I've asked this on a few forums now(l4p, nagtroc, m3post, camaro5), and I'm starting to get hate for "taking too long to decide" hopefully this will come out differently. This is a huge decision for me, as I can only get one of these cars, and I'll have to drive it every single day for the next few years. I also have some strange attachment to my current car.

I drive a 600hp camaro, and its fun, but I THINK I want something new. I get all the attention in the world driving it, its loud, its fast, but i've had it for 2 years and as much as I love it, I'm not sure it's for me anymore.

I'm deciding between either a 2009-2010 BMW E93 Convertible, or a 2009 GTR.
Here is how I see it in my head, throw in all the corrections and opinions you'd like:

M3 - Roomy, Convertible, great around corners, good straightline speed, big trunk, good on gas, A+ daily driver, maintenance is reasonable

GTR - more roomy than the camaro, less than the M3, Best handling car in the world, EXTRME speed in a straight line, same trunk as M3, same fuel economy as m3, ride is rough, no convertible (understandable), the prestige of owning an exotic supercar, maintenance is insane, its so god damn badass they call it Godzilla.

I'm torn between a 100% perfect daily driver with awesome tracking abilities, and a rough daily driver with some of the best tracking skills in the world. I just feel like the GTR is my camaro, except it can corner, and its an exotic. In a straight line mine is about .5 seconds slower. according to 1/4 times

 

GTR. Everyone's got an M3.

My $0.02

 

Obviously if you have the means go with the GTR. The e93M is a hell of a car too but if you get it you will always look over your shoulder in regret IMO.

BTW post pics of your Camaro

 

M3 imho

 

The M3 is a great DD but you have to rev it to get it to move.

 

I don't think you are giving the GT-R enough credit for being a good daily driver. I know several people who own them and even some of the modified ones still make good daily drivers.

The only complaint I hear from people who daily drive their GT-R's is that every kid in a civic wants to line up and race. The GT-R will get 10x more attention from onlookers and that might get old.

You can't go wrong with a BMW but if you are comparing just these two cars, I feel that the GT-r does just about everything better.

Strange that these two cars have made your final two...they are very different cars.

Go with the BMW if you want a comfortable convertible GT type cruiser. Go with the GT-R if you want an exclusive race car that can double as a daily driver (not as comfortable a daily driver as the BMW but it's a more than capable daily driver nonetheless).

Again though, if you choose the GT-R, be ready for a lot of unwanted attention...the civics will come out of the woodworks to bite at your ankles like a bunch of crazed chiwawas. Consider yourself warned.

 

I would take an M3 for the mere fact you can get a manual transmission. That said the GTR is still one of my favortie cars in the world.

 

I would take an e92 m3 over an e93; the e93 is too heavy and therefore, much slower than an e92.

The GTR is a beast but lacks the refinement of the m3. I would choose a high revving V8 m3 over the GTR any day.

I just got rid of my 2009 M3 for a 2008 997.1 TT a few weeks ago. Wish I could of kept the m3 and bought the 997tt but I just couldn't justify 3 expensive cars ( I also drive a 2011 X5).

-SZ

 

i have an M3 and the last thing i would describe it as would be "good on gas"

 

I'd get the GTR just to be different. In the DC area where I live/work.. you see a million M3's. Hell the same could be said for BMW's in general.

If neither car truly has captured your heart, go with the one thats the most different and unique. Chances are it will end up retaining more of that special feel, as those car payments start to get old.

 

Both are great cars but I would choose the M3. I raced my Z06 against my friends M3 on Sat night and I was very impressed with the M3. I enjoy a standard transmission but the seven-speed dual-clutch automated-manual transmission in the M3 was very nice. The shifts are so crisp you can hear it everytime it hits the next gear. I would spend some time driving both cars for sure. If the power of the GTR is what attacts you most to it, consider the option of adding a 650 kit to the M3. Then you would have a special car that has the speed, refinement and its a convertable. Additional 12K for the kit however.

 

I hope that no one really follows that way of thinking.

If everyone has a certain thing, that should speak to how great it really is. Again if very few have a certain thing that is priced similarly and has comparable offerings that should also speak to how great it is NOT. I am not saying the GTR is not great but the M3 is very common because it is spectacular. As MJohson said, if I only had 90k for a car, I would get an M3/DCT for about 70k and spend another 12k for a supercharger and 650whp.

A few friends of mine have owned a GTR and have sold them after a very short time when they realized it was just performance and very poor build quality.

 

[QUOTE=zzzspeed;3551086]I hope that no one really follows that way of thinking.

What way of thinking sir?

It's called an OPINION, which is what the OP asked for.

Just like yours.

My point is that for exclusivity, GTR can't be beat. (Not to mention performance)

I live in Palm Beach county. Wanna know how many M3's I see a day? LOL, I stopped counting...seriously.

In the past year I've seen THREE GTR's. I take notice when I see one.

The M3 is "spectacular"..well..if you say so. No doubt a great machine with a world class drive train. But boring.





Not as myopic a viewpoint as you apparently assume.

 

^^^^ Brainpa,
Do not take it personal, I did not mean it that way. I see similar comments all the time on these forums and think that they usually do not apply. Especially in this case. For example to buy a platinum rolex datejust for 50k when you could get a great Patek or Vacheron or Audemar watch for the same price would be crazy. You will see many rolexs but will hardly ever see one of the other watches I mentioned, and in this situation the one you hardly see is much better. It is only so because of the great advertising that rolex does and that everyone knows if you have a rolex you have money. But the other watches are unknown to most people and will not get the attention even though their quality for exceeds anything rolex can dream of.
But the nissan compared to a BMW, is not the same comparo as I mentioned before. The M3 is not a boring car to drive at all, the GTR is IMO. I have driven both on a track and the M3 is so much more driver connection and you feel like you are driving the car. The GTR makes you feel like you are being driven. Its just a matter of taste, and not to say that the GTR is not an amazing performer on paper. Many who have experienced both understand, and that is why I think you dont see that many.

 

Good point zzzzzzz man!