Antonio

All else being equal, on the track, a stock 951 will have a stock e36 M3 for breakfast. As other people said, it is easier and cheeper to modify the 951. Having said that, I've driven both cars extensively and the M3 is a much easier car to live with day in day out.

rage2

The stock S52 M3 motor can handle 400whp just fine. That's about the limit of the stock pistons and rings, we started seeing some light blowby at this power level, which is why we swapped in some forged pistons. That and goals for more power.

Wiseco pistons costs $999, just drops in, no need for sleeves, etc. Both cars will need turbo/supercharger, injectors, standalone to effectively make that power of course. This is why I said it costs similar for both cars to get to 400whp. Of course, on pump gas, the 2.5L can't make 400whp. At least, I was never able to. Needed 2.8L to do that, which would bring the budget well above the M3's.

Believe me, I know both cars well. My 951 vs my buddy's M3 has been an epic battle over the last 6 years lol. The 951's winning btw hehe, but only because my friend's M3 is a cab, which weighs nearly 700lbs more than my 951.

chilibluepepper

I previously owned a 97 M3 as my daily driver - It was stone reliable, and was very fun to drive in its own right. I regretfully sold it to make way for fatherhood, which comes with the compulsory SUV! The M3 will not give you that addictive rush of the turbo, but in my opinion the inline six has its own very special appeal to me, and shouldn't be dismissed as sub-par. More importantly it is very reliable with minimal expense. Ironically enough, there is a benefit to the M3's lack of exclusivity (read high production numbers and close relationship with the other 3 series cars), the parts are waaay cheaper than comparable Porsche parts. Don't get me wrong, I am love my 951, but it is a love/hate relationship - I love the look and unique nature of the car, as well as its performance, but hate the inordinate expense (in time and money) associated with maintenance and repairs. I never tracked my M3, but I honestly believe that with the appropriate suspension and brake upgrades (which you would probably do to your 951 anyway) you can end up with a more reliable, much more economic, yet still competent car. If budget is an issue, I am convinced you can drive the M3 more, for less money. I really don't think that the resale value for either one of the cars should be the deciding factor, as neither is a collectible that is going to appreciate, and you will be spending money on upgrades and maintenance which you will never recover. Upside down is the name of the game! The 951 will out-run the M3, but it will also out-spend it by a mile. The 951 is very fast, and very cool, and holds a special place in the book of unique and underappreciated cars (hence the low entry price), but you have to love its bumps and warts also! Lastly, Grassroots Motorsports published pretty decent M3 comparison on their October 2003 issue.

Kesepton

I dont get this magazine. Is there anyway i could get this article? My email is in my profile. Anybody?

chilibluepepper

I'll scan it for you.

eclou

I would have to disagree. I have both and track both. A stock M3 will be at least the equal of a stock 944 turbo at the track. It is much easier to drive the M3 at speed.

The 944 turbo's advantage comes in to play when you stuff more tire into the wheel wells. The M3 is limited in how wide you can go. 255 max on the rears and maybe 245's in the front. The 951 can go pretty easy to 275/285 rear, 255 on the fronts.

Brakes edge over to the M3. They are very well modulated, and have more swept area and mass than a stock 951.

Reliability the M3 winds hands down. Drive it to the track, race, drive it home. The 951 I would consider a towed vehicle.

That being said, I track my 951 almost exclusively now b/c with mods, it have a higher performance ceiling than the M3, and my investment in the 951 is a fraction of the what I put into the M3. But, I have to tow it there if I plan on getting back home.

special tool

Rage - yes I know that boat anchor pig iron block can handle it, I was talking about compression ratio

chilibluepepper

Kesepton - check your email

clubracer6

Eclou - perfectly put - I couldn't agree more...

alexands

I was in the same situation. I Couldn't decide between an M3 and 951. Went with the 951 for one reason: Scalability. Since I was just starting racing I knew I could't handle 400+ HP. BUT...I know at some point I can. The 951 gives me that option. As my driving ability improves...and my ***** get bigger.. I can move into considerably more HP in the 951 than an M3. Beside, there really is no substitute for a Porsche. They feel great on the track.

]

Mercedesben

In 1999 I owned a 1988 951 and the Z3 based M coupe with 236hp. The BMW was not as fast as my chipped 951, but the low end torque on the BMW was great, but it fell flat on its face beyond 60mph, the Porsche would start accelerating hard once it got past 60mph. The BMW will absolutely be cheaper financially to own but the 951 is something quite special. I just sold my 1995 993 to buy the 951 and the 951 is similiar in speed (currently) but I am addicted to the feeling of boost. You cannot go wrong with the BMW but the 951 has more personality.
Ben

hunterjohnson

I had a '98 E36 M3/4 before I got my 951.

M3
Pro: Gobs of grip, super throttle response, seats 4, great stereo, ABS
Con: Expensive if you ball it up at the track, suspension pick up points fail from track use, and BMW really doesn't put good brakes on their cars -- I would warp rotors at every event.
Conclusion: Instead of installing Porsche Big Red brakes on the car, I decided to buy a Porsche.

944 Turbo:
Pro: Mine cost $9000 (Florida car, perfect condition), incredible handling balance, no problems whatsoever with reliability at the track.
Con: Mostly from the mods I've attempted: I haven't dialled in my Koni coil overs yet to my liking, so the car now understeers a bit. The Recaros I have don't give me enough headroom so I'm selling them for other seats. The turbo is blowing a bit of oil, so I see $$$ on the horizon. I had to replace the clutch which was $$$, too.

Conclusion: I've got 290 bhp after spending $1,000 in engine mods, and it's way faster despite the understeer and more challenging to drive (turbo lag) than the M3.

Kesepton

i never got it... whered you email to?

chilibluepepper

Sent it to your listed hotmail address <kesepton@hotmail.com> I hope you received it because I got into a cleaning frenzy, and deleted the scan!

seanbrowning

alexands put it best that the nice part about the porsche is once you learn how to drive it, you can mod it to your liking as you go, and keep your price down a bit. The major difference is that the M3 is a much easier to drive car, forgiving on traction and steering, whereas the porsche tells you when you screw up. I drive a 944 N/A, and I can't tell you how many times I was just driving, punched it too soon and I saw my tailend comming around to give me a little kiss.

Once you learn to drive the 951/944NA you will demolish any M3, stock to stock. The porsche is a mechanics driven automobile, so it relys in a good driver, or atleast someone that knows the car. The M3, as I said before, forgives the driver. Both however would be fun cars to track in their own right!

Enjoy! I love my 944N/A even without A/C and need of brakes and bad paint and being rear-ended and tranmission problems! If It were a turbo I wouldn't trade it for the world.