current market value on one if I had the money to do so.

[oldroydsr4]

The M3 comands good money due to its history and the fact that its a legend.

Would it really have that much race success if the car was shabby?

Also i don't think 6 to 10k is alot of money for a car , especially one that you will make money on if you sold it in 5 yrs

[treeseries]

yeah but why are they gonna keep fetching those prices its madness. if i had the money i'd have one dont get me wrong but saying that i'd have to have alot of money to buy one over something else jap

[oldroydsr4]

For 3k you could buy a scooby that is quicker than most cars but thats not the point is it.

[M5pilot]

That particular car from what I remember had around 170k on it and we have no idea what state of tune it was in nor do we know what tyres it had.

I don't think it was an entirely fair test.

[HairyScreech]

Shouldn't have gotten anywhere NEAR that then...............

in what way

[e21Jason]

Hi

M3's are a cult car & that makes worth the money, and an MGB is the same price what would you have an mgb or or an m3, its all down to supply and demand.

The m3 wins on it's driving experince and how it involves the driver, something that a Ka or most modern cars do not do at all.

You do not buy an M3 for a traffic light grand prix, but for the grin when you nail it over the yorshire moor's, alston pass or up the A68 over the borders.

Jason

[Jhonno]

You do not buy an M3 for a traffic light grand prix, but for the grin when you nail it over the yorshire moor's, alston pass or up the A68 over the borders.

Jason

They were recently voted the ultimate M car.. I doubt that was a fluke amoung such prestigious vehicles!

The M3 used by 5th Gear was a, nearing 200k, early 195bhp version.. and has been said, Tiff wasnt getting the most out of it, as a) it actually belonged to someone b) he had to hand it back as it was handed to him

[Bob_S]

If you questioning buying an e30 M3... dont speak until you have driven one for a 20 yr old car to feel so complete and at home on almost any road, from autobahn to britains b-roads to a long distance trip or down the shops ok so an ikea flat pack wont go in the back but who cares?

I took mine out yesterday after driving a decent e30 before hand I couldnt believe how easy it was to drive quickly and it felt twice as plantd as a normal e30 too

[tej]

I'm on my second M3 now and the only reason I went out to buy the 2nd one because selling the 1st one was the biggest mistake of my like..I've had a number of bavarian beasts and worked in sales in BMW dealership..So have had the chance to drive all models in the range But nothing puts a smile on your face like being behind the wheel of the e30 M3
An amazing experience of performance and handling...as maxfield quoted a good driver in a good m3 can beat almost anything on track or even the A406

[Nuvolari]

watch the video til the end and see where it comes, i'd love to own one for the iconic status and my love for the e30 but cant help thinking that they are over rated. can anyone whos actually owned one please tell me different and why. i'd like to know how it feels owning one. but they seem to cost a fortune to maintain and run, if they aren't much quicker than a ford ka (sport mind you) where does all that money go? i cant justify it.

And where do you see the Ford Ka in 20years?

Right, totally forgotten

You gave your answer in the biginning of the movie, the E30 M3 is an Icon. It's a real proper handling car. Droven a E92 M3 and I have to admit, I wasn't dissapointed when I got in my E30

Acceleration might be fun, but proper handling is much more enjoying, fun is not in a straight line.

[buzz6353]

Just put my M3 back on the road last week

My face is still hurting with the grin factor

[fuzzy]

A good E30 M3 with a good driver can keep up with a lot on track.

thats handy if your daily commute includes a short cut across a track. if it doesnt you will get your 4rse handed to you regularly by more mundane cars.
i see people regularly go on about "its all about the driving experience" without explaining what exactly they mean but it sounds to me like the old excuse that woman who are married to men with small dicks say "size doesnt count its what you do with it that matters"
yes. if you say so.
personally i do think they are over rated but you cant argue against their iconic status but if you are comparing like for like era for era a 3 door cossie beats it hands down imo.

[maxfield]

fuzzy - have you ever driven an M3?

[78dude]

One day, one day I will have an E30 M3 or a E34 M5 for sure!

[Speedtouch]

E21Jason wrote:
"M3's are a cult car & that makes worth the money, and an MGB is the same price what would you have an mgb or or an m3, its all down to supply and demand."

Hey, lay off the MGB - they're not a bad drive! My '72 GT is lowered with race-spec suspension and handles pretty well for its age, on wire wheels too

[fuzzy]

fuzzy - have you ever driven an M3?

only been a passenger max in an e30 m3 but dont give me the bollocks that i know your about to. when its being driven to its limits on road and track by the owner to try to impress me and its failing then i have enough experience to judge. its just not the be all and end all that lots on here will try to convince you its merely a better than average car. its more style and story than actual substance imo.
ive been more impressed in a 3 door cosworth and an audi quattro with the former being so much easier to tune up.the only time ive ever been really impressed was in a 550bhp cosworth.
dont take it as a personal insult though its just my opinion as i dont wear bmw blinkers. id buy one maybe if good ones could be had for the £5000ish mark but not £10000

[maxfield]

There's a reason they're that price though

I don't wear BMW blinkers, I used to spend loads of time on Passionford ( )

Just think the M3 is much more about cornering rather than straight line speed.

[fuzzy]

I used to spend loads of time on Passionford ( )

Just think the M3 is much more about cornering rather than straight line speed.

in fact didnt you pm me enquiring about buying my cosworth engine once?
im not doubting the m3 corners well but then so does most performance cars. its just nothing out of this world special.
then when its regularly said that an m3 with some tweeks can keep up with most cars on a track . what performance car cant? and is merely keeping up with the opposition as high as you can set your sights?

[Bob_S]

fuzzy where the sierra's wallow squat and feel boatlike the M3 feels nimble and any input to the car can be felt precisely. Everything on the car is positive and is a rewarding car to drive. Having driven both the sierra no offence is a lardy tub like the e34! unlike a poised track based car.

Plus you dont have to wait for the turbo in the M3

[maxfield]

I once did... that idea might still come into practice one day

There are lots of cars that can go around corners well, I'm pretty sure the M3 once came in the top 10 of best handling cars of all time. Along with Lotus Exige and others...

If you spent 3k on an M3 and bought the car for 7k, I'm pretty sure you could keep up with cars worth 3 times that on track. I don't think there are many cars that can do that, is there?

[fuzzy]

Plus you dont have to wait for the turbo in the M3

maybe not but even then the cosworth will still be in front at 6.1 seconds to 60 compared to 6.9 seconds for the m3

[ShepsEvo3]

I've been in a sorted M3 round Silverstone which was being held up by GT2's and GT3's on the twisty bits and driven by racers. Overall the lap times were comarable with eachother.

[maxfield]

Plus you dont have to wait for the turbo in the M3

maybe not but even then the cosworth will still be in front at 6.1 seconds to 60 compared to 6.9 seconds for the m3

That's on paper..

Real world is a little different.

[fuzzy]

Plus you dont have to wait for the turbo in the M3

maybe not but even then the cosworth will still be in front at 6.1 seconds to 60 compared to 6.9 seconds for the m3

That's on paper..

Real world is a little different.

ah the old "on paper" chestnut eh?
real world is a cosworth engine with a couple of hundred quids worth of mods can do sub 6's all day long. £200 for a chip puts a standard cossie from 204bhp up to around 270bhp
well maybe not all day but at least until it breaks down.