Dilemma
Racer
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From: in a fantasy world, apparently
Originally Posted by mountainmaniac
You will go down and visit it in the garage when your wife is asleep.....
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From: Las Vegas & So. CA
It was always a fairly common car in Germany and isn't exactly leading the pack in technology,--and certainly not in styling.
Pro
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I have owned quite a few BMW's (including a 04 M3, now a 07 M6 coupe), and many Porsches. Based on what I have heard the new M3 will not be what your used to. The V8 will have plenty of low end power and will have a much better power delivery. I had a 02 M5 and it is a great engine. I consider Porsches sports cars (and though they may not have as much soul as a Ferrari), and I do not consider BMW (even a M car) anything other than a GT. You will very likely pay more for a new M3 than a very nice used 997S. I would take the 997S any day.
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2007
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This thread is great. I love how vividly you guys can describe how you feel when you drive your cars. The boards here are different than the BMW boards, I don't think those guys appreciate their vehicles in the same you guys do, maybe the price has something to do with it, maybe not. Either way I love staring at all the pictures you guys have up and I read up on break in and oil changes, common problems, etc. I haven't bought one yet but just like many of you have said I just can't get it out of my head, it is eating at me. Hopefully soon I will be posting my own pics.
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From: Alpharetta, GA
Originally Posted by mountainmaniac
I went from a 330ci to an E46 M3 to the 997S. BMWs are great cars. But to me, they are just cars. The Porsche is different. It is alive. It has soul. You breathe it in when you open the door and sink down into the leather. You can almost feel it smile when you sit down, as if it is saying, "hey, where ya been?" When you fire it up, it farts and barks and pops and it is simply delicious. I open the window just to hear this cacophony of mechanical confusion. On the road the 911 is sublime when you want it to, although certainly not as sublime as a 3-series. But even when calmly cruising down a residential road, the 911 feels special. And it makes you feel special because you're driving it. But then you open it up and the sound permeates your soul and the car simply sings with you. It is alive. It has a feel that no BMW could ever have (ok, maybe an M1 but good luck finding one).
The BMWs I owned just never did that. They are like precision instruments, but they lack the soul of a Porsche. The 330ci was a great car, reliable and economical and quite sporty. The M3 was intriguing, quick with a raspy exhaust that sang like a sportbike in tunnels. It stirred me, but I never fell in love with it. It was just a car. Yes, a great car. But it had no soul. I never once had a conversation with my M3.
If you currently have a 330, go spend some time in a 335i. It is a worlds better car than the 330. The twin-turbo engine is just phenomenal, and the car handles superbly for a luxo-sport-coupe. So imagine a harder, louder, faster version. That's what the M3 will be. I think it will be great.
I was on the verge of a 335i but ultimately it was a little too mundane. Fast, yes. Handles great, yes. Looks good, sure. But not much of a standout. Then I test drove a 997S. It was like the heavens opened up with a ray of light and angels trumpeting through the clouds.
The 911 will be your friend, your companion. You will miss it when you're gone. You will go down and visit it in the garage when your wife is asleep. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand up every time you turn the key and the engine pops to life. And even when you drive alone you will have someone to talk to....
The BMWs I owned just never did that. They are like precision instruments, but they lack the soul of a Porsche. The 330ci was a great car, reliable and economical and quite sporty. The M3 was intriguing, quick with a raspy exhaust that sang like a sportbike in tunnels. It stirred me, but I never fell in love with it. It was just a car. Yes, a great car. But it had no soul. I never once had a conversation with my M3.
If you currently have a 330, go spend some time in a 335i. It is a worlds better car than the 330. The twin-turbo engine is just phenomenal, and the car handles superbly for a luxo-sport-coupe. So imagine a harder, louder, faster version. That's what the M3 will be. I think it will be great.
I was on the verge of a 335i but ultimately it was a little too mundane. Fast, yes. Handles great, yes. Looks good, sure. But not much of a standout. Then I test drove a 997S. It was like the heavens opened up with a ray of light and angels trumpeting through the clouds.
The 911 will be your friend, your companion. You will miss it when you're gone. You will go down and visit it in the garage when your wife is asleep. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand up every time you turn the key and the engine pops to life. And even when you drive alone you will have someone to talk to....
Racer
Joined: May 2005
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From: Laguna Niguel, CA
This is a question that many of us asked before we bought our 911's. Here's the bottom line...if you can afford to buy either, you will never regret buying the 911. (You might possibly wish you bought a more powerful or different optioned one, but that's another story.)
If you decide to do the financially smart thing and save $20K opting for the M3 -- but what you REALLY want is the 911 -- you will kick yourself every day you pass some lucky fella thoroughly enjoying his 911. That could have been you.
In my four years owning my 911, I have never passed an M3 and said to myself, "Gee, I wish I had that, and the $20K I saved -- which went into granite counters, shrubs and mulch -- really give me much more joy."
If you can afford it and you really want it, take the plunge. You only live once.
-- M
If you decide to do the financially smart thing and save $20K opting for the M3 -- but what you REALLY want is the 911 -- you will kick yourself every day you pass some lucky fella thoroughly enjoying his 911. That could have been you.
In my four years owning my 911, I have never passed an M3 and said to myself, "Gee, I wish I had that, and the $20K I saved -- which went into granite counters, shrubs and mulch -- really give me much more joy."
If you can afford it and you really want it, take the plunge. You only live once.
-- M
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From: Los Gatos, CA
Originally Posted by mikey175
In my four years owning my 911, I have never passed an M3 and said to myself, "Gee, I wish I had that, and the $20K I saved -- which went into granite counters, shrubs and mulch -- really give me much more joy."
-- M
-- M
then she walks away.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: great neck, li
if working with limit burget, please consider buying a used one.
Originally Posted by mikey175
This is a question that many of us asked before we bought our 911's. Here's the bottom line...if you can afford to buy either, you will never regret buying the 911. (You might possibly wish you bought a more powerful or different optioned one, but that's another story.)
If you decide to do the financially smart thing and save $20K opting for the M3 -- but what you REALLY want is the 911 -- you will kick yourself every day you pass some lucky fella thoroughly enjoying his 911. That could have been you.
In my four years owning my 911, I have never passed an M3 and said to myself, "Gee, I wish I had that, and the $20K I saved -- which went into granite counters, shrubs and mulch -- really give me much more joy."
If you can afford it and you really want it, take the plunge. You only live once.
-- M
If you decide to do the financially smart thing and save $20K opting for the M3 -- but what you REALLY want is the 911 -- you will kick yourself every day you pass some lucky fella thoroughly enjoying his 911. That could have been you.
In my four years owning my 911, I have never passed an M3 and said to myself, "Gee, I wish I had that, and the $20K I saved -- which went into granite counters, shrubs and mulch -- really give me much more joy."
If you can afford it and you really want it, take the plunge. You only live once.
-- M
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,128
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From: Chicago area, IL USA
Originally Posted by mountainmaniac
The 911 will be your friend, your companion. You will miss it when you're gone. You will go down and visit it in the garage when your wife is asleep. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand up every time you turn the key and the engine pops to life. And even when you drive alone you will have someone to talk to....
You've captured it perfectly, IMHO.
Thank you!
-don
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From: Manhattan Beach & Truckee, CA
I have owned 3 Porsches. First was an 85 Carrera, then a 1990 964. Ended up buying an E46 M3 brand new in 2001 (first one out) and owned it for 4 years. Paid over sticker (dumb). Sold it to buy a 40th anniversary 911. Which i have had for a little bit over 2 years.
The M3 was nice, practical, quick BUT it wasn't a Porsche. I enjoyed it but I didn't completely love it. I went back to Porsche and I wont consider the new M3 - not because it wont be a good car. There's just something better out there. I am noodling on getting a 997 GT3. Not the same price as an M3, to be sure, but I would take any 997 over an M3 (personally). The BMW feels heavier, a little slower, its wheels and tires are not as good, brakes aren't as good. It doesn't stir the passion as a Porsche does. Its kind of a compromise. A fast car, almost sports sedan-like but not a true sports car. The Porsche to me is designed for a single purpose and it does it really well.
The M3 was nice, practical, quick BUT it wasn't a Porsche. I enjoyed it but I didn't completely love it. I went back to Porsche and I wont consider the new M3 - not because it wont be a good car. There's just something better out there. I am noodling on getting a 997 GT3. Not the same price as an M3, to be sure, but I would take any 997 over an M3 (personally). The BMW feels heavier, a little slower, its wheels and tires are not as good, brakes aren't as good. It doesn't stir the passion as a Porsche does. Its kind of a compromise. A fast car, almost sports sedan-like but not a true sports car. The Porsche to me is designed for a single purpose and it does it really well.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: CURRENT: Audi TT / Audi A3
For me, it's not which is the better car; rather, it's which car better meets your needs. If I could have only ONE car (and assuming it had to be a functional car), then a BMW M3 is a very good choice. It has a useable back seat, an adequate size trunk, and the performance is outstanding. You could live with it as a daily driver. The new V-8 E-90 version promises to carry on that tradition. You really need to drive an M3 to understand how good it is. In a sense, as some consider the Lotus Elise to be a street-legal race car, a similar argument can be made about the M3.
I've had nine BMWs and four Porsches. At this point in my life, I don't have to own only one car, so for me, my 996 is a perfect SECOND car, with no disadvantages in ownership. It has the benefit of functional/useable space behind the seats, good visiblity from the driver's seat, and a good size front trunk. I'm not sure it would satisfy every need as an only car, though.
All that said, however, I love my 996 and without a doubt, it's the most awesome car I've owned to date. I have no plans to move on to anything else.....ever. As for the 997, I can only imagine how much it's been improved over the 996!!!
I've had nine BMWs and four Porsches. At this point in my life, I don't have to own only one car, so for me, my 996 is a perfect SECOND car, with no disadvantages in ownership. It has the benefit of functional/useable space behind the seats, good visiblity from the driver's seat, and a good size front trunk. I'm not sure it would satisfy every need as an only car, though.
All that said, however, I love my 996 and without a doubt, it's the most awesome car I've owned to date. I have no plans to move on to anything else.....ever. As for the 997, I can only imagine how much it's been improved over the 996!!!
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From: Los Gatos, CA
Originally Posted by CBnAT
Kauai that 911 must be tons of fun on highway 17. I grew up out there and loved driving that highway.
Best of all though is Thunderhill racetrack!