Well, I had an 02 M3 with SMG and xenon, no sunroof, cloth seats, pretty much a stripper. Loved that car, tracked it often back in the pre baby scud days. Too bad it was totalled for me by a dealership joyride.

Last year, I ordered one of the last E90 M3 with manual, no sunroof, manual cloth seats, ZCP, NAV and SAT thinking I am keeping it for the long haul since it's the last of the NA M3.

It was such a disappointing car to drive that I lease transferred it out after less than a year.

First of all, the clutch! I don't understand why BMW must make their clutch so soft nowadays that if you are used to driving cars with real clutch like the E36 M3, 996 GT2, E30 325is, that you will basically put your foot through the floor board. Please BMW, you obviously are capable of making clutches that can do fast take up with decent feedback, like the E36 M3, the E30, or even the E39 M5, GET BACK TO MAKING THAT KIND OF CLUTCH.

That's not even the worse of it. Even with the enthusiast spec of no sunroof and cloth manual seats, the car was way too heavy. Now, I also had an E39 M5, so I don't have anything inherently against heavy cars. What I do have a problem with is a heavy car that can't get out of its own way.

Yes it has 400HP, but it BARELY has any more torque than the E46 M3 that weighs HUNDREDS of pounds less.

End result? It feels like a dim witted slow steering and even slower seat of the pants acceleration POS.

I know in real life the car is about on par with the E39 M5 in terms of performance. But the M5 was much more fun to drive because I can fling that thing around with my right foot at any moment thanks to its torque. Basically, the S65 in the M5 makes it feel like you are driving a smaller car. The E90 M3 makes it feel like you are driving a way bigger car because it simple cannot keep up with the heft of the car.

The E90 even with DSC off has so little torque that you have to really beat on the car to get any semblence of oversteer, think redlining it in 1st, which is ridiculous. And since it's so heavy, I felt like I constantly have to rev the living daylight out of the thing to get the car going, even on the street.

Now that I have been driving the 14K mile 06 M3 ZCP manual that I just bought for a few weeks, I am even more convinced that getting rid of the E90 M3 was the right move.

High revving low torque engine only works when you have a light-ish car. The E46 M3 fits that perfectly, and so, is a very fun car to get up and go.

The E90 M3 is not that, and so, the high revving engine fails miserably in it. If the E90 M3 had came with a modernized S65 from the E39 M5, it would have been a winner. As it is configured, it is an unmitigaged disaster.

The E46 M3 is just as good as I remembered the second time around. And with the armrest delete and combi cocoro, the car can carry 2 adults and 2 kids if need be. In fact, other than having to sit up straighter, there's plenty of leg room for the front passenger.

 

After having a brief ride in an E90 M3, I can honestly say my M5 just felt faster. It probably doesn't make sense on paper, but there may be something to it.

The E39 had the S62 engine, 400hp / 380tq. The S65 in the E90 trades torque for horsepower, and it seems as though it doesn't translate well in the slightly lighter package of the M3.

Moral of the story: Shoulda' kept the E39 M5!

 

Um, the M5 was taken from me in an accident.

BMW really should have modernized the S62 motor and put it in the E9x M3 and called it a day, would have been a sweet package. But they didn't.

And now it is far too old that if you want a decent one you basically have to plop down 15K of your own cash, which is one year of F10 M5 lease payments, which means it no longer makes financial sense to get another mint E39 M5.

I am very much digging my 14K mile M3 ZCP though. And would you believe it, it has awesome NADA number that banks will basically write a 100% loan on low mile E46 M3's.

 

E46 m3 ftw!

 

Took my friend's e46 m3 for a McDonald's run last night. Such an effortless drive. I think it will always be the m3 to me.

 

We agree the E90 I had was so so boring, my 06 E46 ZCP was a far better and more engaging car it was silver, no sunroof and was so enjoyably light and toss-able. The 8 cyl in the E90 barley has any low end kick and was so heavy feeling... good move. Sad thing was that ZCP got traded for a pig of a BMW 550 which I hated...what was I thinking.

 

e46 m3 really was an incredible machine. I like your choice to go back and get a mint example, really a great car.

 

Very interesting read, Stuka. I agree to the fullest extent. The E90 simply does not offer the same soul or character as the good old E46. The E46 M3 has always been one of my favorite cars ever. I am still looking for my first car, and the M3's seem to have depreciated a lot recently. So much in fact that I could actually afford to purchase one as of now. As the M3 has been one of my dream-cars since the age of 14, its very tempting - however, I'm not sure I could afford the ownership - hence I will most probably settle for a Z4 3.0 or 330ci. Either way, I will own an E46 M3 in the next few years.

 

Whoever drives the current M3 must have absolutely no understanding of what 'purity' actually means. Those cars are hellagay and BMW ///M is dead as shit.

Could a couple modifications to the current M3 turn it around...HELL NO, its banished to a life of limp-wristed uselessness.

Preach on my fellow purist, preach on!!!

 

Doesn't The JC drive the current M3?