Discussion
Just generally interested Ive always admired some cars from a far, never really been able to afford them etc over the years but I wondered are they still good cars all these years later.
3 In particular are the E46 M3, E90 M3 and the Z4 M.
I think Id lean toward the E90 If I did have to choose, It would be a purely weekend car.
Would be interested to hear if you have owned any or all of them and which you would go back to. Im aware they can be tricky to buy due to the issues but there are some nice enthusiast owned cars out there all be it a little expensive these days.
3 In particular are the E46 M3, E90 M3 and the Z4 M.
I think Id lean toward the E90 If I did have to choose, It would be a purely weekend car.
Would be interested to hear if you have owned any or all of them and which you would go back to. Im aware they can be tricky to buy due to the issues but there are some nice enthusiast owned cars out there all be it a little expensive these days.
Belle427 said:
Just generally interested Ive always admired some cars from a far, never really been able to afford them etc over the years but I wondered are they still good cars all these years later.
3 In particular are the E46 M3, E90 M3 and the Z4 M.
I think Id lean toward the E90 If I did have to choose, It would be a purely weekend car.
Would be interested to hear if you have owned any or all of them and which you would go back to. Im aware they can be tricky to buy due to the issues but there are some nice enthusiast owned cars out there all be it a little expensive these days.
I bought my Z4M Coupe in December 2019 and still have it as there really is nothing I'd rather have that wouldn't cost more than twice as much! 3 In particular are the E46 M3, E90 M3 and the Z4 M.
I think Id lean toward the E90 If I did have to choose, It would be a purely weekend car.
Would be interested to hear if you have owned any or all of them and which you would go back to. Im aware they can be tricky to buy due to the issues but there are some nice enthusiast owned cars out there all be it a little expensive these days.
Just be aware none of those options will be cheap to run as they all need valve clearances checked and adjusted using shims every 4 years, or more often if doing higher mileages. They are also prone to big end shell (or crank rod bearing shell in BMW speak) which even at an independent is going to give you a four figure bill, so finding one that has had them done already is a bonus. The E46s also suffer from boot floor cracking.
I got the shells and engine mounts replaced at 78K miles soon after I bought mine and the upper 6 were all showing copper, so I was glad I had them done for peace of mind as I always planned for it to be a keeper!
It has now done 93K and runs brilliantly. I only use if on fun days and have taken it on a few spirited runs with other Z4 owners in Scotland and the Lakes, but it's hard to stay sensible when the red-line in 3rd has the speedo getting to 3 figures.
Of the three options the Z4M seems to generally be the cheapest, especially Roadsters, which seems strange to me as it's the only 2 seater and is probably the rarest as only 1,206 Z4Ms were registered in the UK. The downside is that like all the E90s it's Band M road tax so £735 until April, but they are all ULEZ compliant.
Whichever you go for I doubt you'd be disappointed.
Belle427 said:
I think that tax band would kill it for me as a 3rd garage car so that would just leave the E46.
I wouldn't worry about the tax, life is too short to let it get in the way. I would suggest only taxing it when you use it, and not over winter to save some money.With M cars of this era, they are more about the excitement of driving rather than the outright speed. They are of course fast cars, but you don't buy them for bragging rights. What you do get is fun, and lots of it.
I had an M6 for over 4 years and it was sensational, extremely cheap to buy but expensive to keep going and there are issue with parts being hard to come by for the oldest cars. Not so much a problem if you don't rely on the car do commuting etc.
When buying, excellent service history is a must and you would want to budget having rod bearings changed and a thorough inspection by a specialist. Many M cars have been through the phase of being owned by those that skimp on maintenance and abuse them, so due diligence will avoid many problems. Anything with 18k mile service intervals or missing services walk away. If you buy a car that has not had the preventative maintenance, they factor that is not the price. Low mileage might be nice, but you could be buying a car that is just about to head for all the work being due and a higher mileage car might have had it all done already.
Belle427 said:
Just generally interested Ive always admired some cars from a far, never really been able to afford them etc over the years but I wondered are they still good cars all these years later.
3 In particular are the E46 M3, E90 M3 and the Z4 M.
I think Id lean toward the E90 If I did have to choose, It would be a purely weekend car.
Would be interested to hear if you have owned any or all of them and which you would go back to. Im aware they can be tricky to buy due to the issues but there are some nice enthusiast owned cars out there all be it a little expensive these days.
I own all three of the cars you mention along with some other ///M cars. The above are totally different even though the E46 and ZMC share the same engine they are completely different in characteristics whereas the E90 V8 is different again, feeling a little more modern and sounding amazing,all three are manual cars, my preferred option same as my New M2. It would be difficult to choose one over the other but on a lovely sunny Sunday morning drive out i think I'd pick up the ZM keys,but if I take the cover off my 1M that would be a different matter.....3 In particular are the E46 M3, E90 M3 and the Z4 M.
I think Id lean toward the E90 If I did have to choose, It would be a purely weekend car.
Would be interested to hear if you have owned any or all of them and which you would go back to. Im aware they can be tricky to buy due to the issues but there are some nice enthusiast owned cars out there all be it a little expensive these days.
It looks like you might have decided then!
Interesting that CRA1G who has all three would pick up the keys to his Z4M first - maybe I made the right choice? I fell n love with the looks of the Z4 Coupes and had a couple of 3 litre ones, but after 5+ years with them I just had to scratch the M itch and 5 years on I'm still loving it!
Interesting that CRA1G who has all three would pick up the keys to his Z4M first - maybe I made the right choice? I fell n love with the looks of the Z4 Coupes and had a couple of 3 litre ones, but after 5+ years with them I just had to scratch the M itch and 5 years on I'm still loving it!
I have an E90 M3 (manual, LCI) that I have owned from new since April 2009.
Still very much love it. The car shares duties with a Cayman GTS 4.0 and a GR Yaris. All three cars highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each other.
The M3 is the softest-riding of the trio and obviously the most practical. The engine remains its defining feature.
Some parts are fairly hard to come by these days, but other than that, the car has been a delight to own. I expect I shall keep it for a good while yet.
Used to have an E46 M3 (again manual and LCI) and the engine/chassis combination in that car was fantastic. The E90 is the better all-rounder, but the E46 is probably a little bit more naughty
Still very much love it. The car shares duties with a Cayman GTS 4.0 and a GR Yaris. All three cars highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each other.
The M3 is the softest-riding of the trio and obviously the most practical. The engine remains its defining feature.
Some parts are fairly hard to come by these days, but other than that, the car has been a delight to own. I expect I shall keep it for a good while yet.
Used to have an E46 M3 (again manual and LCI) and the engine/chassis combination in that car was fantastic. The E90 is the better all-rounder, but the E46 is probably a little bit more naughty
I was going to ask what you drove at the moment then looked in the garage and saw an Elise, so the following may not be an issue…
One of the things with older M cars is that they are all NA and because of that they aren’t that torquey. If you’ve driven modern turbos they might feel a bit flat for day to day driving. I’d probably go OG M2 if low 20s is the budget.
For a track car I’d say stripped out they might make more sense, but again the M2 with a tune would be faster if speed is your thing. And if you could stretch to an M4 it would be a lot faster, again if speed is your thing.
I have driven quite a few E92 M3s, E46 M3s and E36 M3s and have owned the two latter. Sorry no experience with a Z4.
What about a Cayman? 981 Cayman S can be had for slightly higher 20s, or at least they could be the last time I looked. As more of a sports car I’d be able to forgive the lack of torque I think.
One of the things with older M cars is that they are all NA and because of that they aren’t that torquey. If you’ve driven modern turbos they might feel a bit flat for day to day driving. I’d probably go OG M2 if low 20s is the budget.
For a track car I’d say stripped out they might make more sense, but again the M2 with a tune would be faster if speed is your thing. And if you could stretch to an M4 it would be a lot faster, again if speed is your thing.
I have driven quite a few E92 M3s, E46 M3s and E36 M3s and have owned the two latter. Sorry no experience with a Z4.
What about a Cayman? 981 Cayman S can be had for slightly higher 20s, or at least they could be the last time I looked. As more of a sports car I’d be able to forgive the lack of torque I think.
I’m reading this thread with real interest.
I currently have a GTS 4.0 PDK, a stunning sports car that will be a keeper for sure.
Like many, I still love the E46 M3, I regret not buying one back in the day, going down the M5 route instead.
There are a few advertised for a fair bit of money, up to around £40K in some cases, but are they worth that?
They’re certainly not selling.
I’m considering spending money on one, but want to avoid big bills early doors, although I appreciate they need regular, ongoing maintenance.
I currently have a GTS 4.0 PDK, a stunning sports car that will be a keeper for sure.
Like many, I still love the E46 M3, I regret not buying one back in the day, going down the M5 route instead.
There are a few advertised for a fair bit of money, up to around £40K in some cases, but are they worth that?
They’re certainly not selling.
I’m considering spending money on one, but want to avoid big bills early doors, although I appreciate they need regular, ongoing maintenance.
Jazzer said:
I’m reading this thread with real interest.
I currently have a GTS 4.0 PDK, a stunning sports car that will be a keeper for sure.
Like many, I still love the E46 M3, I regret not buying one back in the day, going down the M5 route instead.
There are a few advertised for a fair bit of money, up to around £40K in some cases, but are they worth that?
They’re certainly not selling.
I’m considering spending money on one, but want to avoid big bills early doors, although I appreciate they need regular, ongoing maintenance.
For £40K i'd be expecting an ultra low miles example with an excellent provenance - and several gold bars in the boot. I currently have a GTS 4.0 PDK, a stunning sports car that will be a keeper for sure.
Like many, I still love the E46 M3, I regret not buying one back in the day, going down the M5 route instead.
There are a few advertised for a fair bit of money, up to around £40K in some cases, but are they worth that?
They’re certainly not selling.
I’m considering spending money on one, but want to avoid big bills early doors, although I appreciate they need regular, ongoing maintenance.
You can get a sub 70K miles car with a good history for circa £20K. If you dont mind a higher miles car you can get one from £12K.
Jazzer said:
I’m having a good look - there is what appears to be a very well looked after 03 car for sale on here for £18750, although 11 owners is quite an obstacle. Mind you, all that really matters is condition I suppose…..
I'd a look on A/T and there was a better range of cars. It would of course require sifting through to find the "right" car, but i think a budget of £20K would get a good car, sensible miles right colour combo, spec and provenance.Tommie38 said:
I was going to ask what you drove at the moment then looked in the garage and saw an Elise, so the following may not be an issue…
One of the things with older M cars is that they are all NA and because of that they aren’t that torquey. If you’ve driven modern turbos they might feel a bit flat for day to day driving. I’d probably go OG M2 if low 20s is the budget.
For a track car I’d say stripped out they might make more sense, but again the M2 with a tune would be faster if speed is your thing. And if you could stretch to an M4 it would be a lot faster, again if speed is your thing.
I have driven quite a few E92 M3s, E46 M3s and E36 M3s and have owned the two latter. Sorry no experience with a Z4.
What about a Cayman? 981 Cayman S can be had for slightly higher 20s, or at least they could be the last time I looked. As more of a sports car I’d be able to forgive the lack of torque I think.
Im kind of going round in circles at the moment but when the Lotus sells Ive got a shortlist of cars £20k and under that i fancy.One of the things with older M cars is that they are all NA and because of that they aren’t that torquey. If you’ve driven modern turbos they might feel a bit flat for day to day driving. I’d probably go OG M2 if low 20s is the budget.
For a track car I’d say stripped out they might make more sense, but again the M2 with a tune would be faster if speed is your thing. And if you could stretch to an M4 it would be a lot faster, again if speed is your thing.
I have driven quite a few E92 M3s, E46 M3s and E36 M3s and have owned the two latter. Sorry no experience with a Z4.
What about a Cayman? 981 Cayman S can be had for slightly higher 20s, or at least they could be the last time I looked. As more of a sports car I’d be able to forgive the lack of torque I think.
Ive almost decided to put another weekend car in the garage as i just dont do enough interesting daily mileage to warrant something tidy.
Ive got the following on the list in order of preference really, not interested in outright speed.
I am interested in a Porsche but they dont really excite me for some reason as good as they are, I almost did a swap deal on a Cayman until I did a vcheck and it came up as written off.
Honda S2000
E46 M3
Mk 1 MX5 (fancy a turbo conversion)
Cayman/Boxster
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