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One of my friends has a supercharged E46 M3 making ~500 hp. I've ridden with him at the track and driven it on the street. I think it's a great car personally, although very different than the Twins. It's more of a powerful, refined GT-type car than the Twins. Better car for the street IMO.
- A lot of power (obviously) but his is not stock. Engine revs smoothly all the way to 8000 RPM. Not a fan of the metallic exhaust note though.
- Easy to get used to the shifter/clutch combo. Smooth shifts between gears. Heavier clutch feel.
- Despite a fairly decent track setup (wider sticky tires, adjustable suspension, aggressive alignment, BBK), it doesn't have the corner grip or speed that a similarly setup Twin would have. Heavier and slower to react in corners. Steering rack is on the slow side. Ignoring the weight, the handling balance is good. Slight understeer on entry but can rotate the rear on power.
- BMW interior is much nicer & quieter than the Twins, although somewhat dated now. Seats are leather, not as aggressively bolstered as the Twins.
If you're thinking of getting an E46 M3, make sure you look into the rear subframe issues, especially if you are interested in tracking it. Also may need a VANOS rebuild if its got higher mileage on it.
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