First M3 drive.. slightly underwhelmed?

[Strugs]

Decided to whet my appetite for an M3 with a visit and a drive of this:

http://www.gmscars.co.uk/bmw_m3_e30_macao_blue.html

I'm no expert but all seems very clean and tidy on this car with everything working and nothing falling/hanging off. I know the wheels might not be to all tastes, and would clearly influence turn-in fluency amongst other things, but the car looks pretty good in the flesh.

Went for a good drive and came back a bit disappointed, if I'm honest.. It was a nice drive, but it didn't feel as 'special' over my cabbie as I expected. The rack was slower than I expected, the gear throw longer..

I know the M3 needs revs and once up in the band the pace didn't disappoint but again, it perhaps wasn't as much of an experience as I was hoping for.. Do you have to keep them above 4k all the time for it to become alive?

I came away liking the car, but not feeling it was a massive step up from my 325 and certainly not the extra £20k or so it has over my car..

They say you shouldn't meet your heroes but with all I've read on the M3 experience I didn't expect to come away a little.. well.. underwhelmed..

I would obviously have to try another one to be sure it wasn't just this car, but there's nothing obviously wrong with it and I'm just thinking now that I was expecting too much..

Is my experience unique?

[Rav335uk]

IMO, the M3 is over rated.

There's no Evo wing, it looks standard to me, and the bottom of the add should read "Viewing for Disappointment"..

[pacerpete]

Nothing 'Evo' about it. The colour is a macao blue which was generally only used on limited edition M3s, this is not one, so I assume the paint was a special order. The car originally had black leather and whoever threw that dogs dinner of an interior in there needs shooting.

A decent M3 is a joy to behold and a real feel good car. Alas, most M3s, like most E30s, are worn out sorry pigs with loads of issues, and many owners just spend money on cosmetic crap and council rimz , like this one .

Most car traders are low IQ meat heads with very little product knowledge , hence so many crap ads and poorly prepped cars

[Nobby_N]

Having never driven one I cant really comment but im nearly sure compared to most modern cars that we are now all used too anything older usually disappoints driving wise, Looks wise older cars are lots better but to live with I would choose a newer M3 everytime

[Cloggy Saint]

I've never driven one but have been a passenger and also found it to be underwhelming. I think a lot of the hype surrounding the M3 is because of what it is, not what it does.

[maxfield]

If all you've done is drove through town and down a few A roads it probably won't feel special.

On an empty Country lane with nothing in front of you there is something special about an M3.

Also as Pete said, it's could have issues with it like every other E30 which could kill the feel of the car.

[KW355]

Buy it and put a V10 in it, instant overwhelming guaranteed

[KW355]

Duplicate post !

[M-Sport]

Seen this last year while it was at Bespoke leathering having the interior re-trimmed, think the owner wanted something different

Pretty sure it was also at Gaydon last year.

[Strugs]

A decent M3 is a joy to behold and a real feel good car.

On an empty Country lane with nothing in front of you there is something special about an M3.

It was a limited drive, but with mixed road-types and speeds. The steering feel was nowhere near as nice as mine (down to the wider fronts maybe, although - from memory - they're only 215 and mine are 205?) and I'd defo have to drive another before writing the M3 off completely, but is a good one really £20k-ish better than mine?

Perhaps the only way to get a good one is to buy a snotter for the right money and then resto/rebuild yourself (like that J-plate one on ebay discussed in the other thread?)?

[Strugs]

Seen this last year while it was at Bespoke leathering having the interior re-trimmed, think the owner wanted something different

Pretty sure it was also at Gaydon last year.

I didn't find the interior too offensive in the flesh, but the seats don't really match the doorcards/carpets!

It was at Gaydon, the pass for the show was in the boot..

[pukar]

The problem I see is iN the pricing

Compared to any other £5k car, a 325i is still a great choice as it is well thought out drivers car with plenty of fun to be had..


Compared to another £30k car, an m3 doesn't necessarily stack up. You won't get a 6x improvement over your 325i. When they were new, I don't think they were £25k more expensive right, so why should they be now?. Is a sport evo a £100k better drive than a standard m3?. Most definitely not.

[Gert_8]

The problem I see is iN the pricing

Compared to any other £5k car, a 325i is still a great choice as it is well thought out drivers car with plenty of fun to be had..


Compared to another £30k car, an m3 doesn't necessarily stack up. You won't get a 6x improvement over your 325i. When they were new, I don't think they were £25k more expensive right, so why should they be now?. Is a sport evo a £100k better drive than a standard m3?. Most definitely not.

Very well put. However, the price is indicative of the numbers available? Rarity has always been a massive pricing factor.

I haven't driven one, but some comments made by zoners suggest it needs to be hussled*.....

*who wants to drive like that all the time to enjoy a car?

[Ianb]

To have the seats done would be fair enough if the door cards were done too but as it is it looks like a mash up

[kieran325]

I've always said I prefer my 325 over the M3 and I don't tear arse about but the 325 ticks all boxes for me.

I've just dropped a grand on a new water pump, thermostat, hoses, pulley, clips and a new Bosch alternator! Not because there's a problem but preventative maintenance goes along way and I'm anal for new parts!!

[daboy3000]

Its not the performance necessarily that make these worth so much. Its a mixture of nostalgia for us 30 plusers who can now afford them and the rarity. Its also very good looking!!

[terryjippo]

I've driven pretty much the entire E30 range, and agree with the above about the condition and modifications of cars making a huge difference to the driving experience. A sorted 'like new' E30 is a great experience, I think I've had as much fun driving a' like new' late-318i E30 (4 door) than I have any other model.

I found the M3 did become different from a standard E30 when pushed. Likewise, I rebuilt a snotty Mercedes 2.3 16v a few years ago and like the M3 the best thing about that car was keeping the rev counter above 3.5k.

[jimbom30cab]

So lets say you have £30k burning a hole in your pocket

Now I love the M3 but would anyone on here honeslty buy one over something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-911-C ... 488126d16e

[Gert_8]

So lets say you have £30k burning a hole in your pocket

Now I love the M3 but would anyone on here honeslty buy one over something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-911-C ... 488126d16e

It's not my favourite model - I hate the whale tail and a targa top, but hey!

However, in answer to your question, the heart wants, what the heart wants, so I think the M3 may be the one that is taken.

[DanThe]

Standard M3 is just an expensive ornament now really, there is much more enjoyment to be had from 30 bags IMO

[Gert_8]

Standard M3 is just an expensive ornament now really, there is much more enjoyment to be had from 30 bags IMO

Does anyone know what Barry thinks, as he's got a sport and now an M3?

[DanThe]

Barry loves it as its standard and just how ze germans made them

[kieran325]

Both my M3 and 325 are standard apart from a full BTB and I much prefer the 325 over the M3. The M3 looks the nuts and I can look at all day but the 325 wins hands down IMO.

[kieran325]

There's a Sport Evo at €250,000 on a website but the link is long.

[Gert_8]

Your Sport actually looks nice to me, Kieran!

[SilverShadow]

That interior looks all wrong to me!

Car should have come with cloth from factory!

[pacerpete]

That interior looks all wrong to me!

Car should have come with cloth from factory!

Black leather actually. Seats and door cards are non matching and the leather pattern is incorrect. Somebody spent a lot of money devaluing a car

[Strugs]

Both my M3 and 325 are standard apart from a full BTB and I much prefer the 325 over the M3. The M3 looks the nuts and I can look at all day but the 325 wins hands down IMO.

Ah, nice stable! As someone able to directly compare, what do you prefer about the 325 (and what does the M3 have over the 325, apart from the looks?)?

[Strugs]

That interior looks all wrong to me!

Car should have come with cloth from factory!

Black leather actually. Seats and door cards are non matching and the leather pattern is incorrect. Somebody spent a lot of money devaluing a car

Glenn at GMS has had that car since March (it's a SOR), and the owner apparently has a E30 Sport Evo and E46 M3 CSL amongst his collection and he's only owned this one since March '14 (previous owner 10+ years.. receipt from ML for the purchase in 2003 for £7.5k!!), so I suspect the owner is trying to 'flip' it..

What do you think he should be asking for this one (and what would you pay?!)?

[kieran325]

My driving style is not hooning around so the smoothness of 6 cylinders is more appealing.

The M3 is more like a raspy go kart and comes alive above 4k but that rarely happens with me so you could say its wasted

They are like an ornament with me but I do like sitting in the garage looking at them

[pacerpete]

That interior looks all wrong to me!

Car should have come with cloth from factory!

Black leather actually. Seats and door cards are non matching and the leather pattern is incorrect. Somebody spent a lot of money devaluing a car

Glenn at GMS has had that car since March (it's a SOR), and the owner apparently has a E30 Sport Evo and E46 M3 CSL amongst his collection and he's only owned this one since March '14 (previous owner 10+ years.. receipt from ML for the purchase in 2003 for £7.5k!!), so I suspect the owner is trying to 'flip' it..

What do you think he should be asking for this one (and what would you pay?!)?

I would say that a really nice standard car with Ca 100,000 miles is now a 30k car. Really nice = no obvious issues and minimum expenditure needed to make a nice useable car.
Alas there are very FEW of these cars around ,but LOTS of 13k scrappers noshed up to fool the unwary to believe they are looking at a nice car.

The car in question looks fairly well preserved under the bonnet as distinct from paedoed up for resale , so hopefully it is not too tragic underneath. Be aware that even the 'good' cars can often reveal all sorts of nasties when the side skirts are removed......
The harsh reality is that the bones of these cars are not much different to an ordinary E30, and we know how foooked most of those are

What ever you do, DO NOT buy one of these without a knowledgeable prepurchase inspection. Paying 30k for a 12k turd is not a nice place to be

[Strugs]

My driving style is not hooning around so the smoothness of 6 cylinders is more appealing.

The M3 is more like a raspy go kart and comes alive above 4k but that rarely happens with me so you could say its wasted

They are like an ornament with me but I do like sitting in the garage looking at them

I don't mind a good hoon (hot hatches aplenty and one or two VX220's in my back catalogue!), which the 325 (particularly being a cabbie) is not quite so adept at, so maybe I should still make room for an M3.. Still struggling with the £30k though..

Will probably end up flogging the E46 330 and the 325 and getting something like a E46 M3 to fulfil both 'daily' and 'hoon' briefs.. but then I'd miss being able to drop the roof (and I'm clearly not going to get an E46 M3 cabbie.. 'cos they're wrong..)..

[Strugs]

I would say that a really nice standard car with Ca 100,000 miles is now a 30k car. Really nice = no obvious issues and minimum expenditure needed to make a nice useable car.
Alas there are very FEW of these cars around ,but LOTS of 13k scrappers noshed up to fool the unwary to believe they are looking at a nice car.

The car in question looks fairly well preserved under the bonnet as distinct from paedoed up for resale , so hopefully it is not too tragic underneath. Be aware that even the 'good' cars can often reveal all sorts of nasties when the side skirts are removed......
The harsh reality is that the bones of these cars are not much different to an ordinary E30, and we know how foooked most of those are

What ever you do, DO NOT buy one of these without a knowledgeable prepurchase inspection. Paying 30k for a 12k turd is not a nice place to be

I think I'd really struggle to justify £30k on one.. I'd much rather buy a turd (knowing it was a turd, and for the right money!) and work on it over time, like I've done with my 325 (not that mine was too much of a snotter to begin with..)..

So.. where are all the M3 turds at??

[jimbom30cab]

they are all at £30k

that's the problem

[Strugs]

they are all at £30k

that's the problem

Quite!

I was hoping this Lachs 'project' on PH at the mo:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/ ... ct/4413420

..might be reasonable, but he wanted £28k-ish for the whole lot.. and I'd still have to build the flipping thing after that!!