I have a 5 and almost 3yr old. Both fit in the 992 easily with boosters. Looks play a huge roll when spending this kind of money and the 911 has always been a bucket list car for me. The 992 drives unbelievably well. You will not be disappointed.

 

I’ve been window shopping 911’s for the last 6 years and I finally got ready to pull the trigger last year, only that in the end I bought a Macan S instead.

The Macan really is the best of both worlds for me. I have very usable storage and can easily fit my tools and a ladder in the back when I drive to various jobs. Additionally, it fulfills about 90% of my desire for performance. I do drive a fair amount on access roads to trailheads so the extra off-road ability is extremely useful too - and AWD is really nice in the snow.

Yes, the M3 does the quarter in 11.6 @ 126 while the 2021 Macan Turbo gets it done in 12.2 @ 116, but would anyone be able to tell the difference without a stopwatch? For the longest time, I told myself that I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a 911, but ultimately I went with a Macan and I have no regrets. I’d say that it has satiated my need for a 911 quite well and I don’t at all feel like I settled for anything. In the mean time, I’m holding off for another two years and then my finances will open up significantly and I’ll have no problem buying a new 911.

 

A 10 MPH differential in 1/4 mile trap is huge. The M3 would be waaaaaay faster and more fun to drive.

 

The M4CS has less sound deadening to keep weight down
The G80 reminded me of a small version of my F90 M5C .
It is more mature and more collected as compared to F80.
as I said before , you can always move out of an M3 if you don't like it

 

The problem with this is that it will never be a 911 . The 911 is a multi decade automotive icon and buying one is one person;'s piece of that cars history. I am on my 5th Macan Turbo (wife's car) , 16th Porsche (9 of which were 911) and have owned 22 BMW's (last two were E92 M3's) . They are all great cars but the 911 is the only one that really mattered . The others were like appliances with a splash of fun . Three years ago I had a cancer scare which ended up be nothing . For two months though I thought it was the end and in that time I got chance to reflect on things . I thought of everything in those darkest moments of self pity . At that time there was no amount of money or material thing that coud have made me feel better yet all the worry I put into it seemed meaningless . Then I looked at one of my 911's outside my window and thought to myself "at least I had lived" . Life would not have been the same without them . I can not say that about any other material thing I have.

So.. have you got a build sheet ?

 

Keep it up Man, you might convince somebody not to buy one.

 

I’d get a 991.2 911 S or GTS over the M3.

 

My 6ft tall teenage sons are more than happy enough to cram in the back of the 911. Because it is a 911.

I will try and get a picture because it is quite funny. They keep telling me that they are comfortable. Yeah right.

I have had just about every BMW going.

The M3 is for the successful spoon salesman. The 911 is for the cognoscenti. Thats the difference.

 

On another note…the fact that you’re in a 992 forum speaks volume. Did you ask the same question in m3 forum? If not, you made up your mind. 992 or save for 992.

 

The cars are designed to different missions: sports car versus sports sedan. The M3 is a bit quicker than the base 992, turned a faster lap at Hockenheim, though its chassis is a bit less communicative than the 992; the Porsche is the gold standard there. M3 is a legitimate 4 seater with 4 doors and can accommodate adults in the back seat. More storage space. Quality of materials, fit, finish, content (carplay, etc), pretty much a wash. M3 standard seats are about like Porsche 14-ways in terms of offering comfort and a secure seating position. Porsche 18 ways are an improvement but then BMW offers M-carbon (not sure how those compare).

I'm not a fan of BMW's instrument panel and think Porsche's tach, etc is easier to read (but then Porsche doesn't offer a HUD yet). And t hen there's the problem of looks, the BMW ain't pretty and the Porsche exemplifies classic beauty (though not quite as beautiful as an E-Jag or Ferrari Lusso). The Porsche is also more customizable ... almost to ridiculous extremes.

But at the end of the day, I don't think you'll ever climb out of the 992 and think, "Gee, I could have had an M3."

 

Depending on what sort of driving your doing, the 911 is perfectly large enough for a single young child seated in the back. Unless your freakishly tall, i.e. you’re a genetic freak that are 5’6” or taller (I’m 5’5” ), your kid(s) will have plenty of room in the back for years and years. I put both of my kids (aged 10 and 12) in the back and they had plenty of room for jaunts around town.

I’m in a similar situation as I too have a Macan S. It’s a fantastic vehicle and it satiates my desires for a 911 quite well for the time being. I thought about getting an M3, but to me it’s just another BMW in a sea of BMW’s and Mercedeses in my town. Most non-car people couldn’t tell the difference between an M3 and a base 3 series sedan. A Porsche on the other hand instantly denotes to people that you’re driving something that can go fast (and is expensive/flashy). Hell, I’m a car guy and unless I see the badge, I can barely tell the difference between a normal BMW and an M3.

To the OP:

Look at the Macan, it might work for you. I was dead set on buying a 911 and on a whim I decided to test drive a Macan. For roughly half the price of a well optioned C4S, I thought it was quite a deal.

 

Well with that new front snout (and I’m being polite), the m3/4 can no longer be confused with a base model. So there’s that.

 

The new front snout of the 2021 BMW m3 is not appealing in my eye. A month ago I was deciding between Macan vs 911. In the end the 911 WON my heart! You can't compare BMW m3 design with the timeless epic design of the 911.

 

i can't imagine cross shopping a macan and a 911. at that point, the bmw x5m, x3m, tesla x, all should be in the conversation. if you need 4 doors, you need 4 doors. when i was in that phase of life, m5 was the first and only choice. it would be today, as well. and they haven't blasphemed it with that horrendous grill (yet).

 

I was getting ready to buy a new car last fall and was considering buying the M3 with the goal to buy a 911 in 7-10 years. My dream car since I was 4yo was the 911 and since HS I’ve loved M3s. My wife actually pushed me to go for the 911 since I’d have more time to enjoy it now without kids yet. Haven’t regretted the decision for a second! I’m looking at adding a M3 base 6MT when we have kids in a couple years but the 911 isn’t going anywhere. Saw a green M3 with black grille and the snout isn’t as bad looking in real life as in pics.