Any ISSUES with lowering springs on track??

[Victorofhavoc]

I agree with all this.

But the car looks so damn good lowered just 1 inch lol.

I'm now actually curious about what effect the camber will have, and a roll bar. I'll do each individually to gauge the effect... pretty much just for fun. Then I'll do coils.

Unless I get bored and get a Blackwing or an M3... sadly I'm finding myself missing RWD lately but that has nothing to do with this car. Most likely I'm just hitting my usual 2 year cycle of wanting another car. I think an ideal solution is to just keep this one and buy a Miata, BRZ, or old Porsche or BMW.

I get that. It does look good lower.

Big beefy front bar will keep the front from rolling which reduces positive camber gain and gives more grip on the axle. Adding bar in rear keeps the weight transition down and reduce grip on that axle. It's what you want for rotation.

The downside is comfort. You lose compression range for individual side bumps and the car twists more. Chassis bracing will help in that department, but it does add weight.

The m3 is great. Heavy yes, but the fit and finish quality is very up there. Back seats and doors feel nicer than the front in the its. I also love all the color options. The reason I didn't jump ship recently was due to needing to blow another 8k$ in taxes and the massive depreciation on the its. Just can't justify it right now when I need to put nearly 3 times the difference into competing in 2025.

Miata. Is. Always. The. Answer.

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[Victorofhavoc]

@optronix , you've got less than 20 hours to make the best car decision of your life

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-bmw-m3-coupe-155/


I'd totally buy it, but I'd almost cry any time I want to drive it and I have no room for yet another toy. I'm still kicking myself for passing on a sedan e46 with 20k on the clock @35k$ at the start of 2021.

 

[optronix]

@optronix , you've got less than 20 hours to make the best car decision of your life

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-bmw-m3-coupe-155/


I'd totally buy it, but I'd almost cry any time I want to drive it and I have no room for yet another toy. I'm still kicking myself for passing on a sedan e46 with 20k on the clock @35k$ at the start of 2021.

I saw that. It's a nice car but no way am I spending new-ish 911 money on a 20 year old BMW.

Plus, I saw reference to this very car on I think Car and Driver, which only spreads awareness and drives the price up. I would not be surprised in the slightest if this thing floats over six figures.

Honestly I might go this direction:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2008-bmw-z4-m-coupe-27/

 

[Victorofhavoc]

I saw that. It's a nice car but no way am I spending new-ish 911 money on a 20 year old BMW.

Plus, I saw reference to this very car on I think Car and Driver, which only spreads awareness and drives the price up. I would not be surprised in the slightest if this thing floats over six figures.

Honestly I might go this direction:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2008-bmw-z4-m-coupe-27/

I've driven the roadster version of the z4m and I LOVED it! If you think the its is a momentum car, that giant nosed z4 will throw you! It loves to be chucked in and then forced around with the throttle. It's definitely a "drift me angry" kind of car.

The z3m that came with the later gen engine making more power was even more of a hoot. Out of all the cars I've ever driven, that's the only one that ever truly put fear into me.

 

[RamVA]

I think the E46 M3 is overrated, and I've had one. It drives heavy, doesn't sound that great, kinda boring power delivery. I also had do redo all the rubber in the suspension because it's a BMW. I think the E92 M3 (or even the 335i) is better to drive, they feel 300 lbs lighter. (They are heavier.)

The Z4M coupe is fine, but you can't see out of it. It's maddening, worse than a Camaro. (I may still have a Z3M coupe in my future, those are dope. I regret not buying one when they were in the teens.)

 

[optronix]

I agree on the E46, I love those cars but nostalgia has really propelled them into S tier status where I don't think they really truly belong. I had an E36 M3 and if they didn't start falling apart in the 2010s they'd be a really great platform too. You can still get them relatively cheap but you get what you pay for... but back to the E46, it will also start to fall apart at around the 30k mile mark because the car is still old even without high mileage. And while it absolutely moved the needle for performance when it was released, there are just better options out there for that kind of scratch IMHO.

The Z4M is intriguing to me because I actually wasn't aware it existed until recently lol. And the prices as you can see are not too hateful for what would be a very fun car with not-too-crazy expectations...

But honestly, I keep being called to an F87 M2. I'd love to find a way to splurge for a CS- I personally think it's the single best-looking car BMW has ever made- but it's too tough to justify nearly six figures for. And the F8x cars are actually even semi-reliable! But an OG M2- or if I happen to land a couple huge deals or get lucky in the stock market an M2 Competition- can be had for an attainable amount and offer tons of fun.

Other F8x M cars are also on the table. I LOVED the F82 M4 I had... but I think the M2 is actually a little better to drive.

But I think the ideal "2nd car" for me still points back to a 997 or 991 911. Last I checked prices are starting to get back to reality even though there probably isn't much separation between a clean 997.2 and a decent 991.1... but for around $70-80k I'd have a car that pretty much checks all the boxes. Add to the fact you can get OEM+ Apple CarPlay in a 997 and that's still my target.

The last kid is wrapping up his first semester of his sophomore year, so no later than this time 2 years from now I'll revisit this discussion lol.

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