sport or m3
Moderator: martauto
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Falkster
- Engaged to the E30 Zone

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Spot on Gary and Fusion.
I too have had both and still have the M3.
If I had to decide which was the best drive to and from work it would be the 325. Very smooth, very sedate and well manered. However I do, during summer months, drive my M3 everyday and its not the nicest of drives but you forget the bad points when you press the go pedal and take it round a few bends.
If I had to decide which was the best car to throw round bends and scream upto 8k revs then clearly it would be the M3. Ive never had a problem with parts and you can now get them nearly as cheap as most other car parts.
I pay Ԛ£325 per year for comp cover with 6000 miles per year limit.
As said before chalk and cheese.
I am in the process of talking the wife into letting me have my chalk but also having a bit of cheese. Get rid of my daily driver (Ive had since new) and replace it with a nice Sport!!!
I too have had both and still have the M3.
If I had to decide which was the best drive to and from work it would be the 325. Very smooth, very sedate and well manered. However I do, during summer months, drive my M3 everyday and its not the nicest of drives but you forget the bad points when you press the go pedal and take it round a few bends.
If I had to decide which was the best car to throw round bends and scream upto 8k revs then clearly it would be the M3. Ive never had a problem with parts and you can now get them nearly as cheap as most other car parts.
I pay Ԛ£325 per year for comp cover with 6000 miles per year limit.
As said before chalk and cheese.
I am in the process of talking the wife into letting me have my chalk but also having a bit of cheese. Get rid of my daily driver (Ive had since new) and replace it with a nice Sport!!!
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herman
- E30 Zone Regular

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Still m3 then!
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glenn
- Engine Transplant Services

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looking for a little input off the m3 owners....
when you bought your m3, would you of had it rhd, if it was available to you?
when you bought your m3, would you of had it rhd, if it was available to you?
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maxfield
- Old Skooler

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My dad said he prefers LHD and ont RHD M3s use 325 rack?

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m3ben05
- E30 Zone Addict

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iil325i
- E30 Zone Regular

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what about if it was from new and they werent all LHD and it was all the same pricem3ben05 wrote:I had the option when i bought mine there was another example for Ԛ£300 more. I chose LHD as its original and adds to the character of the car.


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Simon
- E30 Zone Team Member

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No, I consider it to be one of the unique features of having an E30 M3, and still wouldn't change it today.glenn wrote:looking for a little input off the m3 owners....
when you bought your m3, would you of had it rhd, if it was available to you?
Only time I would have it changed to RHD is if I was moving to Oz, and wanted to take the car with me..I'd have no choice but to have it converted then!

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m3ben05
- E30 Zone Addict

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gary
- E30 Zone Regular

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I agree with M3ben05. It the were originally built RHD then yes, the fact that they were not, then converting one as simon says dilutes the attraction and originalty of the car
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herman
- E30 Zone Regular

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If the RHD car was the same rack and drove the same (not possible wont fit) Then yes RHD. But not the coverted ones they don't feel the same.
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OllieB
- E30 Zone Regular

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I had the same question when I went to buy my first BM, M3 or Sport? I plumped for the sport for the following reasons.
1) Budget, it stands to reason that you can get a really nice Sport, or a shitty M3 for equal money.
2) The noise, I do appreciate the lovely noise of the S14 at full chat but for me a proper BM has a glorious 6 cyl wail.
3) Price/availabilty of parts, I know people have said they have no problem with getting parts for their M3's, but Ԛ£160 for a water pump! Mine was about Ԛ£20 from GSF for the sport.
4) The noise, M20B25 with a straight through stainless sounds the tits when you hit 4k rpm.
5) Repairing it should something bad happen, panels on the sport are the same as any other two door E30, whereas the M3 ones are not. Should you dent/crumple one you may want to cry as there are not many scrap M3's around to plunder. Also if your S14 decides to let go big time then the same applies, Sport has same engine and drivetrain as any other 325i (I know it has a slipper and the 'box is different) so used parts or complete engines can be found for pennies, not the same with the M3.
6) Not that keen on the LHD way of life, I know it wouldn't take a lot of getting used to but I'm lazy.
Did I mention the noise too?

1) Budget, it stands to reason that you can get a really nice Sport, or a shitty M3 for equal money.
2) The noise, I do appreciate the lovely noise of the S14 at full chat but for me a proper BM has a glorious 6 cyl wail.
3) Price/availabilty of parts, I know people have said they have no problem with getting parts for their M3's, but Ԛ£160 for a water pump! Mine was about Ԛ£20 from GSF for the sport.
4) The noise, M20B25 with a straight through stainless sounds the tits when you hit 4k rpm.
5) Repairing it should something bad happen, panels on the sport are the same as any other two door E30, whereas the M3 ones are not. Should you dent/crumple one you may want to cry as there are not many scrap M3's around to plunder. Also if your S14 decides to let go big time then the same applies, Sport has same engine and drivetrain as any other 325i (I know it has a slipper and the 'box is different) so used parts or complete engines can be found for pennies, not the same with the M3.
6) Not that keen on the LHD way of life, I know it wouldn't take a lot of getting used to but I'm lazy.
Did I mention the noise too?
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I'm too scared to drift properly......
I'm too scared to drift properly......
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Demlotcrew
- E30 Zone Team Member

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Despite what everyone is saying about the costs of an M3, The M3 does not share very much with the stock E30, infact propbably 25% is shared, but thats it. Everthing is M3 specific, like the man before me has said, the slightest ding and you need to buy dealer parts, everything is far more expencive if its on a M car.
If you want cheap motoring dont buy a M3.
But i dont agree on the RHD, they can be just as good as the LHD M3s.
Andrew
If you want cheap motoring dont buy a M3.
But i dont agree on the RHD, they can be just as good as the LHD M3s.
Andrew
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whiterhino
- E30 Zone Camper

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an m3 was built for racing and a sport was a road car that says it all really and the lhd thing is no problem at all you just have to try it to know what i mean and the m3 was the most succesful touring car ever its got to make sense.
M3 cecotto ultimate driving machine
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DaveD
- E30Zone Wiki Specialist
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E46ACS
- E30 Zone Newbie

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I am a newcomer to the world of E30 M3 ownership (just over 5 weeks now), and I have had no probelms adjusting at all.
For the first few drives, I would sometimes get the wrong gear, but now the dogleg box feels a lot more natural. When you are on the move, you never use 1st, so the remainder of the 'H' gate is a much more natural way of doing things.
Using LHD, roundabouts still feel a little odd, but no problems at all!
As for parts, IT'S AN M3!!!! And like ALL generation M's, and their counterparts from Audi (S & RS), Ford (RS, Cosworth), Merc (AMG) etc. etc., some parts WILL COST MORE! That is a fact of life. You get what you pay for.
Mine is costing me Ԛ£250 on a classic policy, so I can't complain there!
However, I am not knocking the Sport. That is a great car in it's own right. But, as mentioned earlier...... chalk & cheese my friends..... chalk & cheese.....
For the first few drives, I would sometimes get the wrong gear, but now the dogleg box feels a lot more natural. When you are on the move, you never use 1st, so the remainder of the 'H' gate is a much more natural way of doing things.
Using LHD, roundabouts still feel a little odd, but no problems at all!
As for parts, IT'S AN M3!!!! And like ALL generation M's, and their counterparts from Audi (S & RS), Ford (RS, Cosworth), Merc (AMG) etc. etc., some parts WILL COST MORE! That is a fact of life. You get what you pay for.
Mine is costing me Ԛ£250 on a classic policy, so I can't complain there!
However, I am not knocking the Sport. That is a great car in it's own right. But, as mentioned earlier...... chalk & cheese my friends..... chalk & cheese.....
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maxfield
- Old Skooler

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Wow that is very nice



