Future E46 Owner

[EyeStealth]

I just thought I would introduce myself. I am currently in the market for a E46 330CI manual transmission. I live North of Charlotte, NC in Davidson, NC. From the searches I have done, it looks like Euro Wise and Motorsports Connections are good local shops. I am fairly decent with a wrench and like to work on things when time permits, but I need a good shop for complex repairs or when I don't have the time. I am looking forward to becoming part of the BMW owners community. My current car is an '06 Infiniti Coupe 6 speed. I love the car and have had absolutely no complaints (except could use more torque and power), but a pleasure to own and drive. German cars definitely have a distinct feel and ride that I am looking forward to getting to know better.

Keep Life Simple:buttrock

[Defeater]

I just thought I would introduce myself. I am currently in the market for a E46 330CI manual transmission. I live North of Charlotte, NC in Davidson, NC. From the searches I have done, it looks like Euro Wise and Motorsports Connections are good local shops. I am fairly decent with a wrench and like to work on things when time permits, but I need a good shop for complex repairs or when I don't have the time. I am looking forward to becoming part of the BMW owners community. My current car is an '06 Infiniti Coupe 6 speed. I love the car and have had absolutely no complaints (except could use more torque and power), but a pleasure to own and drive. German cars definitely have a distinct feel and ride that I am looking forward to getting to know better.

Keep Life Simple:buttrock

You're not going to get more power than your G coupe from a 330ci; have you looked at an M3?

[robjohnson]

E46's aren't exactly BMW's shining star of reliability and maintenance expense either. Save your money and get a 335i.

[kornkid8600]

E46s are fairly reliable machines, I wouldn't say it isn't their shining star of reliability, because it probably is.
Either way, going from a G35 to an E46 330 isn't going to be faster really. It'll be a better drivers car but thats about it, you want faster get a 335i, 135i, or an E46 M3.

[EyeStealth]

I actually meant to indicate CIC (convertible) Sorry, I am still figuring out the model numbers. I am not willing to put more than 22k into a car. You guys are correct that I am giving up HP as my current ride is 298. To me it is all relative. The G35 is a great car, but I really want a convertible. There are several new options with the Lexus and Infiniti convertibles being introduced this year. I am going to start a thread and see if there are any members who have drove both G35 and 330cic and see what they think. Thanks for the feedback.

[WILMAR188]

How about an E46 M3 convertible? Blast to drive and can easily be gotten for 20k. Plus due to being an M it will have higher resale value when/if you decide to sell it later on.