Thats the beauty of forums..its an opinion. I feel my E92 M3 would rape my 07 997.1S even with my X51 headers, AWE cats and Borla cans. If the 997.1S has an advantage its from the dig, from a roll the E92 M3 would walk away. The 997.2S different story.

Dave

 

Hey Larry you bought a 2011 M3? Did you get the ZCP package?

Dave

 

Dude, you didn't tell me...let me know

 

Yep . http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...hImKRoep0v9A/o

It's being built as we speak . i just ordered it . This is my original spec(the only changes are the color from mineral white to alpine white and I added decklid, splitter and mirror carbon parts ).

Ought to look like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWLP5KHgFOI

and sound like this -- (mine is 6 speed manual)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBcH_F6IA80

 

That looks great Larry, congrats. I'm going to do the decklid and I would like to do the splitters. The mirrors I won't do as I have the sunroof and don't have the cf roof. Ordered it this way..hey live by the beach.

Dave

 

thanks for the awesome input on this guys!

I knew I'd find some people who've gone from 997 to M3 and vice versa =)

To give you guys an update, i decided to go with the M3. Some of my reasons/concerns have already been mentioned but it seems that the M3 really holds its value. I'm an accountant by profession so i tend to think about money a lot =P Secondly, the C2 was too basic (specially compared to the S) and I decided that that I should probably wait and save up for the 997.2S. I'll be driving the M3 for a few years and hopefully pick up a .2S two to three years down the line.
To sum it up, I found the M3 to be an amazing and well engineered daily driver with lots of power, whereas the porsche really a true sports car and an icon in the automotive industry. I would love to own one someday!

 

This is a great choice . I agree with yoir reasoning and conclusion . Did you get the car yet ? Congrats in advance.

 

Congrats! The P car is worth owning as well and I've certainly enjoyed the time with mine. The M3 will be a lot more versatile though. Getting mine in a couple of days!

 

I started tracking mine . I can't wait to hear about yours . You must be thrilled.

 

I was the SAME position as you two months ago..
deciding between a E90/E92 M3 vs 911 C2/C2S.


at the end of the day you are driving a 3 Series with LSD, V8, and Widebody.


the 911, is well.. a 911.



from a driver's point of view the M3 is nothing special as it does not connect you to the road. There is no feel, no passion. When i test drove the M3, I literally felt like i was in my girlfriend's old 328i sedan with the LSD, V8, and widebody.


after driving the M3 it was a no brainer to me.
i ended up with a low mileage well optioned C2. manual of course

 

Sorry, owned both. Don't agree at all with what you say. I find the M3 very communicative, maybe not as well as the 997 but for you to say there was no feel or passion makes me wonder if you even ever drove an E92 M3, except for just a cruise down the street.

Dave

 

^ sorry i never meant to offend anyone as the E92 M3 would have definitely been my second choice. it is a GREAT looking car with a VERY nice high-revving ITB v8 engine.


I'm not saying the BMW is a bad car. I am very picky when it comes to choosing cars and I was looking for a perfect combination of power and handling. The most important thing that I was looking for in a car was the "feel", the connection to the road with the driver.

The reason the BMW was on my list was because I have driving experience with BMW cars as my ex-girlfriend used to own a BMW 328i and a close friends own BMW 335i E90 and BMW M6. BMW's are very responsive to steering and the wheel is always stiff. they all handle well compared to Mercedes, Lexus, and other Luxury/Sport cars.



when i test drove the M3, it was a grey E90 M3 with some sort of dark orange/black interior. it was fully loaded with navi, manual.

when sitting in the driver's seat it didn't feel too much different than when i was sitting in my ex's 328i or my friends 335i, but i loved the color of the interior.
the navi was really wide and nice, and the interior was comfortable(as other e90's i've been in.) everything was as expected on the inside.

the main problem was in the drivetrain. the clutch literally felt like a stock civic Si clutch. Extremely soft. The transmission felt like a G35 6MT transmission (i have lots of experience with this car), very clunky and feels loose. the positioning of the seat to the driver was not proper to actually Drive, but it was more set up to Lounge.

the car was quick on the straights, but felt way too heavy in the corners. though i really love BMW's and their handling.. Compared to what a 911 driving experience gives you you really cannot compare the two.

I come from a modified AP1 s2000, very lightweight and agile. now i may be just too picky since the s2000 is such a driver's car, but that was my test drive experience.



i would choose the BMW M3 over the C63, S5, or ISF.
but the 911, even C2, is in another class.


the M3 is a e92 MAXed out. it has a widebody, a very strong v8, and LSD.
the C2 is the BASE model 911. it just has so much more potential.

 

those are 2 great cars. M3 is more practical and may feel 'faster' on a street. C2 is faster and sportier but less practical as DD.

 

I am so glad that caveatesq sold his 2008 997S because I am the fortunate buyer of his car. His M3 is a beauty I am looking forward to the day that the M3 is mine too.

(Troy - hope all is well with you and the family.)

The M3 has many advantages previously mentioned. Higher utilility factor (you know where I am going on this) than the 997. The torque of the M3 is a bit light and off the line "feel" is a bit weak. But those cars handle so well. All BMWs handle so well. And no worries regarding maintenance. As you can see from my signature, I have two BMWs but have yet to own the new M3. (hint Troy).

But once you have a 911 in your blood (for me multiple times), there is no substitute.

Mark

 

No worries man, you didn't offend me at all. Takes a lot more than that to offend me. Being married for 14 years has a way of thickening up your skin..

I find the M3s handling in some respects better than my 997.1S, it didn't bob up and down like the 997 does as speed and feels more stable. The main advantage the 997 has (only if you have the driver skill to take advantage of this) is the way the 997 puts the power down to the ground. I didnt' feel like the M3 felt heavy in the corners at all, its handling really hides the 3600lb curb weight (which is only 250lbs heavier than my 997.1S) well. The 997 handles better only if you can take advantage of the rear engine attributes the 911 has. Otherwise you can be in trouble if you don't know what you are doing the rear engined car can bite you in the butt.

The M3 is always looking for traction out the back, this car likes to get tail happy.

Dave