FRS/BRZ vs E46 M3

[Kosmos]

i work at bmw so i get the opputrunity to drive m3's etc, etc. adn tbh i rather have my FRS

[mrk1]

I love my e46 M3 to death, here it is, Schwarz black on cinnamon leather with brushed aluminum trim. Its currently in need of a fuel pump but it gets anything it needs. Between the M3 and BRZ they both have there strong points, the S54 engine is just so great its hard to compete for me. It also has Dinan intake, big throttles, tune, and 3.91 gears so its setup just the way I like it.

The BRZ will probably follow in the M's foot steps in terms of mods.

[Mikem53]

Originally Posted by Tanuki

Just for kicks, I thought I would post this quote from my friend with an E92 Sedan, who recently drove my car:

"After driving your car for 10 minutes i can honestly say it was one of the funnest cars i have ever driven."

That sums it up quite well.. The 86 is really fun to drive..
I sold my E36 M3 for one.. The M was a great ride.. Such a balanced car
That had good linear power and a slick shifting 5 speed.. Solid feel and so very capable in corners..
But I didn't want to deal with maintenance issues and some known VANOS issues, steering rack, etc... It was my weekend car and I wanted to get down to one reliable fun car to drive that would be economical and reliable.
The FRS fit the bill perfectly.. I wasn't expecting it to look so good.. And be this much fun! It's not as fast as the M.. But it FEELS faster.. So it makes good use of its power.. And it's more nimble.. So I'm doing fine with my choice..
.

[Dazza]

Originally Posted by Mikem53

The FRS fit the bill perfectly.. I wasn't expecting it to look so good.. And be this much fun! It's not as fast as the M.. But it FEELS faster.. So it makes good use of its power.. And it's more nimble.. So I'm doing fine with my choice..
.

I have had both e36 and e46 M3's and I cant say the GT86 felt faster than either. It certainly didnt feel faster than the e46 and I suspect it didnt feel faster than the e36 (for me) but I sold that car some 7 years ago.

I do agree though that the 86 is just as much or even more fun and this is mainly due to the accessibility of its limits c/w the M cars IMO

[thambu19]

I have both an E46 M3 and an FRS.
The M3 is much better built and until this day it feels solid. I cannot say the FRS would feel as good as the M3 in 14 years time. The M3 has been pretty reliable and once the Vanos is taken care of it can last a very long time. Has tons of grip and torque and the engine loves to be revved.
Having said that I love to drive the FRS in the city because every U-turn can get the rear end stepping out ever so slightly even without me trying to do that. To do the same on the M3 would be called reckless driving because it will need so much more speed and power.
I can carry so much speed into the corners with both cars but the FRS looks very controllable even when it slides. The limits on the M3 are much deeper and once broken loose can be more difficult to handle for a novice than the FRS.
Although people complain about the lack of power and torque I think the car has enough of both to make me happy driving it. The fact that it is backed by a factory warranty is even better. I will keep both cars and the M3 can be made into a track only car but I might keep it as a weekend car as well.