If you can, get the 996TT.

 

Approx. how much should I allocate annually for maintenance for the E46 M3 or 996TT? I have seen figures for F-cars, listing a disposable amount of income in case of something going wrong plus reg. maint. fees, but what about the 996TT or E46?

Thanks for the input and help guys!

 

agreed.


if you didint have a DD that you were thinking of keeping, my response would have been different.

 

996 911 vs. E46 M3 = E46 M3 gets my vote. More practical, can carry more people and stuff, and much more neutral car. Plus is a lot more fun to slide around...

 

Like pulling teeth, isn't it? I think you've asked the same question 3 times, phrased differently, with no real response.

Going between the 2 cars you've decided on, I'd pick the Porsche 996. The original purpose of the M3 was to be a compromise for the person that wanted a sports car but needed a daily driver. As you've already got a daily driver, there's no need to settle for the compromises of the M3.

That said, running costs will depend somewhat on how you buy and how much you drive. An E46 M3 can still be found under factory warranty, which means you can get another couple of years of free maintenance. With a CPO and extended service warranty, you could be covered until 100k miles with almost no out-of-pocket expenses after you buy.

If you get a car that doesn't have either: the S54 engine gets an Inspection One ever 15k miles and an Inspection Two every 30k. The One is ~$500, the Two ~$2000+ depending on labor charges, and includes a valve adjustment. Personally, I'd recommend changing the oil at least once mid-interval (every 7500 miles) which should be $100 or so if you do it yourself. how long the clutch, brakes, and tires last depends on your driving style.

Hopefully a Porsche owner will chime in with hard numbers on the 996's running costs.

 

Thanks for not dodging my question!

I tried searching for all this before, but didn't have too much luck. The BMW/Porsche "fun car" proabably won't get driven more than 5-10k miles a year, but it's hard to say. So those service intervals shouldn't be too bad.

I'll probably try searching again later tonight or maybe post something in the 996TT Area about operating costs, specifically the breakdown of each service.

Thanks again

 

clutch on a 2005 911 was in the $2k range (closer to $3k i think), i forget how much exactly. oil at the dealer is about $200+ vs. low $100's for the m3. breaks, and all the other things are covered under the new BMW policy and you can extend that maintenance plan another 2 years 50k miles for i believe around $1,500. but from what i remember the breaks on the porsche were significantly more expensive than on the m3.

before i bought my m3 i did some math comparisons between it and the boxster S and i figured with as much as i drive, the boxster S was gonna cost me (from what i remember) a couple of $k more a year. so figure theh 996 will probably cost a little more than that yet. not a make it or break it difference, but you will be spending thousands more on a 911 than you would on an m3. of course this assumes you dont have any "major" fialures and similar type problems.

 

996 for sure

 

I used that rationale when buying my M Coupe, which has similar service requirements to the E46 M3. I know from my previous Z4 that I drive about 5000 miles/year in my fun car, which means the expensive Service Two is spread out at 6 year intervals, making it pretty cheap to run down the line.

The real trick is avoiding upgrades. My 911SC was about $1500/year to run as a daily driver, but I spent twice that on aftermarket stuff seen hanging around on Porsche forums. The Z4MC will cost me $8k this year in aftermarket upgrades, though that should taper off sharply next year.

 

if you can't afford the 996TT get a 996 C4S, sweet widebody look. rarer than the M3 as well.

 

Go with the 996TT, you will not be disappointed.

 

I prefer the M3 to the base 996.

I think about getting rid of my M3 for a 996 TT or GT3, but not a base 996.

 

I have had both as well, I would recomend the 996, I really have not had any maintenence issues with my 996 and everything has held together on it. the BMW had all kinds of issues, little things would come appart in the interior, the car over heated once that was a $$$ job.

 

911 TT no questions asked if you are not looking for a DD. Why do I say that? because I have them both.

 

Now are we talking about a 996 TT or 996(Carrera S)?
Big difference. 996TT >>> M3; 996 > M3.
Handling and breaks are better.
The above based on IMO.