Para82

The M3 V8 with an exhaust has an awesome sound. The M5 V10 can sound like an F1 car with some aftermarket pipes

sf997c2s

These are all great points. The thread has transitioned to a key question, 'what's a fun four door car for around $40-50K and could be taken to the track every other month'? There are some really good ideas here that I'll do more research on:
- f80 m3 (saw the competition package today, looks very solid)
- 340i m
- maybe something audi s (S3, S4, S6; wish we had RSs)
- M5/S7 seem a bit too big for me...
- merc is interesting but will need to see live

Any other ideas?

one-rennlist

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio?

KeepItTidy

My Brother has had is 08 M3 for a few years now, he has maintained it as per BMW spec at the dealership and just as it hit 80 000km (we where out on a breakfast run at the time) the engind ran bearings. he had to ship a new engine innfrom germany ( to south Africa) not cheap and a serious PITA. I would stay FAR away from these second hand BMW engines

rodH

I went from an E46 M3 and was thinking of the E9X M3 until I drove my buddies. It felt a little faster than the E46 (which it is) but the weight actually made it feel less special and negated the great V8. Hoped in a 911 and the search totally changed from BMW M3/4/M2 to 911. Never looked back sense. I had my M3 for a few months overlap with my 997 and I would hop in it and it felt very very ordinary (it wasn't a track monster, but was slightly lowered and had Koni Yellows and CSL alignment). I know it isn't an "ordinary" car, but compared to the 911, it is no contest.

The mention of the 340 above being "faster" than a 9977 C2S. I am assuming that it is maybe "quicker" at some acceleration testing (not to be too much of a magazine racer but the 997 C2s times range from 3.9-4.4, the 340i range from 4.4 to 4.9). Add to the fact that this is only talking about acceleration and not handling and brakes and frankly I'd love to take on that one

Frankly, I'd never own a non-M BMW, the M is barely "special" enough, just barely.

z3mcoupe

I'd be tempted to grab a 335d! It would of course be no-where near the M3 on the track (I've seen them on track however....), but as a daily, the diesel engine is a rocket and is quicker in the real world than the M3. 425lbs of torque almost off idle!

If you do go for the M3, scour the BMW forums for the gotchas, and I'd go for the latest model year you can afford. They do sound quite epic with an exhaust!

Backmarker

I cannot recommend a 335D, I got rid of mine last year. They have well documented carbon build up issues.

To the OP- if you go with a BMW or Merc recognize that you will see ALL of the value come out of the car. These makes have no resale value at all past 5 years, and all of them eventually become $5000 cars. That does not happen with 911s. I am local to you- look at old porsche pricjng vs. the other makes on craigslist- buying these other brands is like throwing out the money that you pay for them.

I tracked an M3 for years BTW, they are not ready for the track at all in stock form. The brakes overheat and boil the fluid, the suspension is not adjustable and is way loose, and they have no downforce at all for our local tracks like Laguna, THill or Sears. I wouldn't even try to track a BMW on stock brakes at Laguna given all the downhill braking there.

If you have the parking, I would get a used CPO X5 and then get a cheaper track car like a Cayman S or an early 997. Or just keep yours and buy a daily driver.

one-rennlist

Regarding the high output diesel engines' carbon builup I cannot recall seeing this being a problem in Europe. This might be due to cleaner fuels or people driving at higher loads & speed, like the Autobahn.

dawgcatching

Completely different cars of course, but you can't go wrong. The M3 is a much more practical car, I had an E 92 and could fit two bicycles in the trunk, wheels and bags in the backseat for two people, plenty of room in that car. I had a 991 and ended up selling it, too much money for a car that we didn't drive. Pretty much every place I go either includes skiing or cycling, and I need the versatility. At least on a daily driver

The E 90 ZCP is very sporty, engine is responsive at higher rpm's, doesn't feel too heavy, and it's wicked fun at speed on the highway's The E 90 ZCP is very sporty, engine is responsive at higher rpm's, doesn't feel too heavy, and it's wicked fun at speed on the highway. At the track you may notice more of a difference, as a daily though they are both super fun, just different flavors.

Doug H

X5? Man, those are hideous, sterile vehicles.

I am a Porsche guy through and through and used a litany of 911 turbos all purchased new as daily drivers from 89/90 through 2015. I stepped way outside the box between March 2015 and December 2016 as to my daily driver and then did the unthinkable in December of 2016 - picked up my first BMW, a '17 F80 M3 with Competition Package. I still have a '15 GT3 and a CPO '12 997.2tt cab that I also purchased in December for top down, summer fun. Gotta say, the F80 ZCP puts the same size grin on my face as does the 997.2tt and it does so with a roomier back seat than my Wife's Macan S.

I used to see a lot of M3s back in my instructing days at hilly technical tracks and they seemed to handle the tracks just fine and generally handled the tracks the same or better than the NA non-GT 911s out there. I always took my cup cars or carbon fiber shelled, lexan windowed, full cage Elise with passenger seat out for instructing weekends and never once used my daily driver turbos on a track which in my opinion were too heavy to have real fun . . .