BRZ vs E46 M3
 

I've come to a point where I'm starting to look at other cars, especially cars that come as a natural progression to the BRZ/86. After years of owning a stock BRZ, I have an appreciation for slow-car-fast cars.

That being said, I have been eyeing up E46 M3's for their power, handling and looks.

I don't daily drive my car anymore. It's kept garaged and maybe sees 5k miles per year. So, maintenance for the M3 shouldn't be high as it's not a daily driver.

What are your thoughts on the two cars and my predicament? I'm going to test drive an M3 this weekend to see if it's truly something I can handle.

M3

Oh man I would love an E46. Proper manual, none of that SMG crap

Manual M3, you're gonna love it.

Definitely M3 manual, different class of car altogether. That said, it is not going to be a BRZ in maintenance/repair costs, especially if you get one that is not well sorted. They're getting old now. Spend extra $$$ to get a well cared for one, and put aside a few extra thousand for when those big maintenance bills pop up unexpectedly.

^This! After 20 years of BMW ownership, I've ventured off into new worlds since nothing newer than E9X M3s is appealing to me. E46 M3 is a fantastic car, and reliability should be fine if you locate a car that's been taken care of and continue to do preventative maintenance (and hopefully one that's had the rear subframe reinforced already). Great cars, but absolutely be prepared with a few thousand dollars available for the unexpected.

A good track buddy of mine drives an E46 m3. Really fun car to drive and the 8k redline is addicting, but definitely feels heavier and bigger compared to our cars. Also keep in mind it's an older car so you will have to put some money into it for maintenance and repairs. Parts are more expensive being a BMW, but if you have the means, go for it.

E46M all the way, I had an E36M and loved that car.

A higher mileage 981 cayman will do just fine wink

Whats the price of the M3 you are interested in?

Ahh the day I bought my BMW M3 was the second happiest day of my life.

The happiest day of my life is when the damn thing left my life for good!

Lol I have a friend who felt the same way. Something about the sunroof causing an ABS fault...

I have had my 03 m3 for 14 years, just over two years in the brz. I quite enjoy both cars but I have to say the M feels huge now lol. That being said i still love the car. As mentioned above the engine just loves the revs, I swear the car is half asleep until you start using the last 3k then it just comes to life. I know SMG is almost universally hated but I have grown to enjoy it, once you learn its quirks(csl software helps) it can be quite rewarding. I'm at 330rwhp on the stock clutch at 155k and it still takes launch control without any complaints. Parts and maintenance are costly, the more you can do on your own the less the wallet will cry. A good diagnostic tool or a cable and INPA will help keep you away from the stealership( i think i paid 100$ for my foxwell and its ability to test various systems has been more than worth it to me). Valve adjustment is not that difficult, shim kits can be rented from members of the m3 forum and the tools are cheap at ECS, it also is an opportune time to inspect the hubs for the vanos system. In 14 years my only failures have been 2 alternators( would have been one if I had just bought the bosch the first go), 2 window regulators (its an e46 so this is very commonplace) sunroof interior slider clips(also a e46 thing) the evap diag pump, and the water pump. All in all under 2k in repair parts in 140k miles of owning it. I do follow the bmw maintenance schedule save for the water pump which was <5k over the recommended mileage so that's on me. As for choosing- that bit I can't help with I could not decide myself. luckily subaru offered me so little I just kept it to drive when the Brz isn't looking :) Driving experience is subjective so you are best getting some seat time and making your own comparison. Far better drivers/writers than I have provided very comprehensive reviews. Jeremy Clarkson/top gear did a few I quite enjoy the CSL short on The Isle of Man. Hopefully my long term maintenance and repair experience helps in some way. Sorry for the poor writing- school and work are crazy and there is far too much blood in my caffeine system��
https://imgur.com/Tqh51uT

If it's just going to be a weekend car go with the M3 mate, it will be a lot funnier to take out for the weekends than a stock GT86.