Decided to trade in my E92 M3 for a FR-S
 

Well, I have finally decided to trade in my 2011 E92 M3 for a FR-S (well, not sure if I will trade it in or sell it first and then buy the FR-S yet)

I spent some quality time with a 2013 FR-S before I bought the M3 from a friend, and almost got a BRZ/FR-S if it wasn't for the great deal I got on the M3.

Now that the M3 is almost out of warranty (2k miles and 4 months left), I think I'm ready to finally get the FR-S that I have been wanting. There is no doubt that the M3 is way beyond FR-S when it comes to power and engine response time, but handling and fun is where the FR-S shines (M3 handles great, but FR-S is still more fun)

BTW, what do you guys think is a good price for a new 2015 FR-S now?

your gonna regret your decision. e92 m3 is sublime. even if the m3 is out of warranty, if your a DIY kind of guy, it should only cost the same as a BRZ/FRS maintenance. replace the bearings, and your good to go. solid, reliable engines the S56 is.

Prices can vary by huge amounts depending on where exactly you are. Shop around locally then check as far out as you are willing to travel and see what sort of ranges are available to you.
Some guy from California telling you what they are selling for there is pretty much useless unless you feel like a road trip!

I'm not expecting the FR-S to be 'better' than the M3, but different kind of fun. And I am not planning on keeping the FR-S for a long time to be honest, my ultimate goal is to get a Viper a few years from now :D


I was hoping to get some kind of ballpark figure before I go into the showroom so I got a clue what's going on :)

truecar.com

Can be a big park depending on where you are!

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-...n-d2140_L34369

man, just keep the m3 and save up for the viper.

or look for a used viper which would cost about the same or less than a new frs.

if your ultimate goal is to get a viper in a few years, why buy a new fr-s when you already have the m3?

If that's your goal, get a used FRS. There's one for sale here in NC for $16,250 with 12k miles. Probably can find something similar near you.

I am saving up for a 5th gen Viper :)


Planning on tracking the car, M3 cost a lot to track compared to FR-S, and the cost to own the car without warranty, etc. Not like the M3 is out of my budget at all but the FR-S is a lot of fun for much cheaper, and I do have another car I can drive if I need backseat or anything. :)


That's a great deal, but looks like most 2013s around my area is still priced around $20K at least. With the trade in tax credit vs. selling the M3 and buying the FR-S, the price difference between getting an used one and a new one could be very small.

trade-in tax credit will not be more than a couple grand. Selling the M3 and buying a used FRS would net you significant savings... think about it. New ones are 24-27k. Used are shaving 6-7k off right away, some with significant mods and upgrades (for better or worse) already done.

Haven't found any good deal on used ones near me, the only ones below $20K are 2013 ones with over 45K miles...

ouchhh. I would look outside your area if I were you.. taking a nice road trip back in your new baby would be killer.

either way, sweet m3 or fr-s, you'll be happy until you get your uncontrollable deathmachi- I mean, viper

All the good deals on white FR-S are over 1200 miles away from me:D

I have driven a 2009 Viper ACR Hardcore, and love the raww feeling to death. Probably gonna keep the FR-S as a DD after I get the Viper tho.

"At 150 mph, the regular Viper coupe generates 100 pounds of downforce; at the same speed, the Viper ACR generates 1000 pounds of downforce.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz3SyQAOuAv"


JEEESUS. What a setup. But look at that disparity betwen the regular and "ACR" model for downforce alone.

There's a huge reason why Vipers are notorious for being involved in single vehicle crashes... few can harness the power and they're not known for handling well. That ACR looks awesome, though.

+1 to True car they have a thing where dealers will set a price a little lower than fair market price. Print the coupon and walk in and they have to sell at that price.

Well the Viper is not an easy car to handle if you decided to push it, but normal driving is not that bad. I really love the new 5th gen Viper is Stryker Purple tho.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BrO20WqCEAE6Nyb.jpg



Another car I really want is the Toyota FT-1 if they make that one into production.

Sorry to be the negative guy here, buy OP just wants what is "cool".

Yes, I like the FT-1 because of the design. But as for Viper, I just love how raw the car feels.

FR-S, it's more suitable than the M3 since I am planning on tracking the car. :)

OP keep the M3.

But if your dead set on a FR-S I have a white one I'll sell you :)

EDIT: 18K and she is all yours. See garage for what I've done. I kept all original OEM parts (except wheels) that you can have if you dont like the mods.

Answer is always Miata.

But enjoy the FRS until you get the MX-5.

:cheers:

I don't think that's true but depends on how far you are willing to travel. If you live in a big Texas city (Houston, Dallas, Austin, SA) You should be able to find a 2013 for under $20k very easily within 150 miles or so. Actually $17-18k is fairly easy to find.

Use cars.com. Do advanced search.

Btw, by jumping around from car to car so often (M3 ---> FRS ----> Viper) you are setting yourself up to lose thousands of dollars (could be easily over $10k).

And I'm guessing you will probably want to mod the FRS soon after you get it.

Very Bad Idea:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7xNZUQXU3k"]BMW M3 E92 (E90) - Brutal acceleration V8 sound and top speed HD - YouTube[/ame]

OP,

I went from the IS-F to the 86 and I'll say you will miss the power. But fun factor is definitely more with this car as far as being able to push it to its limits. If you want to become a better driver get the 86...and you'll still be able to have a smile on your face without getting tickets.

You will miss the nicer interior as well but thats about it. This car handles great and the chassis has so much potential.

This ---^

That M3 looks really nice.. comfort alone I think would sell me on it if I could afford it.. lol

If you really wanna track that badly why not spend $2000ish on an NA Miata. Spend another $3000 on parts and BUILD a track car that you can enjoy AND appreciate. I find that is the biggest thing I am missing from owning my FR-S is appreciation for it. Yea I put $9k down on it and I am in dept for life but I still appreciate my dinky little NA way more. When you have spent blood, sweat, and tears crafting the ultimate little street machine, nothing you can go out and buy will ever seem to compete.

Just my 2 cents though.. BTW that red fr-s in south carolina IS SUCH A GOOD DAMN DEAL.. I want it lol

If you plan on tracking the FRS you will also need to invest some additional money into it to keep it running cool and the oil pressure from plummeting. Oil cooler and oil baffle would be recommended at a minimum for added security in help keeping the engine together longer...

I would also subscribe to going with a used NA Miata or some other dedicated track car if you want a track vehicle as well... you will have spent much less money while having a just as capable track car that is way more solid, proven, and reliable in that environment. If I were tracking my '13 FRS daily driver any more I would need to do a lot of work/upgrades to it before I would feel comfortable with it taking the stress. Mine was not really a track ready car out of the box - it threw engine codes and went into limp mode. The hybrid Subaru motor/Toyota fuel system is the achilles heel of the FRS, and the Subaru boxer motor was my only reservation I've always had with it from previous experience with an EJ22 Legacy and EJ25 Impreza...

For a daily driver it's fine and mostly trouble free though...it's no Toyota dependable motor though.

Instead of a Viper ACR you could build a killer FRS with this motor...

http://www.speedhunters.com/2015/01/...ynergy-brz-v8/

Synergy V8 + TRD Griffon (~2,200lb GT86 track car) = Nirvana...

e92 is basically a rich mans version of the BRZ in my eyes. Same with a Porsche.

Unless you couldn't afford the m3 I see no reason to downgrade. Made a mistake in my opinion.

Pure Pricing. Translation: What you see is what you get.

If you want manual, starting price is $25,670. If you want automatic, $26,770. It does not include the shipping price and optional equipment.

If you're thinking you can haggle for a better price, I would suggest going to the scion.com site and do some research what Pure Pricing is all about. The alternative is getting a BRZ.

I went from a 335xi to the 86 and I miss the power and handling every day, even for a larger car. I can't imagine what parting with an M3 would be like for the 86 twins. Definitely would not do it. Plus, let's be honest, you can add lightness and get the same experience - Just CF everything.

My last two "sports cars" have been a Z4 M coupe and an Audi TT-RS (which is actually faster than the e92 M3). Both were very thirsty when pushed hard and you couldn't explore their potential without risking your license unless you frequent the track. The Audi has a nice interior but in both cars, the technology is old school. I love the size and handling of the BRZ and have moved on from the others.

On the contrary, they're known for handling incredibly well. They're not know for forgiving shitty drivers.

The 2010 Viper ACR held and holds many track records for street legal production cars at many world famous tracks.

The Viper ACR will test your skills and your bravery, and if you don't pass the test you crash.

OP, where in Texas are you located? I know a dealer offering BRZs at $1500 off MSRP, and that offered me a 2015 WRX at invoice if I place a factory order, they may do the same for BRZs...

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83090

I love this car simply because it encourages you to tinker with it... I imagine the Miata is the same, except sans roof and with "2" "rear seats"

Not sure if I would tinker with something German though.... Das ist nicht gut....

NB's seem to get a lot of love at the moment, the 1.8L is definitely preferred over the 1.6 (dat VVT) and they're almost even in price at this point with mint NA's going for more money than great NB's, and beater NB's are only a couple hundred bucks more than beater NA's of equal quality.

I find it hilarious that so many people are trying to talk a grown man out of buying something he wants.

Trying to make sense out of why a guy wants a particular car at a particular time is like trying to figure out why a girl changes her shoes/clothes/purse five times before you can leave the house and go eat dinner. There is no sense to it.

I believe the question was about pricing?

All I can say is I got an FR-S for below invoice, ONLY because I had a trade-in that they put a ridiculously high valuation on. My advice is to go to any dealerships within a reasonable distance and see how willing they are to negotiate. I typically initiate contact with dealerships via the internet sales department, as they seem to cut to the chase much faster, and don't play as many "numbers games".

why, oh why, would you trade in an e92 M3 for an 86?...

This. You're not gunna be satisfied with a stock frs coming from an M3 very long. That will get expensive and then all your viper savings will go down the toilet. Keep the m3...believe me the frs is so slow it hurts sometimes.

I drove the M3 E92 coupe on some back roads and took it up to about 160km/h which felt good, however the car has the same issue as many high end luxury cars and that is you only begin to have fun past 120km/h
Driving it in the city, it felt like any other BMW.

I think you made the right choice, i came from the 335i coupe, not a M3, but enjoy the FRS way more as the 335i felt boring almost all the time.

The only think you will miss i think is comfort and a quiet cabin when your tired. In the BMW i could drive 600km and feel fine. In the FRS, after 300km you begin to get tired.

Anyways, instead of paying stupid payments on a BMW, i sold it and now have a honda accord for daily and work and FRS for summer and fun. The accord does everything the BMW did, give me a pleasant ride that is comfortable and quiet.

Replace which bearings? No car still under warranty should need new bearings of any kind.

And the maintenance won't be close. Brakes, fluids, and tires are going to be massively more expensive on the BMW.


Sent from Tandy 400

NA's are only 1.6L until 93, 94-97 are 1.8L. NA because its the roomiest and lightest chassis.... and subjectively the best looking as well - NB is the absolute ugliest miata gen, all the wrong kinda curves and roundness on it.

For a cheap track car I'd be interested in an NA with the Mini-Tec Honda J32A2 or J35A4 V6 swap I recently read about in Grassroots Motorsports... pretty sweet and inexpensive.

http://www.superfastmiatas.com/

Solution? I am keeping my E36 M3 for weekends and am enjoying it more than I did when it was a daily driver. Just slogging thru traffic was not fun in that car.


The FRS is much more fun as a DD than the M3- low seating position, quick steering, and you don't have to be breaking any laws to have fun.