ben in lj

I found our E46 M3 boring between those speeds. The E36 M3 was a lot more fun, but it desperately needed a 6th gear.

henrikbuus

I have a blast driving my Dinan M5 around town!. It has all the right bolt-ons for a fun (raw) feel. It makes you 'want' to heel-n-toe or rev every single down shift. It has unbelievable acceleration at almost any speed. It is tight and turn- in feels immediate (except when you're just coming out of driving 3 hours in the GT3). And it sounds mean -even at idle!
I needed 4 doors, otherwise I would have done it to an M3 as I like that body a whole lot better. But the M5 has much more brute force than the M3 when really stepping on it!
Following Dinan parts on my M5:
Stage 3 suspension kit, high flow exhaust, cold air intake, limited slip re-geared diff. (lower gearing, which acts like a close ratio gearbox and makes the throttle response much more immediate.) ECU, strut brace front & rear!
And then of course Michelin PS2's. Run the car in the "sport" mode (even more throttle response and more turning with less steering input) and deactivate the antiskid control and I promise it's a good time driving around town.
And then if you have to go to Mammoth for a 2 day ski trip, it will run up there in the same time it takes a Suburban to go to Big Bear!! (bring your Valentine1 though). And it feels (almost) as comfortable as my old E55AMG going straight down the hwy.
I don't think a stock M3 has what it takes, but buy a used 6-speed and spend a few bucks on the right parts, and its a whole different experience!

iamderek

I have an 04 GT3, 02 M3 w/ SMG and lots of mods (gc suspension etc...), and an 03 M5 (stock save for ss and dinan download). I used to think the ride in the modded m3 felt stiff, but after driving the gt3 it feels like i'm driving marshmellow. m5 is awesome car, the torgque is endless (2nd gear is my favorite in the m5, which will take you to 60 or so), for a daily driver that's fun i'd take the m5 anyday. i like my m3, but after owning all 3 cars for a bit now i'd rank them gt3, m5, m3.

frayed

I have limited experience in a GT3, but a fair amount in the the E46, a ton in my E36 M3, and a bunch of time in my C4S and limited time my new C2 (on and off track).

Anyway, when I decided to get rid of the C4S due, in part, to my dissatisfaction with the AWD system, I immediately went for some E46 M3 drives (I'm a long time BMW freak). Coming from the C4, the M3 felt disconnected, and masked speed even more than the C4S; too much for me to deal with. The C4S ain't no GT3, and the 'feel' of the M3 is obviously another world apart when compared to the GT3.

Having been in modified E46 M3's (generally with Ground Control setups), the modifications needed to make the E46 satisifying to drive also make them an NVH nightmare; that is, lots of squeaks, rattles, clunks and a harsh ride. . . well beyond GT3 levels.

To me, the biggest issue with the GT3 on the street is ground clearance.

Just some random thoughts.

Cheers.

bora

Exactly, if you want a fun car at the speeds of 40-70, you should
buy a 1987-1991 E30 M3. 1990-91 M3s are almost as rare as a GT3.

The torque is a non-issue if you know how to drive.

Bora

mooty

bora, i was too late when you sold your red e30. i love those. however, m. dadgar tells me it will cost me a fortune to keep it up in the shape you have it in.... but it does have amazing handling.... torque... plenty, just keep the throttle down ALL the time, CP.

healeyg

i have a gt3 and had an m5 before it. my brother had a 2nd gen miata with sports suspension and it was awsome fun under 60mph. you could slide the car around corners and it was a blast at 30-60+ my other brother had an m3 convertible and it was a bit of a pig, weighing too much for the motor

the m5 is great too, but it really likes 0-100. 0-60 is all about burning rubber, but for all around fun, i was always looking for more speed than was legally allowed (50-100mph). if you like to powerslide around corners using the engine, but not much of the suspension, the m5 is a ball. way better than the gt3 for shredding the tires with the engine

Paul SLC

I came from a Dinan S2 M5, then an E46 M3 with Dinan suspension to my current E46 M3 with comp package. I also have a GT3.
The M3 is much funner to drive than the M5 imo, lighter weight and better road feel, much sportier. Less raw grunt but who cares if you want super fast get a E55 (did that, no fun) Having said that, my new M3 will be a fun commuter car now that I have the GT3, no other street car compares, it is a true sports car. And it is much funner on the track, it is a huge difference in power, feedback and the fun factor. Regardless of what you might hear though, it is a street car, albeit a little noisy great fun around town. If you are simply careful, the ride height is no biggie. My turbo has less ground clearance than the GT3.

MarkPcar

Paul, just to clarify, the statement above refers to your GT3 correct?

On your competition package M3 how do you like the changes to the steering ratio?

himichael

it sounds to me like you should get your own boxster. the perfect set up would be the base boxster, not the S, 030 suspension, 17 inch wheels (not 18), sports exhaust. that right there is a hot little rig. superbe handling. tons of fun at lower speeds. keep the revs up. smile.

another plus: it's a porsche.

Paul SLC

Hi Mark, correct, I was referring to the GT3.
On the M3 comp, I don't notice the steering ratio difference. I do notice the handling improvement; understeer is gone and body roll is reduced. Also the brakes are strong.

Moogle

i think the brakes on the M3 were always very strong. as strong as those in my boxster S which i believe are the same found on the 996 carreras.

i never liked how it bites really low, difficult to modulate.

on the comp package, the only difference is that they are cross drilled, which, unless you are driving extensively in the rain, is mostly a cosmetic thing. LOVE the CSL lookalike wheels. i am getting them next service.

Paul SLC

Moogle, on the Comp package the cross drilled rotors have also increased in size from 12.8 to 13.6, and cross drilled rotors aid brake cooling. The brakes have MORE of an intial bite than the brakes on my '03 M3 did, and they don't fade as quickly.

bora

You know that's just the pads right?

The stock pads on my 04 M3 were not very good.

Bora

Paul SLC

Bora, I find the stock pads on M3's to be good for street use, but inadequate for the track. A couple of factors can can help pedal feel and brake bite, pads being one of them, I was relaying to Moogle that the initial bite was stronger on my '05 Comp than my '03.