+1

997 is not for you. Stop wasting your time.

 

Ditto.

 

I have seen tons of people going from e46 M3 to 997.1

How many people do u see going from 997.1 to e46 M3 ?

It seems like a natural stepping stone forward.



997.1S power band is between 5-7 k RPM, where it really screams.
Try keeping the RPM between there.


Also, with 997, its slow in, fast out... So don't be shy to step on that gas sooner.
U can exit the corner faster.


997 Manual is not for 0-60 or 1/4 mile. We have the turbo PDK for that. But IMHO 997 gives u that overall connection with the sports car which is rare.


GL with ur search


BTW the day u crashed ur 996T on track must have been a bad day, to say the least. Glad u weren't hurt.

 

the e46 m3 is a great car in its own right but you will like the 997 more.

 

E46 m3 is lovely for sure. It's a better driver's car than the E90/2 and F series. It's hard to beat any m3's GT versatility, especially with those comfortable rear seats. I think everyone would agree though, a 911 is the better driver's car and sports car. Any 911.

 

A Base, no optioned 997 will be more of a driver's car than an M3.

You just can't compare a modded car to a stock one. Always more mods to make one handle better than the other.

An M3 will never be a 911, will never feel like a 911 and again - no matter what mods it will never be a Porsche 911.

 

OP, I guess I am one of the few who shares your sentiment. Clearly, the opinions will be skewed toward whichever forum you post your dilemma on. Well, I'm on both forums and I currently own both an '02 M3 manual, sways, Brembo 6 pistons all around, H&R/ Bilsteins and an '07 997S w. sport chrono, sport exhaust, lowered on H&R springs.

The 911 came after the M3, and the first week of driving the 997S, I felt exactly the way you do- what did I get myself into? The performance of the 997S is obviously better than many other cars, but it's performance-to-price ratio, relative to the e46 M3 was- meh…underwhelming...

Hop into the 997S- clutch was heavy, notchy getting into first, a few mis-shifts, stalls, etc…felt like I was driving w. 2 left feet. Hop into the the e46 M3- total driver's car that while arguably not as capable on the track, is a jack of all trades, and does many things very well!

Will I be selling my 997S anytime soon? No, probably never, but likely for posterity's sake. Does the 911 look prettier? Maybe. Does it feel more visceral? Sure, it has a lower center of gravity. Is it a "better" car than the e46 M3? It just all depends on the driver, the purpose, the money, etc… There is no black or white, right or wrong answer. The 911 is simply a quintessential, must own performance car for any enthusiast, collector to own. That said, I am on my third e46 M3 and constantly think of hoarding more, just b/c they are cheap right now, but w. attrition and less common true manuals available- no doubt they will rise. Every generation of the M3 has been iconic, even the e36. Can't say that about the 996. The e46 M3 has got to be one of the best performance car values on earth! The S54, like the Metzger 3.8 is simply an engineering marvel & bulletproof!

My opinion is to keep the M3 and get into a '05 or '06 997S in the mid to upper 30's, they are out there if you re patient. I can promise you that you will regret selling your e46, I know that I did, thus I"m on e46 M3 #3, not counting 2 x e30's and 2 x e36's.

Here is a simple, powerful pictorial "illustration" of just how good the e46 M3 is: http://m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=500817

 

HOLY COW Amazing garage! Can we get your comparison with the rest of the stable? Very interesting to see an M3 and 997S among that collection!

 

Haha, I wish this was my garage! This belongs to a member of M3forum, he's likely on this one as well. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words...I think this pictorial, without any commentary- is enuff said about the e46 M3!

 

Any modern car can be made competitive if you throw enough money to mod it. The car on your link is heavily modded and most likely worth several times more than your $20k stock used M3. The real question is do you really want put the extra $20k to make your M3 perform as good as a stock 997S or you'd rather just get a 997S for the same money? But stock to stock, the M3 will not come close in overall performance and driving experience to a 997S.

 

QWKSLVRNSX,

First, you have an amazing garage, kudos to you! I looked over your M3 and it's very CSL-like, as with the airbox, wheels, etc. There's a lot to be admired for that E46 M3 model, although it does not appear to be a CSL, per se.

I must admit, I love the E46 M3 styling, and yes, the S54 is an AMAZING powerplant - undisputedly well-proven. I still think about my prior M3, and I admit having "sellers remorse". What's worse, a current member found me as the owner of a relatively well-documented build on this site (GJGM3), and from my standards, not, eh, never mind that. The car, although not to everyone's preference, was a 'vert. But, she became a Vorsteiner sponsored as the first full V-CSL M3, as well as the first ESS CFR500 in the US. I had the suspension fully modded, and practically everything else you can do to the suspension, heck, the CAR. Although I will say I miss that car, and wish I had just kept her, it's such a far cry from the 997.

My initial departure was with a standard non-S 997, and I kept on thinking I'm missing the added "*****". But then, coming from a 500-HP beast, using an ASA blower (hence, beastly low to mid-range power), the 997 felt more "dynamic". Heck yah, in a straight-line the "M" would have DESTROYED the 997, but where the Carrera lessened in the brute acceleration, the "M", totally missed on everything else. Note, the "M" has quality coil overs, ARCA, upgraded sways, name it - it was addressed. Given all this, it's another experience.

Regrets? Always miss that "M". But as they say, BMW is the "Ultimate Driving Machine", as with Porsche, "There is with no Substitute".

Objectively, I agree with the latter - besides, they just LOOK AND PERFORM SO MUCH BETTER!!!

 

Post note - I have asked the owner of my M3, if he ever considers selling it to PLEASE let me know. FULL circle now to the idea of an E46 M3 - only mine though - LOL.

 

I know you've never believed it, but the e46 M3 verts really handle like shit compared to the coupes. Aftermarket suspension does not solve the underlying issue.

 

Hey Obioban - always enjoy the exchanges with you, and you're one of the better informed people I've engaged when I was on the M3 forums. I will say you're right about the handling, to a degree. But keep in mind it's not like I used the M3 'Vert for circuit racing, etc. It was a street car, and you're wrong about the suspension upgrades because it did markedly improve handling, stability, etc.

I was recently contacted by the new owner and stated if he ever wants to sell her to please contact me first. I love my 997S, but the M3 was a beast. However, to choose between the 2 I'd take the Porsche.

Always great to read your post - even when you're antagonistic - LOL. I hope all is well my friend.

 

I didn't mean suspension couldn't improve it, just it doesn't address the underlying issue.

Food for thought: the weight difference between the vert and coupe is a larger difference than between the coupe and csl (and weight is the differentiator of the csl-- 17 extra hp is negligible). So, before considering the dramatically floppier chassis, you're already down that margin.

Or, another way to look at it:
The 0-60 of the vert is closer to the 0-60 of the e46 330i zhp than it is to the e46 M3 coupe.

... and then there is the floppy chassis, which undermines everything.

It's just in a different performance category.