[Pretender]

I'm looking at ~$50k car.

[MMVI]

M3 Every time.

[astra]

m3 for sure

[bimmer4me]

335i coupe with a M3 badge.

[Booster]

I have been asking the same question to myself for a month now.....

Would be sweet to have an "M" in the garage for obvious reasons, but I miss having boost and tuning turbo cars, so the 335 is so tempting.

[andrew 330i]

i had an e46 M3 for over 2 years... kinda getting dated now imo.

i'd go for the 335i... its more practical... quick and the latest body design.

but that's is just me.

[E90Boy]

turbos, new body style :rocks:

[Booster]

Originally Posted by andrew 330i

i had an e46 M3 for over 2 years... kinda getting dated now imo.

i'd go for the 335i... its more practical... quick and the latest body design.

but that's is just me.

Well, when you're ready to sell yours, gimme a call. Alpine white with the 19's is just what I'm lookin for.

[bimmer4me]

I'd take the new body style, newer technology and turbos over the additional 30 horses and LSD.

[carnuts3]

Unless your a classic car enthusiast - go for the NEW!

[E90Fleet]

Well the E46 M3 Coupe ends production this month, long before the 335i coupe is available.

So all you could get when the 335i Coupe is out is a 2nd hand M3

[Traceaz]

Hey Pretender, I struggled with the same dilemma for a few months, about 2-4 months ago. The 2005 E46 ZCP M3 used for about 50k or a 335i coupe. I really liked the Interlagos Blue ones.

The way I looked at the comparison, the E46 M3's were great cars, but they were still a body design that was on the way out. They were first released in 2001, meaning this car was designed in the late 90's. I really liked everything about the E46 M3 design, but it was starting to look dated. Plus, I figure, the car has been largely unchanged since coming out in 2001. That being the case, if I bought a new car, I was planning on keeping it 3 to 5 years, and if I thought the E46 M3 was starting to show its age now, then it would REALLY start to look antiquated over the next 3-5 years I planned to own my car. Plus, I had an issue with paying that much for a car that was designed a good 6-9 years ago, and then I own for another 3 to 5 after that. I figure technology and engine improvements and design has all improved in the last 7-8 years, so why pay a premium for a car using antiquated technology. Surely there have been improvements over the last several years and I'd want the "latest and greatest" in options and technology and engine and design when I bought my car. People already think of the E46 M3 as the "old M3" out there now, and the E90 M3 isnt even out yet. Plus, new options like full ipod integration and comfort access and having a nav screen that will show mp3 information without all the issues and having to get an aftermarket part like an icelink as a temporary work-around, etc. I knew the 335i was coming soon, but didnt know much else for a few months.

I ended up holding off because I wanted to see what the body style would look like on the E92 335i though first (it was hard to hold off and wait though), and then decide. I figured if I didnt like the direction BMW was taking, M3 prices were likely to drop once the new 335i coupe came out anyway due to the new bodystyle. I also wrestled with the idea of a Cayman S, the CTS-V, and waiting for a Lexus IS500 to come out.

Ultimately though when I saw the pics back on April 21 of the E92 335i coupe, my question was answered. It looked incredible I thought! That ended up making my decision for me. I'm so happy now that I waited! While I'd really like LSD on the 335i and the thought of owning a more limited production car like an M, those were the only 2 missing pieces. The 335i offered so much more with the new twin turbo engine, and I liked the fact that it has almost 40 more lbs of torque than the outgoing M3, and a wider usable range, too. Additionally, a simple ECU chip and I bet we see 30-40 hp gains for very cheap. Plus, in real world usable speed as a daily driver, the 335i should win as well, such as 30-50 and 50-70 acceleration. Plus the new interior looks better, I like that the rear searts are designed better for 4 (you never get 5 in the backseat of the E46 M3 anyway, unless they are small children), plus the 335i will have more space on the inside as well compared to the E46 M3 (the 335i is 4.4 inches longer, 1 inch wider, .2 inches taller, and has a 1.3 inch longer wheelbase). So, likely to have a little more interior space across the board and a couple extra inches of knee room in the back is always welcome!

Lastly, I think the performance of the 335i will be incredible.

Here are the official 0-1000m times:

2006 E46 BMW M3 smg/manual: 24.2 seconds
2007 E92 BMW 335i manual: 24.5 seconds
2007 E92 BMW 335i auto: 24.6 seconds
2007 BMW 650i auto: 24.5 seconds

Pretty nice, only .3 seconds slower from 0-1000 meters. Plus, all the power in the 335i is usable from 1400 rpm to 5000 rpm. If you've ever driven an M3, you know that in those cars, all the power is at the very peak and you really dont get or feel much of it till you are 5000 rpms and well above, so its pretty high-strung. Still love the engine, but I think the 335i is even better, and clearly more easier to mod.

335i all the way man, way too many improvements in the 335i across the board. Unless you just want to say you "own an M3" and don't care about the rest.

[David328M-Sport]

335. after all, we are e90 fans, arent we.

[Hunter399]

e92 in a second

[sblument]

M3 is too extreme for daily driving in the great frozen upper midwest. Suppose it would be more fun in CA. Standard 3 with ZSP is enough for most enthusiast drivers who also have to communite to work in their cars.

[Brunotheboxer]

thats a good question. to me it depends on how you are going to use the car, but i have always been partial to the M3 and consider this one of the best cars for the money. the 335i is a more practical car but the M3 will out perform it in pretty much every aspect.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by TracerHawk

The way I looked at the comparison, the E46 M3's were great cars, but they were still a body design that was on the way out. They were first released in 2001, meaning this car was designed in the late 90's.

Actually, the E46 body was designed far earlier as it was introduced onto the market as a 1999 model in 1998. That means it was designed in the mid 1990s at the latest.

[///MWA]

335i

[0700700]

335i.. sorry

[phrozen06]

I'll take the 335i, I already own an e46 body. I do plan testdriving it in september. I might not be able to hold out and just buy the 335i. Can you image conforti software which increases the boost pressure of the twin turbo's. You'll be at 350hp easily.

[blackE90]

this is easy to answer...wait til the 335i is out and available for test drive.

Test drive the cars back to back (335i/M3), then you will know which one you prefer and any anxiety you may have over the decision will be settled.


but for my money id go for the 335i or wait for the new m3...old m3 is fast but old m3 is just that old

[younghov85]

M3, bc with every brand new moedl of a car, in its first year it has the most problems and as time progresses the error will be corrected. The M3 has all its errors corrected and IMO it looks better.