Fleet Shot

[clyde]

Originally Posted by John V

In my lust for the E36 I neglected to make a "nice fleet" comment. It is a damn fine fleet.

Was.

Now has a gaping hole.

[John V]

Eh, it's only an E46. The least desirable of the cars in that collection if I had to rank them

Nick's post made me look (figuratively... I'm at work) at my fleet. Each vehicle serves a purpose and serves it very well, but on the whole I'm looking at Nick's and feeling a pang of jealousy.

Mostly around the E36

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by clyde

Was.

Now has a gaping hole.

It is what it is.

When a car goes out of commission due to rodent nests / disuse, and a guy wants to buy it even knowing that... Well. It was the right move.

He paid a couple grand under market. I didn't do the cosmetic prep work for sale that I've been putting off for the last 3.5 years. I did de-rodent the engine bay, though. Luckily, BMW wiring is not edible, but I still had to pull both the intake and exhaust manifolds to clear the rodent gunk that was jamming the throttle linkage and posing a fire risk.

He's been texting me about how much better mine shifts and how much harder mine pulls than his other E46 M3. I hope he enjoys it!

It still feels weird not to have an E46. I've had one for nearly my entire adult life.

[Jeff_DML]

Originally Posted by John V

Eh, it's only an E46. The least desirable of the cars in that collection if I had to rank them

Nick's post made me look (figuratively... I'm at work) at my fleet. Each vehicle serves a purpose and serves it very well, but on the whole I'm looking at Nick's and feeling a pang of jealousy.

Mostly around the E36

interesting, I would rank the e46 above the e90 but I have never owned a e46 m3, just an e90 and e36.

[JST]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

interesting, I would rank the e46 above the e90 but I have never owned a e46 m3, just an e90 and e36.

No, the E90 is the better car. It's got its flaws, and it's bigger and heavier than the E46, but overall it was just better executed than the E46.

[Jeff_DML]

Originally Posted by JST

No, the E90 is the better car. It's got its flaws, and it's bigger and heavier than the E46, but overall it was just better executed than the E46.

I never bonded with my e90 I guess, seemed like an overly complex v8 with numb dynamics.

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by JST

No, the E90 is the better car. It's got its flaws, and it's bigger and heavier than the E46, but overall it was just better executed than the E46.

Eh. The S54 (with the right tune and headers) feels a lot gruntier than the S65. I'd forgotten how much more so. The S65 zooms up top, but it's soggy off idle. Unlike you, I also like the rasp.

The steering in the E46 is also a million times better.

If it sounds like I don't particularly like the E90, just can't come up with a better alternative, you'd be right.

[JST]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

Eh. The S54 (with the right tune and headers) feels a lot gruntier than the S65. I'd forgotten how much more so. The S65 zooms up top, but it's soggy off idle. Unlike you, I also like the rasp.

The steering in the E46 is also a million times better.

If it sounds like I don't particularly like the E90, just can't come up with a better alternative, you'd be right.

Well, I haven't driven a tuned E46...and I haven't driven any E46 in years. I just remember it being kind of neither fish nor fowl. Plus I hated the driveline lash and the DSC programming (which I understand can also be fixed).

The E90 at least knew what it was.

[zach]

Nick's e46 was fantastic. The tune and the shifter made a huge difference.

[John V]

I actually like the E46 interior a lot more than the E90. The E90 without iDrive is a lot closer, but I still think the E46 uses nicer materials and has aged better.

The E46 can be made to be an amazing handler but in stock form they have a tragic ride / handling balance.