sorry but I dont think the E90 V8 low end can be compared the the rx-8:lol:

>>>>>>

Also I am not sure I can buy that a fwd GTI (or fwd biased R) is more fun then a M3. If you are worried about speeding then put some crappy A/S on the M3.

I think the new F80 M3 is a great looking car. Not sure why you would want to buy a new one in a few years since there should be a big selection of used ones out there. Engine and the size is not my cup of tea.

you should of bought that e36 M3 that you were looking at awhile back :eeps:

Ha! No, of course not, just a different illustration of the same principle, albeit on a very different scale.

Actually, thebscale is probably about right. :p

Slushie be damned.

Giulia.

I will grudgingly admit that I admired a new m3 today. I think the vantage point from my truck actually helped it look more normal sized​ and not as gigantic as it normally appears​ in comparison to the e46.

You might want to drive a current M3 - it's a really nice GT, but unless you plan to track it, it'll feel like a techy luxo-cruiser around town.

I wouldn't kick one out of the garage, but I wouldn't pay the kind of money they're asking for it either.

Your call.

Seriously ... a "techy Luxo-cruiser" how does anyone call a brand new M3 this ??

Nice way to knock one of the best cars on the road today :mad: well i guess it's no ZHP convertible :dunno:

This just blows my mind ... an M3 is a techy Luxo-cruiser :confused:

You might be right about resale in a few years but I have been checking them out recently (the M4) and they seem to be in the mid $60k range ...at this price you might as well buy a new one. The price savings just isn't worth it.

It really is big. I feel like the E46 is about the perfect size for its purpose, the E90 is bit more comfortable in the second row, and the F30 is just too big. If I were to buy a new M car tomorrow, it would be an M2.

Actually, M4, my bad - and yes, that's what it feels like to drive on regular roads. It's not a "knock" unless you take it that way. Your mileage may vary, literally.

I disagree ... if you were a sports car driver and let's say you drove a Miata or a 911 on a regular basis I can understand you saying the car feels Gt'ish but being you are driving a convertible 3 series moving up into a M car should feel like you just jumped into a very sporty machine.

Btw this is not knocking a convertible 3 series .. you know I love your car but the M is the next level of car.
Also as far as the techy part, this is the norm nowadays ... you need to get with the times ...

I'm ​going to agree with Ed on this one. To be fair, I haven't driven one, but the sheer size of the thing and the focus on gegaws over substance is (failing) BMW's new schtick. Bigly.

Without a doubt.

Saw one of those yesterday too, but it was that turquoise blue color and not the superior white like the m3. It also wasn't being driven by a chick like the m3 was either. :speechle:

M2 is the way to go unless you have to haul around a lot of family. My 2 is the perfect size for me and quite doable for the occasional rear passsenger. My son who's now almost 11 and 5 feet tall rides in the front seat for the mile-long trips to school. Mostly it's just the two of us or just me in the car.

The E91 was certainly more commodious for family (and dog) schlepping, but we always took the X5 if we were all going somewhere together.

The convertible makes the small car a draw for family jaunts in a way a regular small sedan would not be. If the roof did not go down, we would never take anything but the X5.

The new 3 is big, but I doubt the whole family would opt to ride in it up to Canada instead of the LR. Maybe you would choose to all ride into the city in it because it's easier to navigate and park in an urban environment. But YMMV for sure.

Oh man, FC is going to be the first one of us to own an M2 isn't he.

It's the car you'd end up with if a GTI and M3 has a baby, so it's the perfect solution to this thread's dilemma.

Sorry. You all must have misunderstood me.

Slushie be damned.

Giulia.

Why are you all still talking?

I don't imagine he'd go with anything 2-door.

Also, another point from my list above. With kids in the car, I also can't imagine choosing anything smaller than the biggest car you have for highway travel...I don't even like my spouse to drive to and from work (highway route) in anything but the X5.

He's so afraid of repairs, I don't think he's even owned a car long enough to have to replace the tires, and you want him to buy an Alpha? :lol:

Edit: on second thought... Maybe you're right, that might be the perfect term of ownership.
:p

Perhaps you've spent some time behind the wheel of an M4? I don't know, if you had and your experience was different from mine, that's valid, but you can't tell me how I feel as a result of my experience with the car is wrong and that I should feel differently (and exactly as you) because of a set of arbitrary parameters you've invented - that's stupid. I've taken two long trips, as driver and passenger, in an M4, over country roads and in the city, I drove it quite a bit and know it well enough.

The M4 is a beautiful GT with very high limits, limits that can be properly explored at track day (if you could afford the loss if you wrecked it). Around town, it's large (wide), heavy and cumbersome, the tech stuff is a nice distraction that holds no appeal to me (except for HUD, that was nice) - it's also quite garish, which matters to me, I don't like driving around in cars that make we feel like I'm shouting.

I also don't believe in "next level cars" as a sure thing - a 911 is supposed to be a level up from a Boxster or Cayman, yet I'd take one of the latter P's any day of the week, regardless of price.

I suggested FC try one - he's had a number of third cars now, including at least two Porsches, so I'm not sure what would satisfy him - however, I didn't advise him to repurchase a ZHP (which IMO, IS way more fun as a daily driver).

Frankly, I'm not sure why my opinion bothers you so much - I've been around a LOT of cars over 45 years of driving, I know what I like. In the end, it's just a car, no one really cares what I think nor what you think, the important thing is to buy and enjoy the car that lights YOU up, not the car you think others are admiring as you drive by ...

I've thought about it. A lot.

But:

-Slushie
-All new car
-10k more than the M3

Alfa opened a new dealership a mile from my job. I'll see what they have soon.

The moment they sell a 4-door M2 I'd be all for it.

If I drive one and it blows my mind, I may consider it.

Wow Ed did I touch a nerve :eeps: .... first of all I disagree with you, I didn't tell you should feel differently and commenting on your post is what these boards are about. You post an opinion and then someone might or might not respond to your comment.

I completely disagree with you about the whole 'level' of cars thing and btw the comment about the 911 boxster thing .... again I disagree with you on that too :D

I also disagree that you said no one cares about your opinion ... you are incorrect I absolutely care about your opinion as well as the others here which is why I frequent the board.

Please post another response so I can disagree with you some more :D

there are few cars probably as versatile as an e90 vintage 335i or 335xi with a 6sp.

Put a deposit down on a 2015 mk7 GTI to replace her TDI.

SE (leather, fender audio) + Perf Package (R brakes, +10hp, front LSD) + Lighting Package. We were going to go new (as the 2017 deals are good) but VW dealers are really s*** to deal with. Found a proper private seller and a black pearl car with only 4k miles and an extra winter set of tires.

There is one downside. It is APR Stage 1. It is a pretty serious modification, more so than I expected. We'll take our chances I guess.

4K miles ... that is quite a find ... congrats when do you pick her up.

When you say taking a chance with the APR stage 1 are you referring to the warranty ?

Any pics ?

Yes, the warranty. Ideally we would have gotten stock. I have actually never modified a car beyond wheels, trim and cat-back while under warranty. That said, this is a significant bump in power (feels like my s4 give or take) and we liked this particular car and its price..

[Seller's pictures, not ours. We pick up in about two weeks]

Congrats! Looks awesome.

Congrats!

Nice!

There's a lot of this going around. Congrats again!

Looks great! I'm interested to hear your take after you pick it up.

congrats, tarten interior?:cool:

No. While we both love the plaid design, the SE that has the better sound system comes with leather. With the APR overpower (really the only potential downside of this transaction), car drives a bit like a crazed JCW Mini rather than a staid Golf. We shall see.

I did drive one in Sept 2015. Excerpts of my review below:

Unfortunately there was some traffic and the car they gave me was the "GM's executive demo" so sales guy riding shotgun seemed very apprehensive about me being aggressive. Car had a bout 40 miles.

Anyhow, I'm a BMW guy and have had 3ers before, so the car, as expected, fit me like a glove and I was quickly very comfortable. It's quiet at low rpms, which is nice for driving around town with the family, but at 3-4krpm in the hwy the engine/exhaust was surprisingly loud. Perhaps that can be adjusted so as to not annoy my wife?

Given the kind of driving that I do, the car felt surprisingly nimble and handled very well. The standard brakes felt excellent. It felt well-built and made you feel special. It is also a fast car. I immediately got back in the TT and realized that while it is certainly faster, it isn't actually faster by as much as I thought, but the TT just makes it feel more dramatic and fun. The TT is also more responsive (I used sport+ on everything). I did like the M4 throttle response (S+), which allowed me to do manual rev-matching as I am used to. But on 2nd gear at 3krpm, at 50-75% throttle the car didn't react or accelerate as quickly as I am used to. The sales guy kept making noises and giggles when I accelerated at rates that are totally commonplace on the TT and seemed nervous. Perhaps, there was more to be wrung out and perhaps I am being a jerk by comparing it to a TT, but in my case it's a relevant thing to do.

The exhaust note was better than expected, but still not something I would set as my ringtone.

Overall, very nice car, and it's hard to imagine getting a sedan other than an M3. I wish I had a chance to wind it out to redline.

Um, I'd wait and see how the power train reliability is for the first 3 years before I'd even ponder one.

Why? Buy one today and sell in two-three years (and still under warranty) because it will be boring by then.