Differences in facelift E46 M3 ?

[benaldo]

Hi - I believe that there was a facelift starting at the 53-plate M3's ? Other than the LED rear lights, were there any other significant changes ?

Basically I am looking to move from my 996 c2 in April/May time and was wondering if I should hold out for a 53 plate or not be too bothered......

I previously had an E46 328ci and I suspect there should be a world of difference to the E46 M3 !

[icebite78]

The facelift started from 03 onwards and yes there is world of difference to a 328 ci.
What year is your porsche?

[benaldo]

It's a 1999 c2.

Is it all 03 plated M3's that are facelifted? Visually , I can't spot any differences other than the LED's - is it engine improvements?

[E36GUY]

The facelift is far more noticable on the stock 3 series as they widened the front grilles and changed the shape of the indicators. That upgrade never extended to the M3 so aside from the LED rear lights the pre and post facelift M3s are not really ditinguishable from each other.

[fredd1e]

I was on the verge of asking the very same question (great minds think alike and all that)
My reserch sofar has turned up the changes being the led rear lights and one potential issue that was resolved in the post facelift cars (or thereabouts in 03) , pre fix/facelift cars needed what appears to be called an "engine enhancement" from the local bmw dealer to the crank/bearings, not all pre facelift cars got this so its worth checking via vin records and bmw service department apparently.
PS im no M3 expert just happened to be stumbling through this with a view to coming up with a list of cars I may consider buying one of.

[E36GUY]

fredd1e said:

I was on the verge of asking the very same question (great minds think alike and all that)
My reserch sofar has turned up the changes being the led rear lights and one potential issue that was resolved in the post facelift cars (or thereabouts in 03) , pre fix/facelift cars needed what appears to be called an "engine enhancement" from the local bmw dealer to the crank/bearings, not all pre facelift cars got this so its worth checking via vin records and bmw service department apparently.
PS im no M3 expert just happened to be stumbling through this with a view to coming up with a list of cars I may consider buying one of.

I'm not sure but I think what you are talking to relates to a recall that was done. A lot of early M3s had an engine problem which required some significant replacement parts so I would imagine that "enhancement" was a fix for that that perhaps was done at the dealer upon receipt rather than at factory. But I am speculating.

[benaldo]

OK, thanks for the info. It seems there is very little difference to make the later cars a preference.

What would be the all in price to get rear LEDs fitted to a pre-facelift car at an Indy ?

Also, I remember seeing somewhere that a Gruppe M induction kit is a worthwhile investment. Is this true and how much would that be all in ?

[dan101smith]

benaldo said:

Also, I remember seeing somewhere that a Gruppe M induction kit is a worthwhile investment. Is this true and how much would that be all in ?

Not as worthwhile as an AP brake upgrade. Have more stopping power before you get more going power!

[Vee]

benaldo said:

What would be the all in price to get rear LEDs fitted to a pre-facelift car at an Indy ?

Lights are a around £250 and you need the light control modul reflashed - anywhere from £50 - £100 depending on dealer. Make sure you get genuine ones, not cheap reps (FK for example).
The bootlid 'handle' directly above the rear numberplate is also longer on facelift cars.

[E36GUY]

dan101smith said:

benaldo said:

Also, I remember seeing somewhere that a Gruppe M induction kit is a worthwhile investment. Is this true and how much would that be all in ?

Not as worthwhile as an AP brake upgrade. Have more stopping power before you get more going power!

Bit overkill for a GruppeM. it improves throttle response and drivability but not outright speed. For christ's sake do the brakes if you are super/turbocharging but required for just an induction kit

[JKay]

benaldo said:

What would be the all in price to get rear LEDs fitted to a pre-facelift car at an Indy ?

?

I got a set of genuine lights off Fleabay for £180, then a main dealer charged me £70 labour to reflash the LCM, which needs to be done, else you get a "brake light out" warning on the dash. £70 labour was for 30 mins, but I believe it took them 5 minutes to get the work done

Out of curiosity whats making you want to switch from a 996C2 anyway ?

[benaldo]

Coming out of the 996 because of a few reasons really.
-I've had it for 2 years and fancy a change.
-It is coming up to the end of the porsche warranty (although I could move to a different warranty i.e. Hartech but that would mean travelling to Bolton for each service and problem.
- Buying a new house this year and should be able to sell mine and buy an M3 privately and get £1-£2k back to help funding
- The M3 is a bit more practical but with similar performance
- I understand that the M3 is a bit more solid for day to day driving
- I've always fancied an M3 and know a good independent near me in Chester (Trenics)
- I have to say that the 911 feels very special but I hope I will get the same feeling from the M3 too.

[MattOz]

The facelift M3 also had a wider boot handle which extends either side of the "french" in the bootlid where the numberplate sits. Like this..........



Matt

[JKay]

benaldo said:

- I have to say that the 911 feels very special but I hope I will get the same feeling from the M3 too.

I've never driven a 996 so cant comment, but can say that I find the M3 a thrill to drive. I also think that the pre-facelift 996's are starting to look a little dated, whereas the E46 M3 still looks the business to me despite first coming out in 2001

[E36GUY]

JKay said:

benaldo said:

- I have to say that the 911 feels very special but I hope I will get the same feeling from the M3 too.

I've never driven a 996 so cant comment, but can say that I find the M3 a thrill to drive. I also think that the pre-facelift 996's are starting to look a little dated, whereas the E46 M3 still looks the business to me despite first coming out in 2001

In the real world there's not much to separate them performance wise but I think the 996 would have you on a track. But then the M3 has a big boot and 4 proper seats so wins the practicality and performance combination

[benaldo]

That's what I'm hoping for - I haven't managed to take the 911 over to the Nurburgring but hopefully I'll be able to do that in the M3 !

I also think that the E46 M3 still looks good and hasn't really dated. It's got a good agressive look to it without being too 'max power'. I guess it will be a bit more 'stealth' than the 911 as the majority of people will just see it as another BMW. Even though there are loads of Porsche's on the road, it still manages to turn heads.

There seems to be loads of M3's on the market at the moment for around the £18k mark which makes it look like a serious bargain. It will be newer by 3 years, have about 30-40k less on the clock, similar performance, but will probably be about £2k cheaper than my Porsche - and it should be cheaper to run too - it's a win-win for me.

[JKay]

benaldo said:

- and it should be cheaper to run too - it's a win-win for me.

Just beware of Inspection 2 prices at a main dealer, can range from 700 to over 1000, but prob around half that price if done at a good indy, and quite often, prob gets done better at an indy too IMO

[benaldo]

I will be going to an Indy that I know well from my last BMW. My local dealer seemed to get worse and worse every time I went so I gave up. I ended up keeping the dealer service history by going to the one in Llandudno Junction and they were great - very quick and helpful.

From experience with the Porsche, the indies are the way forward - they live and die on their reputations and you can often see the care and attention they take. I also hate having to pay between £85-£100 per hour on labour !! It just doesn't sit well with me !!

[alxce]

I don't think you will regret the change as I have made a similar move. I sold an '03 C4S in the summer and started looking at M3 and 330 convertibles as I had previously owned the coupe version of the latter. The search took a while (5 months) for the right one but I got there in the end. I had a 964 Porsche back in 2001 and also drove a 993 around the same time. To be honest the 911 loses something for me when it goes to the 996 and its not just the air cooling. It has evolved into some kind of GT tourer that isn't too exciting on the inside, has become "big" on the outside and is just not that exciting to drive either. However, to its credit the rear and front views of the C4S are probably the best in the 911 that Porsche has ever produced and it seems glued to the road no matter how hard you push it. I did spend some time looking at GT3s prior to buying the C4S but moved away from that direction due to warnings about practicality of driving one around the rough country roads where I live. Had I ignored that advice I might have a different tale to tell.
Anyway the the result is that I now have an outstanding example of the M3 and I am enjoying every minute of it.

[petrolhead76]

Let me know if you need an outstanding example of a 53 plate SMG m3 (fully loaded and black)