E36 M3 Alternatives?

[Hopz]

I'm currently selling my car and was looking to get into an E36 m3. I was wondering what are some alternatives to the bimmer? I am more interested in performance than anything else (not so much that turbo miata would be a choice however) and I'm looking to spend around 12k. Car has to be fairly reliable as well, and must come with an LSD.

So far, the only cars I could think of are...

Honda s2000
Nissan 350z
Mini Cooper S

I would have considered WRX, but only the bugeyes are in my price range and I hate those things. So, any of you guys have expirience with any of these cars or could add anything else to the list? I'm sure other people looking to get the m3 are thinking about this as well

[E36M34life]

The three choices you listed are all great cars aswell, however these are my opinions: The S2000 is just sexy, but the lack of torque and 4 cylinder motor just really irk me really bad. I hate having to wind out the motor just to get anywhere, not to mention they are hard to launch. The 350Z is great, looks great, nice motor, great tuning potential, but nice ones are a bit more then 12K. The Mini is just to femine and small for my taste, and I'm not sure about the pricing since I have never looked in to them. I am in somewhat same boat as you, but everytime I try to be different, I just end back in the E36 M3 boat. The only other option for me (and they are completely different cars) but I also think a 540 6 speed is a great option. There is not much else out there that gives that kind of bang for the buck like an E36 M3, just my .02 cents.

[Codeman]

The S2000 doesn't have very many 'toys' I've owned several 350Zs and they're GREAT I loved everything about it except that all of the asians have them as well; the mini cooper S isn't even the same type of car, it's front drive, 4 seater etc. I don't see why people try to compare cars that aren't even similar. Next we'll compare Mustang, Audi TT, and 540i.

[webdesigner]

350Z for 12k?

Do it.

[e30bmw]

I am more interested in performance than anything else (not so much that turbo miata would be a choice however) and I'm looking to spend around 12k. Car has to be fairly reliable as well, and must come with an LSD.

If that is the case, buy an E30 with an LSD. Then proceed to swap a motor. Maybe a turbo M52?

[Hopz]

The S2000 doesn't have very many 'toys' I've owned several 350Zs and they're GREAT I loved everything about it except that all of the asians have them as well; the mini cooper S isn't even the same type of car, it's front drive, 4 seater etc. I don't see why people try to compare cars that aren't even similar. Next we'll compare Mustang, Audi TT, and 540i.

While the mini is a completely different car, it fits under what I'm looking for. Price, LSD, and plenty of performance potential. I never said it's got to be a 2 seater, I have no preference in that category. And it's pretty much the only FWD car I would buy. That being said, it's pretty low on my list.

[Hopz]

If that is the case, buy an E30 with an LSD. Then proceed to swap a motor. Maybe a turbo M52?

also a possibility. Turbo might be a bit over the top, maybe an s50/s52

[theblue]

you can get an early boxster for 12 at this point... they are great cars for fun / track days... from what I've seen they are pretty comparable at track days with even drivers.

with that said, the M3 is probably a cheaper car to run overall.