What would you do??

[hlmiii]

felixdahousecat -

I have been in your exact situation (well, almost - my Dad would never own an M3). I purchased a new E92 DCT for use in Houston. It is a near-perfect car for its goals - high speed agility, stability, quickness, and precision while at the same time ensuring comfort and user-friendliness. IMO it's the best of its heritage in succeeding at its reach.

My experience, though, is that it is not the best choice for street and city-freeway driving. It has to be pushed relatively hard and in the over-35 mph, over 3700 rpm range before it is in any way fun. Less than that and it is almost tiring in traffic - it is almost "not good" at daily driving. My M5 is better at that task.

Several months later I purchased a 135 with 6-speed. It immediately provided almost everything that the M3 didn't for this area. It is quick at agile at low speeds, it loves stop and go traffic, and it takes off immediately from a stop. I sold the M3 a few months later.

This says a lot to me: "I love the small car feel of my one." If that is true then I would bet that you won't love the feel of the M3 in the majority of your driving experiences. FWIW - when the 1M comes out, I will consider upgrading; as much as I love and admire the M3, I would not consider it for the same purpose as a 1.

Good luck.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by mtla4

LOL you guys are so offended easily. I'm amazed. Read again....The 1M or whatever you call it will probably be something like the E53 4.8IS X5 was a few years ago. It wasn't a true M car since it was an upgraded 4.4 X5(stroked+moving redline as the oil temp goes higher)...the new M1 will probably have an N54 or N55 and the M3 DOES not share it's engine with any other car in the line up...

I sold my 1er in order to get back in an high reving N/A car. I don't care for an any F/I car. I don't want an upgraded N55 or N54 I would have kept my 1er(with a tune) and upgrade suspension components with M1 parts since I don't care about visual appearance. I would have done my own weight reduction worst comes to worst and slapped an LSD.

Now if Bmw had slapped an engine based on the S65 minus 2 cylinders or something I would have maybe waited for the M1 or 1M M coupe who knows..


Thanks for reading properly

you should have written it properly from the beginning, so you would t have explained yourself. How was one to get that from a few sentences that you wrote. And that X5 you listed wasn't a true M Division product, this is. And the next M3 will have the S55 engine in it, yep, the 1M's engine will be the basis for the next M3. So, the M3 technically does share components of an existing model.
Face it, as more and more car manufacturers go FI, there will ve less and less high revving gas guzzling cars, even Ferrari is going FI for their Millechilli supercar.

[Dackelone]

Your decision should boil down to Handling, Steering and Throttle response. Do not think the M3 has nay more grunt or power than a stock 135i!

I can say that bc I have run into a few M3's on the Autobahn and everyone of them is surprised how our lowly ones can hang with them! It is a dead even match until 155mph (250kph). Where the M3 have a higher speed limitor(280 kph).

I know you have a 128i. But I though I would jus throw my two cents out there.

[JetBlackE46]

get the M3, if you're not totally satisfied with it go test the 1M. since you'll be getting such a good deal on the M3 you can alway sell it and possibly come out ahead. use those funds towards the 1M

[graider]

i think it depends on how much you drive in the city too. if you drive less than 1000 miles per month, I don't see much saving in gas there. So stick with the m3. But if you drive 4000 miles a month like me, then get something better on gas.