while i understand many of yalls input, here is my understanding of badging:
when designing the next generation of a model vehicle, you
do not change the platform of the vehicle...(that becomes a
new model) and in that respect, bmw's are all messed up
an m3.. with a v8?? really? it weighs nearly as much as my 5liter truck /shrug. nice car? yes.. m3? not quite.. m5? surely... m6 even. in anycase, i dont think they planned that aspect out too well
maybe they should have tried something like keeping 3 series within the 3liter range, 4 series in the 4liter range, etc; seems obvious to me for identification purposes
perhaps they should build the 3003, or rather the 3K-3; a 300ftlb 3000cc compact sports coupe. weighing in at around 3000 lbs for $30,000..... this would be of course with all the new technologies which are becoming cheaper and vastly more powerful literally by the hour (no excuse for a $60,000 price tag any more; neither is the stitch pattern on your seat, im sorry) plastics are not heavy, nor expensive, are extremely durable; and, fit an finish is left to manufacturing, not material.
aesthetic design does not induce mass
unless you want your interior to look like jabba the hutt's ass
can you dig it?
(please forgive me if this is a family site, a short scolding by admin will correct this character flaw)
i digress;
i am torn between the e46 m3 and the frs/brz. in the end they will cost the same (i am a qualified technician)
comparatively; on one hand the m3 could remain mostly stock, while the 86 would need at least a small supercharger and a sick set of beef at the corners for my needs. obviously i can put out the extra 50ftlbs and slap on some wheels; but, will the drivetrain hold the added stress for reasonable periods of abuse?
on the other hand, to get the m3 to get 35mpg "on the regular"(read "other than occasionally") without living on some shepard scale mountainpass, would be damn near impossible. not to mention the extra 30 a month on insurance.
granted going from a 13mpg truck down to either car is not going to break the bank..
IF the 86
can take the extra stress of dropping the clutch at 300hp with fat rubber, then i can forsee bmw having some serious competition with any m class.... even when those m's become charged with FI. not at the drags, but, surely through the twisties
i think the interior of the 86 is hideous; and while i dont find the e46 m3s interior particularly displeasing, i find the e36 much more suiting. if only the e36 and e46 could merge into some sort of midrange performance sexual deviant just asking you to punch it (in the back of the head) when you pull out (from her
Woahhhthere... parking spot of course *coughcough*)[again, plz insert admin warning for slight modification to my conversational techniques]
while, i would rather not tie her up with zip-ties and gut her(im talking about cars people! gimme a break!), i dont mind hammering out the sharp bits(ok, ok; might be talking about a woman here
)