jmchris01

Oops! Ya, I guess that would make a tad bit of a difference.

wa2go

Well... the truthful answer is NO, nobody can tell you how the FEEL of an M3 compares to a 996. You'll have to get behind the wheel of each of them and decide for yourself. They are completely different animals. You may as well have asked "Which is better, a blonde, or a brunette?"

Here is my personal OPINION, which is worth exactly $0.0001 to you or anyone else except me, but since you asked....

An E46 M3 has plenty of horsepower, but it understeers like hell, and is too heavy. Just plain forget it.

An E36 M3 from 1997 or later is a PHENOMENAL car, and yes, they are cheap, and if you can find one with low miles that has been taken care of, you will never regret it. It handles like a dream, is extremely practical (especially with the fold-down rear seats - you can throw 2 ten-speed bikes in the back with the back wheels still on, or even a few dozen 8-foot long two-by-fours. Try that in a P-car! It will do 141 MPH comfortably and as solid as a rock, unless you spend an extra $300 on a chip, in which case it will do 157 MPH. (Kids, don't try this at home.) It doesn't look like a race car, so you don't stick out to Mr. Policeman, especially if you debadge it, or even better yet, put a 318is badge on it. Parts are easy to come by. Oil changes are affordable. If you really a burning desire for speed, you can put a Dinan supercharger kit into it, or a twin turbo, and then you'll have E46 horsepower with E36 handling, which is a winning combination. Of course, then if you ever decide to sell the car (unlikely), you'll take a financial hit.

A 996 is a race-bred sports car that goes like gangbusters when you're going fast, but isn't quite as nimble or easy to manage when driving around town. It takes the bumps a little more firmly as well. (YMMV based on choice of rubber.) The total cost of ownership is WAY higher than an E36 M3, and according to many, the life expectancy of the engine doesn't seem to be anywhere near the 200K+ miles you're likely to get out of an E36 M3. The 996 may LOOK more at home on the track, but when I started autocrossing at the PCA events with my 4-door '98 E36 M3, there was only one P-Car owner who could beat me regularly, and he was in a C4, and was the driving instructor. And I was a rookie driver, and really not all that good - honest! The 911 and Boxster guys got so upset that they started saying, half jokingly, but perhaps half not, that they were going to ban 4-door cars from their autocrosses. Of course, they were also referring not just to me, but also to a Subaru WRX that was in the G-stock class, who was spanking EVERYBODY quite badly, even WITHOUT his handicap! (Then again, that guy ended up becoming a winning pro rally-cross driver, so I don't feel too bad getting creamed by him.) Depending on where you live, the P-car may be somewhat more rare, and thus may come with a little more prestige factor. But anybody who buys a car for just the prestige factor is, IMHO, just plain silly. The thing is just a driving machine, so buy the one that does what you need/want it to do the best - DRIVE!* (*the way YOU want it to drive)

I joined this forum because I was going to buy a 996 GT3 and wanted to read up on them. Then I learned more about the 997 GT3, and have decided to hold my horses for a while, and get one of those instead, when I can afford to pay cash for one and not have to worry about the ongoing costs of owning it. I just sold my dearly beloved M3 (my 3rd E36 M3) as a first step in that direction, and I'm now getting around on a Serotta Ottrott, which gets significantly better gas mileage than either car, and costs next to nothing to maintain, relatively speaking. Of course, now I can't throw those 2x4's in the back....

By the way, I have seen a ton of postings like "Which car is better, A or B" over the years, and I have never once seen anybody say: "My cargo capacity requirements are X, my passenger capacity requirements are X, my budget for the upfront cost is X, my budget for ongoing ownership costs is X, my fuel economy requirements are X, my maximum length/width that will fit in my garage is X, my special feature requirements are X, and I will sometimes/often/never take the car to the track." Once somebody knows these parameters, they could probably give a more meaningful opinion. Maybe even one worth $0.02 instead of just $0.0001 like this one!

MGS996

I currently own both.

2004 M3 & 2001 996TT

The M3 is a better DD, but the 996TT is a better performance car.

You need to spend some seat time in both.

ls911

They are both fine autos, no real looser.

You can compare all day back and forth depending on you needs. I was looking into an M3 prior to my purchase as well.
Did not look or take long to rule out the M3 due to just one simple factor

Styling.

-M3 has more of a done up sedan look, still beautiful, but in a sedan kind of way
-911 has the curves, exotic pure sport look. On this it stands alone.
I had no need to look further in the comparisons

Just look at MGS996 Avatar, both VERY nice (fortunate man) only one exotic

One is a hot blonde W/ a perfect bubble ***. The the other a good looking brunette, little chunky, flat ***

Both are fun.

I'll take that ***, thank you

joey c

well i have driven both and would not want either..but if i had to have one of them,i would get the 911..

RaceCarDriver

I just bought a new E90 M3 sedan. Awesome car. I used to own a 2003 M3 but it was stolen before I bought my C4S so I can't really compare them.

I would choose my 996 C4S over the E46 M3 (2001-2006) but the M3 is really a great used car for the money.

911_993_997

Yes, the light weight is a definite plus, & I agree, you can't beat the looks of a Porsche with a nice aero kit.




Well that's exactly what I need. A fun, nimble, driver involved car that I can toss around all over the place.




As far as seating multiple people, that doesn't matter much for me, because it's usually just me & whichever lady happens to be riding me. Next is the trunk, well, considering the line of work I'm in, the biggest thing I've ever needed to carry with me is a small briefcase, & even that is rare. Plus if ever I do need to load something, I have an SUV I use for hauling ATV's when I go off-roading which I could use... I honestly could care less about the seating, interior space, etc. I care about the performance, handling, looks, etc. But the way you describe the 996 sounds exactly like what I'm looking for, something I can toss around & have real fun in. Seems like everyone's choice for that is the Porsche.




This is exactly what I fear, is SETTLING for the M3, then regretting it knowing a little more cash would've got me the car I REALLY WANTED.




My dilemma is that I need the BETTER PERFORMANCE CAR, & it will just happen to be my daily driver as well, lol.




Hmm, why do you say this? What do you drive, if you don't mind me asking? 997?




What about a C2 (02+) compared to the E46?

pl

IMHO, the ONLY reason i will get M3 instead of 996 is if i need a bigger back seat.
everything else 996 wins.

Benjamin Choi

Like I've stated before, I'd pick an '00-'01 aerokit 911 over the newest E46 M3.

I would not pick a '99-'01 bone stock 911 over the newest E46 M3.

pl

i will test drive a MY2003 E46 M3 cab, and 335i cab this afternoon.

will let u know my takes on those.

oh, it's SMG .

Benjamin Choi

pl, i don't like smg because... it dates the car... and an essential component of the car.

the new dual clutch system is the real answer and where everyone is heading including porsche, nissan, audi, vw, bmw etc.

smg is dead. the f1 tranny is soon to be killed.

pat056

I've had an E46 and now have the 996. I'll take the feel of the 996. The E46 is probably faster though. 333 hp vs. whatever the 996 is...300, I think. I don't think either # is RWHP.

htny

I will say the e36 is a lot of fun, until you drive a foreign market e36 m3evo, which is way too much fun. Great car, very very Q since for the most part it looks just like the then current 3s. If I was considering an E36 I would go out and buy a brand new 135i and piggyback ECU from Vishnu et al. Will be faster I guarantee it, new car warranty, no maintenance, no brake pads, and looks pretty much like it should.

I like the way the e46 looks, but you have to really be into subtlety, it's not sufficiently different, and if you really are concerned with what the girls think, that thing is a 3 series to most people who aren't car nuts and will be equated with one by your stated target market. My fav M3 is still the E30, although I'm sure the E90 is an amazing car, it's still way too close to regular 3 for me in terms of looks.

Sedans which also double as sports cars are a compromise. Yes there are a few effectively silhouette type M3s, the old lightweights and CSLs and all that which are real deal sports cars with sedan-like bodywork, but normal M3s are about 4 seats, a decent trunk, a little badge appeal, and oh by the way they are FAST. Please get out and drive one, it is fun and spins freely (any generation).

There's a caveat based on your original question: Everyone in the state of California over the age of 16 has a 3 series BMW. I think they issue them with your driver's license now, so in a way an M3 might be the ultimate California Q car. I just don't think you're looking for quiet, which I think is one of the best reasons to own an M3. Owning one car or having children may be the others.

If you're looking to turn heads, consider a Cayman as well, easy to drive fast and it has a more exotic profile (at least less easily recognized than the 911), nice exhaust note. I think it's dangerous to buy something based on what other people, especially the opposite sex, will think, but it's a fact of life. If curb appeal weren't a factor they would have sold a lot more hardcore Evo VIIs, VIIIs and IXs over at Mitsubishi.

If you're looking for badge appeal, any 911 is instantly recognized as an archetypal Porsche by 90% of the population (except for everyone who works at the last rest top in Arizona on the 10 who for some reason thought it was the Batmobile). No questions, you're living the dream in the mind of the general public (and are probably also a jerk according to many).

If you are shopping in this price range and have a daily driver already, try and find the right Porsche or hey, run out and buy a Lotus Elise, a helmet and some halon. That'll keep em looking.

Benjamin Choi

good post HTLA

totally agree about the jerk thing

htny

yeah with me it just fits so well haha