k E36 or E46 M3

[barlow]

k i know this may result in toal biasism, (if thats a word)

this was at one time a lot longer and more in depth but at the end it says I'm too much of a noob to post smilies and all, little frustrating...

neway things i know

E36m3 2 door: favorite car, looks awesome, more affordable

E46M3: more power, unique look, can look really nice with $$ put into it.

question strictly on performance.

lets say 10 000 dollars, into both which one has more potential? I'm thinking the E46 but I'm also thinking it has ti be way heavier with the styling and options available,

i ask performance just because its pretty much the only thing you can not argue with in terms of putting one car up against another . ( as long as its same event and all, Ie, drag, street,)

Looks on the other hand all personal oppinion, so thats whay I'm choosing on leaving that one outfor the most part. however i do like the CSL Trunk on the E46, although would not be my first mod by any means.

anyway thanks a bunch for any input postive or negative, only way I'm gonna learn.

noob

Barlow ( future owner of E _ _ M3)

[rennfahrer]

you'll be starting out with a different power rating for each car.
$10,000 into a 10 yr old car vs $10,000 for a 2 yr old car will not yield the same results.
for example, the E36 exhaust is around $600, while the E46 is around $1,000
plus, if you're going for power, there's no limit to what you can achieve, only on what your pocket can shell out.
modifications may not always be what you'd expect anyway, especially for power mods.
the fairest way to compare the two cars without looking at styling is, handling and ride quality.
stock for stock, the E36 will have more road feel.
but if you want handling with a little compromise for comfort, the E46 is for you.
if you want less compromise, and more handling, the E36 will have a better feel, not necessarily a better handling.
handling depends on how much money you spend on tires, wheels, and suspension.
but the E46 will accomodate wider wheels
the e36 can do the same with some fender modifications.
so the decision is still yours.

[rennfahrer]

also, if you can afford an E46, why not spend the extra $$$ for mods on the E36.
and...if you're going that way, why not get an E30 and spend $40,000 on mods.

[MP525i]

if you've got that much to spend on mods, then it's all about driver feel and what looks best to you.

i, personally, would go with an e46. more power out of the box and more creature comforts. looks on both cars are great. although the e46 sets it aside from other e46 coupes whereas you can make any e36 look like an m3 with a little over $1k.

e46 is my choice.

-mike

[kuntyballs]

I'd go with the E30 idea, do some thing different than the usually E36 M3 or E46.
Turbo E30 M3 anybody????

[organic///M]

Wait until the e92 m3 is released and you should be able to get better deals on e46 m3's.
Active Autowerke has a supercharger available for the e46 m3 that brings you up to 440hp ($9,400), so if you can install it yourself, you have $600 left over for other mods.
http://www.activeautowerke.com/supercharger/e46m3/main.php

Or, you can get a e36 m3 and take it to Boost Logic for their kit ($9,000)
http://www.boostlogic.com/parts/BMW/info_BMW_TurboKit.htm
(search for " moadster ", he is running their setup in his s52 m roadster)

[barlow]

how much of a drop you think E46's are gonna suffer in terms of pricinh when the E90 come out???

i can't see the price dropping all that much, but then again what do i know hahaha

[barlow]

oops forgot to add not a big fan of the E30 styling....

[organic///M]

how much of a drop you think E46's are gonna suffer in terms of pricinh when the E90 come out???

i can't see the price dropping all that much, but then again what do i know hahaha

I would say it will drop a couple thousand. The e46 will be "obsolete" as the e36 is to the e46 in many ways. If an owner of a e46 m3 really wants a e92 m3 bad, they may sell theirs for a good price.