After about a decade of investing, I finally have enough money to buy a sports car. You can't even imagine how much I have anticipated the day I would have enough money to spend on a car like this. Needless to say, I want to make sure I make the correct decision regarding which car to purchase. I have it narrowed down to either a BMW M3 or Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe. Every time I see these cars, I melt. I am utterly obsessed with the M3. My friend has one and it is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen. Then there's the Porsche. How can you not love a car with the reputation of the 911. I love the looks of this car to the point of obsession as well. Now here's the dilemma...which to buy. I have a test drive of both scheduled for next week in Atlanta and will have to test both before making my decision, but what would you guys choose? I know they are both sports cars but, in terms of upkeep, which would be the least hassle? The Porsche's engine compartment appears to be very difficult to get at (from nonmechanics POV). I love both of these cars but only have enough $ for one. Could anyone provide some suggestions please? I know both are great cars, I just want to be sure to make the most of something I have worked so hard for. Thanks for your assistance.
The M3 is a more practical car with a half way reasonable back seat. There's not much work you can do on either car; however, it's probably true that when you need work done by a mechanic, it's going to be less expensive to work on the M3, because they won't have to drop the engine to do anything but change oil, filters and coolant...as in the 911.
The 911 is more "sports car", with a lower center of gravity, it will probably feel more sporting, but the M3 is no slouch either.
Depends on what you're looking for...either way, you can't go wrong.
I have a 2002 Carrera Coupe. Right now you can get big discounts on the
911 40th anniversary models. These are a nice car - the 345 HP engine option, turbo-look nose, lightweight wheels and some other nice bits. The next generation 911 (the 997) will start showing up at dealers in a month or so. The base Carrera will be at 325 HP (up from 320 in the current Carrera) and there will be a Carrera S at 355 HP. The 997 will have a front end and widebody rear that looks a little more like a 993 (the single headlight model that proceeded the current 996 Carrera) with the rest of the car looking like the 996. Reportedly the coefficient of drag is reduced to .28 (from the current .31).
The M3 is a terrific car, with a more usable back seat and trunk. I don't think BMW build quality is as good as Porsche (ones I've looked at had fender lines that didn't quite line up - little things like that). The M3 features free service during the warranty period, Porsche does not. You'll go through a set of rear tires on the Porsche in 8 to
15K miles or so, depending on how hard you drive. Fronts go twice as long, so you replace a complete set every other time.
The new 997 Carrera offers similar objective performance to the current
996 (Porsche lists the same acceleration and top speed figures). The new Carrera S will obviously have more punch with 355 HP, but the 345 HP 996 won't be far off. The anniversary model Carrera is a relative steal right now.
If you've dreamed of owning a Porsche, and get this close then settle on the BMW, you'll regret it. But if you're simply down to these two cars and neither has any particular emotional impact for you, the BMW will be cheaper to run in the long term and is a more practical car by virtue of its trunk and back seat. I like BMW, but I love the Carrera.......
I don't know what your needs are, but here are my thoughts: I drive BMW's (currently a 545i) but, in general, because I need a sedan that seats four. If that was not a requirement in my life I would be in a
911 (996 platform).
While the M3 is an unbelievably capable car, I think it's a fence sitter. Too small to be a functional 4 seater but a bit bloated to be a real sports car (400+ lb. heavier than the 911). By comparison to the 911 the M3 is almost a muscle car in that it will go straight faster, but won't keep up in the twisties.
For my money, and for what is available in the US today, I think nothing beats a 911 with a stick for pure driving fun. I've got a 3 car garage, but between me, my wife and daughter...it's full. But as soon as my daughter heads to college I'll have a 911 in that newly vacated garage spot.
That way I get the needed sedan and the desired sports car.
There is one HUGE thing not being talked about. Price! The M3 is $47,100, while the 911 is $21,500 more at $68,600. The M3 can be boosted to $60k with every single option selected, including the sequential gearbox, but could not do this with the Porsche since this portion of their site doesn't work. But, when I have looked at option prices for Porsche before, the cost is frightening.
I have a '98 M3 and found two surprises. One, if you buy parts on-line, the prices are cheap. Cheaper than for the same parts for my Honda. I needed a new radiator and that was less than $200. Synthetic oil from the dealer is about $5 a quart, the same as my local Wal-Mart. Some parts are expensive, but many are not. Secondly, I replaced the thermostat, waterpump, and radiator in my car, and it is not that hard. Some things are definitely shop-only, but the Porsche looks like it is shop all the time.
Both are excellent cars, but for $20,000 less, a likelihood of reduced maintenance costs, and roughly equal performance, I'd take the M3. By the way, the Porsche is 395 lbs. less than the M3.
Practicality is probably the only issue. Both will be fun, both will be fast, both will retain their values longer, it just depends on how much room you need. Dropping the Mrs. and kids off at the airport will be much easier in the BMW. My son is 4 months old, he won't be able to ride in my Porsche for at least another 3 years. I bet you can get a seat in the BMW.
Unless you can spring for the Ferrari 360 Modena. There's more than a little truth to the saying, "Once you drive a Ferrari, you stop visiting other showrooms."
Two different (and great) cars. The M3 is a highly capable sports sedan. The Porsche (two syllables BTW) is very much a sports car (and with few peers at that). The Bimmer is more comfortable (great seats), has somewhat better ergonomics and has more room ... it can genuinely seat four adults, if only for relatively short runs. The Porsche has superb handling and probably the best curb recognition on the planet.
Cost is a factor. The M3 runs in the mid 50's with most of its options. The Porsche starts around $75K, and you can easily run up another $5-10K or even more on the extensive option list.
Assuming your wallet doesn't care, let the test drive be your guide. The cars' character are easily discerned. Neither will disappoint.
< "Once you drive a Ferrari, you stop visiting other showrooms.">
I have spent many hours in the seat of a 308GTSi and a 348 Spyder. Not very impressive. Unless the very high priced Ferraris are completely different than the lower priced models, the phrase that comes to mind is the Ferrari is definitely "style over substance". They were two very pretty cars, but, very noisy and slower than you might think. Of every Italian car I have owned/driven, I had this rebuilt '73 Alfa Spyder that chirped in all 4 gears and was a rip to drive...
I like different cars for a lot of reasons, and one of them is quality of build and craftsmanship. My 308, while admittedly a more pedestrian Ferrari, was an eyesore with welds that wouldn't pass an apprentice test at your local Union hall. I haven't driven a Modena, but I have certainly crawled in and around one and the Italians still don't seem to have learned the art of craftsmanship, even though they have learned the art of automobile performance. To me all things have to go together though and passing the Ferrari showroom is easy given my history as a one time owner.
Some cars are simply too much, and Ferrari falls into this category for me. Porsche and select BMW's, Audi's and Merc's stay just this side of the "too much" line.
2005 may be the last year for the E46 M3. If resale value is any concern to you, there's some measurable risk that BMW *might* just get the next body design right (hey - they're *clearly* over due) which would surgically remove a good chunk of value from the old design...
dollars wise, fully loaded the M3 comes out to around 65k, whereas the 911 starts out in that price range. you can easily spend another 10-15k just to personalize it........and you will want to do this. if you can afford it, go for the 911.
my brother has a 2003 M3 bought in 12/2002. it needed a new transmission during the first 6 months. then the stick shift BROKE off in his hand while shifting. yes, BROKE off. the BMW service center said this is the first they have seen this. they said they have seen stick shifts come out of their place before, but never brake off. he has also had other small problems with the power windows and power door locks.
the car has been in for service at least once every 2 months. he decided to call BMW to complain, but they did not give a shit. their answer was "not all of our cars have problems like this."
i am not a BMW basher. i own a 2001 530i and my wife drives a 2002 X5. we have had no problems with these cars.
I own a 2002 Carrera Coupe. Right now you can get big discounts on the
911 40th anniversary cars. These are a nice car - 345 HP engine, turbo-look nose, lightweight wheels and some other nice bits. With the hardware alone, these cars are a relative steal at the discount price.
The M3 is a terrific car and has a more usable back seat and trunk. While the Porsche has a vestigial rear seat, the car is realistically a two seater for adult purposes. My impression is BMW build quality is not as good as Porsche - creases on fenders that don't quite line up, little stuff like that.
The BMW has free routine service during the warranty period, the Porsche does not. You'll go through a set of rear tires on a Carrera in 8 to 20K miles depending on how hard you drive. Fronts go about twice as long, so you get a complete new set every other time. I would expect the Porsche to be the more expensive car to maintain.
The new Carrera is due in a month or so. The standard car will have 325 HP (vs. 320 now) and Porsche reports the same acceleration and top speed for both models. There will also be a Carrera S with 355 HP (and $10K higher sticker)that will obviously have more punch than the standard car. The new Carrera has a front end and widebody that draw some styling cues from the 993 (the air-cooled 911 that preceeded the current 996.
If you have ever dreamed of owning a 911, you will regret getting the M3. But if you have no emotional ties to either car, the BMW is a more practical vehicle. Of course, practicality is pretty low on most folk's sports car criteria.
I like the BMW, but I love the Carrera. It does everything better and more viscerally than the M3 except haul more than two people and luggage.
Subj: BMW M3 or Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe ======================================================================
T> After about a decade of investing, I finally have enough money to T> buy a sports car. You can't even imagine how much I have T> anticipated the day I would have enough money to spend on a car T> like this. Needless to say, I want to make sure I make the T> correct decision regarding which car to purchase. I have it T> narrowed down to either a BMW M3 or Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe. T> Every time I see these cars, I melt. I am utterly obsessed with T> the M3. My friend has one and it is one of the most beautiful T> cars I have ever seen. Then there's the Porsche. How can you not T> love a car with the reputation of the 911. I love the looks of T> this car to the point of obsession as well. Now here's the T> dilemma...which to buy. I have a test drive of both scheduled for T> next week in Atlanta and will have to test both before making my T> decision, but what would you guys choose? I know they are both T> sports cars but, in terms of upkeep, which would be the least T> hassle? The Porsche's engine compartment appears to be very T> difficult to get at (from nonmechanics POV). I love both of these T> cars but only have enough $ for one. Could anyone provide some T> suggestions please? I know both are great cars, I just want to be T> sure to make the most of something I have worked so hard for. T> Thanks for your assistance.
While I can't speak for the BMW anything, having always owned Porsches, I can say that with the Porsche, you will have access to many online resources for parts, technical assistance, and lower priced, high quality OEM parts. The many Porsche tech groups and forums provide information and repair assistance for all models thus making turning your own wrenches and routine repairs an easy almost fun experience. The camaraderie among Porsche groups and owners creates a vast technical resource for the new owner.
I'm sure we all pity you in the predicament you've found yourself.
Drive each car and pick the one you get the biggest rush from and that fits youre personal style. Then don't spend the next few years second-guessing the choice. Unless you've done _really_ well and can get a new fun car every two years. Then what the heck?
Tyler: I've owned a BMW 325i and 3 Porsche 911s over the past few decades. I currently am perfectly happy driving a much less reliable, oversized kitcar, but you have defined your choice, and I'll address that in a minute. But first, I have a suggestion.
Looking at the tone of your post, it appears that you've worked hard for ten years, and have come up with a $70,000 budget or so. While that's admirable, I'm not reading that this will be easy money for you to replace. New cars depreciate generally speaking. Certain cars have different resale values, in case your dream doesn't measure up to your future wants or needs, and you need/want to re-sell.
I suggest you buy a newer pre-owned (used) vehicle, and let someone else take the "hit" of the initial depreciation.
Having said that, I believe that many people (I'm one of them) prefer an air cooled Porsche 911 over a water cooled. And while EXCELLENCE magazine has preached for years to purchase the latest model 911 you can afford, I would suggest buying the latest model of the discontinued air cooled 911 you can afford. That model line is the 993, and I personally believe it's re-sale value will hold up better than the 996 line over the next decade. I also believe that Porsche will be changing their body style, and going back to a 994 appearance, thereby differentiating the 911 line from the "poorer" Boxster (try a Boxster S on some twisty roads and the "poorer" part isn't quite as clear). I think this will further hurt the 996 line.
I'm a bit biased on the 3 series BMW. My 1988 325i's engine literally blew up at 38,000 miles, just 2 thousand miles outside of warranty, because the cam belt broke. Since the car was in for "everything" just before the warranty expired, at the dealer, and I could prove it, they covered most of the repairs (not fluids and belts). But I've always worried just a bit about the 3 series. I would think that for new M3 money, you could get a used M5. When you test drive the M3, why not see if the dealer has a three year old M5 on the lot, that you could purchase an extended warranty on? The M5 could grow with you if you have a family, or start to carry people as business customers, but has perhaps the best balance of any of the sedans in the world.
I used to buy new cars all the time. It made me feel good. This time around I bought my S Class Mercedes as a lease return, and my 96 Viper from a collector friend when it was time for him to update his collection. Both of my cars cost about what one of the new 911s will cost you (maybe slightly more but under $100,000 for both). Unless you badly desire to buy new, if money takes you a decade to come by, I'd stretch it as far as I could.
And if you DO want to spend $85,000 --- why not get a used Porsche 911 Turbo?? Faster than my Viper, with all the modern conveniences thrown in......... what a car!
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