well heres the story...i think my R had an attempted break in (read my other post) and ive always been parinoid about it...now this just put me over the edge....

i found a 99 M3 with 30k miles on it and they want $34000......i dont know if the M would be more of a theft problem than my R....my thinking is it wont because the only people around here are rice boys and only know about the type R they could care less about an M3....i think....what do you guys suggest i do i cant decide if the M would be worth it or just keep the R.....i love the R but dont want to have to deal with it being stolen.....

ooh just a funny story i went to a dealership that had the audi TT and i just wanted to take it for a test drive for the hell of it....but the guy wanted to estimate my car in trade in so i said what the heck go ahead....well he comes back and says we can give you 12,000 dollars for your car...WTF is that.....its a 2001 with 13800 miles on it...i know dealerships dont care about aftermarket stuff but that just pissed me off...and i got even more pissed cuz they didnt let me test drive the TT those bastards

 

They were just low balling you. Plus, dealers don't care if it is a limited edition car, etc.

You are much better off selling an ITR privately then you are trading it in.

 

Mods like AEM you can take off...a JDM front isnt so easy. Don't be surprised that a dealership wont give you much for that car, the JDM front end is a resale value-killer.

 

$34k is too much. 99 was the last year they made the E36, I think, and anyhow, in the last 2 years, you could get a fully loaded M for under $39k.

Both are nice cars, but different. It's all up to driver taste. If theft is an issue, then get the M, but if you go throwing in a bunch of stereo stuff, then it'll be a target too.

Warren

 

Ok,
I went through something similar when i bought my R. I was looking seriously at ITRs and E36 M3s, specifically 95s for OBDI tunability. On paper, the M3 is definately faster, stock for stock of course. The RWD is fun, but the FWD is definately better for any inclimate weather if thats an issue for you. Insurance shouldn't be super different, both will be pretty high. The M3 is a bit less flashy, which is a good thing in your situation cause it attracts less attention. i'd assume the M3 would be less likely to get stolen. But i think it really comes down to which one you like driving more. In my case i chose the ITR and would do some in a second. hope this helps.

 

yeah i know i wouldnt trade it in unless they were giving me 21k for it...but that would never happen i just wanted to see what they would offer...it was pretty funny....id rather sell it to someone else then give it to a dealer id get more money that way.....the guy that gave me that price i wasnt even going to buy the TT i just wanted to test drive one for fun...thats what we do when we get bored we go test drive stuff....not much else to do in delawhere?

 

The M3 is extremely cool. Tough call.

 

You're gonna pay extra ~$10k, so your car won't be stolen? As I always advocate, just rent a garage @ $30-40/month and buy a beater ($1500-$4000). Maybe money isn't a issue in this case, but it seems a bit over doing it (especially if you are not dying to buy an M3).

 

i went thought similar
when i traded the 325is for the ITR.

ITR is good for mods.
M3 is good for shows.

 

I'm facing the same problem. I cannot decide between an R or an M3. The general concensus that I've been hearing is that the M3 will out perform the R all around, which doesnt come as a shock to me. The only reason why I am still looking into the R is because its an excellent performer and at least $4k less than the average M3, thus putting it right in my price range.

If I do find an M3 that is within my price range though that is 96 or newer, I will most certainly get the M3. I drive my GS-R now and I get somewhat paranoid about leaving it in certain areas, so I'm really not sure if i'm going to be able to stomach the extra paranoia that comes with owning an R.

 

yeah ive always liked the M3 and ive always liked the R...now i just have a reason to get an M3 and i found one that is in mint condition body and engine wise.....but i still love the R, its quick, looks awesome, and i always get compliments.....but with the compliments comes the attention wether bad or good....and i just think sooner or later it will be gone becuase of some azz (knocks on wood hoping it wont ever be stolen)......i pretty much already could of bought an M3 with the money that ive put into the R but putting the mods on the R was fun and i love how it looks...its so hard to decide...i dont ever want to have to experience my R getting stolen....and if i got the M3 i wouldnt really mod it because everything is so damn expensive for a BMW....i dont know ill have to think it over some more

 

Think about it this way. How often are you really going to "drive" either car. I am not talking about daily driving (how much performance do you really need on a daily driver?), but actual use it in auto-x, track events, drivers schools etc. If you are planning to track the car more than 5 times a year, I'd stick w/ the R, otherwise the M3 is just fine. Don't get me wrong, the E36 M3 is a nice track car also, but its replacement parts are a little expensive.

 

alright i think i came to a decision.....i have to keep the R i love it to much...it would be like trading your kid in for a more expensive one.....and if it gets stolen than it does, and ill look for something else...but i pray it doesnt ever get stolen....i just couldnt sell it...its cheating on it even if im test driving another one for fun.....its kinda the same with girls...you cant say to a girl i was only sleeping with her for fun to see how she drove thanks for the replies