Hey everyone, im new to the boards. In the past I would frequent bimmerforums.com, e46fanatics.com, and m3 forum.net. Ive had 2 of the older M3's, a cosmos 95 and a alpine white 98.5. Im really on the fence between an e46 M3 and a 996 carrera 4 or carrera 2.

How will the maintenace cost be different with the 996?

Anything I should look for? Known problems and issues etc...

What should I stay away from?

What do you think of the carrera 4 vs the carrera 2?

Will the 18" turbo twists fit the 996? Which oem wheels will not fit?

TIA!-JR

 

Are you looking at pre-02 3.4L models or 02+ 3.6L? If your looking for a 02+ then I'd say get the carrera over the M3 hands down. Its a bit harder choice with the 3.4L's, they make a little less power and boxster-shared headlights are not the greatest (imo). But both models are great and its a Porsche... it's going to have more sex appeal then a M3 (if that matters to you). Try to look for a Carrera 4S, its widebody like the turbo and has loads of extra goodies over the base model (turbo bumpers, brakes, suspension and wheels).

Maintenance on 996's is not all that expensive. Dealer wants $180 (or so) an Oil change, but I always got coupons and ended up being $110. Maintenances seem to be $800-$1200 depending on dealer and which service.

With any year look into the RMS probelm (rear main seal leaking oil). Its a known problem and many will have had it and it should have been repaired under warranty. Generally once it happens once re-occurance is rare. But a high number have had it. So make sure to get a PPI.

The regular Carrera 4 isnt widebody, so there is no real advantage to the AWD version unless you live in a snowy area. The 4S however is worth it. Keep in mind they only made a Carrera 4 Coupe until 01. In 02+ Carrera 4 is cab only because they brought in the 4S coupe & cab.

The 18" Turbo twists from a turbo will not fit any carrera except the 4S which comes with them anyways. They do make Turbo twists for the narrowbody fitament, so just dont buy takeoffs from a turbo.

Hope that helps... go porsche, its worth it.

 

hey man, im the perfect guy to answer your question. i went from a 2000 C4 cab to an 04 e46 m3. i have to start off saying i miss my C4 soooo soo much. everything about it was amazing. even though the m3 and it stock for stock are about the same, the C4 felt faster. had the same amount of tq, but down low felt so much torqueier due to AWD. and the AWD drove more like RWD so dont worry about that. the pedal response was terrific, and steering feel was great, you knew right where the wheels were pointed at all times. the gearbox was much better than the m3, the m3 is very notchy, and the 911 was smooth as cutting butter with a hot sharp knife. the C4 also felt lighter even tho it was very minimally lighter than my m3, maybe 50-100 lbs at most. i think that the only reason to pick the m3 over the 911 would be if you need space.

 

yea, the 911s got more sex appeal. also, look into a cayman s if you are worried about warranty. they are damns exy and also just as fast as any 996 911.

 

As PorscheC4 mentioned, the Porsche AWD system is awesome. It really does feel more RWD then any other AWD I've ever driven. And the steering feel of porsche is unmatched.

 

amen to that brother! traction of AWD but the characteristics of RWD, best of both worlds.

 

I think the M3 is a super smooth ride that's a great GT coupe based on a commuter car that is the reg 3 series. I can also see how people would consider the M3 to be better looking than most 911s. The E46 M3 has perfect proportions for a coupe.

Driving experience wise, the 911 takes the cake whether it's the 3.4 or 3.6. The sound is exotic which the M3 will never have including the upcoming V8.

 

thanks for the great info so far!

Im actually looking at a 99 carrera 4, so it would be a 3.4L. Is the .2L worth the $5k plus cost of getting an 02 and above?

Im probrably going to have the owner do a porsche PPI to have everything checked out. My buddy had the same RMS problem on his 99' 996 carrera 2...

 

PorscheC4 pm'd me and told me I should recommend a Cayman S to you.

 

Go for a test drive. That will make the decision easy.

 

The '02s also feature a stiffer chassis, better aero and a slew of other improvements in addition to bigger engine.

But they are slightly heavier and the character of the engines and how they rev different.

Drive both and find out. Though I don't so much mind the 3.4L's headlights, the 3.6 headlight design when it comes to how the lights are built together and the lack of an old school type diffuser lens... is much more modern and fresher.

 

I just got done going through this, so I know where you're at- I too was an avid bimmer enthusiast and owner, and haunted the same boards.
Initially I was going to pick up a newer M3 or 335.

I had a crazy thought to go test drive some Pcars (at the advice of a buddy of mine who is a long time german car mechanic).
holy crap- test driving a few 996's and it was all done from there. I don't care about cargo / passenger space as we have an X3 for that-

I initially was looking at 99-01 996's, lurked the 6speedonline boards for a bit and then went looking for an 02-04 cab or coupe.
I would have loved to have come across a sweet deal on a low mileage C4S, but ended up finding my current 02 C2 coupe at an insane price so jumped on it.
From my recent experience, get an 02+ 996- You won't regret it if you are looking for pure driving fun. Hands down better than the M3 IMHO..

 

Many have joined the 996 ranks by way of E46 M3 and have been happy with the transition. You might as well skip the intermediate step and and get the 996.

 

you guys really know how to convince a guy...

how does the 3.4l 996 compare to the e46 M3 for 0-60 and the 1/4 mile.

E46 M3's are dynoing at around 265whp stock and run a mid 13 second 1/4 mile.

What whp numbers will I see on a 3.4l and 3.6l? And with mods?

TIA!

 

Dyno is dyno...1/4 mile is 1/4 mile...the main thing with the 996 or any pcar is the overall driving experience, not just the dyno numbers or straightline 1/4 mile.

If you test drove one back to back, you will see what most talk about RE: 996.