picking up a 03m3,smg

[2bmwguy]

I want a m3 not a 330.and I rather have two M's than one mint 330.

[lvan]

I would not even test drive that M3 when I saw that wheel. This must be some sort of joke. . An 330Ci is also overkill for Toronto when you see that this city is drowning in traffic, and no soultions on a hirozon.....

[2bmwguy]

That wheel is fixed !! Go there and see for your self.and!!! I'm not entering it a car show.

[2bmwguy]

it's still a m3. And it's going to be mine this weekend.

[T.Dot_E30]

Looks like it could use some TLC, but if you are handy, it shouldn't be a problem bringing it back up to shape.

Originally Posted by ac_2007

I will never be buying an SMG, and this is the car which convinced me against it.

Any particular reason why? IMO it's a better compromise than a fully automatic car for those come from a manual but need a semi auto for other reasons. At slow speeds it isn't as good as a dual clutch, but your also not getting a dual clutch performance car around this price point. If you are coming from an automatic, then I understand why you wouldn't like it.

For less than $20k, there really isn't a better sequential gearbox in a car that offers this much performance. Anything else and your stuck with an auto. I didn't mind it and was looking for an SMG car so my wife could drive it. I couldn't find an e46 in a color combo I wanted or I would have bought one. Now im looking for something newer.

[2bmwguy]

I have a 6 speed car,and I liked my buddys smg .so just wanted one .but not to brake the bank.

[propr'one]

i disagree with what most of the people posted in this thread.

i bought one of my recent cars quite cheap cause it needed some work. all said and some, i did lots of the work myself, i have a great mechanic i trust 100% to do the rest, and now i have a car that is worth a fair bit more than i have in it.

s54's are bulletproof, outside of the vanos cam failure and bearings in the bottom end. if you are looking for a showcar you would've bought something else. if you just want something fast to bomb around in, you're in a good way. just make sure the SMG is good, cause that can be a huge expense right up front.


BTW i've seen a few e46 m3's sell on ebay for 8-10K US. I promised myself something AWD for winter, though.

[2bmwguy]

Exactly!! I just wanna rip,not look gay about it.

[2bmwguy]

And BTW some here may know I have 2 little kids ,two mortgage,so...I'm good with my cars.

[bmwm5lover]

Enjoy it, sometimes people do not want the "creme-de-la-creme" because they know it will be used heavily and eventually get scuffed up, dinged up, etc.

I've driven 2 SMG cars, e60 550iMsport and e60 M5 and I absolutely HATED it other than the fact it felt really cool to shift F1 style. To each their own.

[T.Dot_E30]

Originally Posted by bmwm5lover

I've driven 2 SMG cars, e60 550iMsport and e60 M5 and I absolutely HATED it other than the fact it felt really cool to shift F1 style. To each their own.

Saying you hate something without stating why is a pretty useless comment, just sounds like your jumping on the hate bandwagon

[E36&8]

Good price! I am sure this one is Made in Germany!!

[2bmwguy]

Originally Posted by E36&8

Good price! I am sure this one is Made in Germany!!

Lol.thx

[ac_2007]

Originally Posted by T.Dot_E30

Looks like it could use some TLC, but if you are handy, it shouldn't be a problem bringing it back up to shape.



Any particular reason why? IMO it's a better compromise than a fully automatic car for those come from a manual but need a semi auto for other reasons. At slow speeds it isn't as good as a dual clutch, but your also not getting a dual clutch performance car around this price point. If you are coming from an automatic, then I understand why you wouldn't like it.

For less than $20k, there really isn't a better sequential gearbox in a car that offers this much performance. Anything else and your stuck with an auto. I didn't mind it and was looking for an SMG car so my wife could drive it. I couldn't find an e46 in a color combo I wanted or I would have bought one. Now im looking for something newer.

This is the second SMG I’ve driven. Both were similar experiences, although the first M3 I test drove was under better conditions. (open road, little traffic, more time since not on my lunch break) Now, granted there is definitely a learning curve and certain “tricks” an SMG driver will learn over time, the whole design seems like a one-off concept in its infancy. Having the flappy paddles turn WITH the wheel was one of my biggest pet peeves, and a major design flaw in my opinion. It creates confusion, and difficulty for a driver to adjust to one shifting method (paddles VS shifter).

Auto mode as I’m sure 9/10 M3 drivers agree is abysmal, jerky, and unpredictable given the many driving situations one faces on a daily basis.
Even in a normal S3-S4 mode, SMG will be occasionally annoy you with a lurch or jerk when you’re just trying to drive leisurely.
Taking off quickly from a standstill can prove to be dangerous as the driveline isn’t as responsive. There are many scenarios I could divulge.

I didn’t mention the expensive ~3k pump repair that is a given with this technology, on top of the clutch/flywheel which can easily be damaged by someone unfamiliar with how a manual gearbox works.

If I wanted a compromise, dual-clutch gearboxes are readily available in GTI’s, and they work flawlessly.
That said, I understand the desire it fulfils to throw it into auto mode for city driving, and also the enthusiast mindset that “I have an actual manual gearbox in there”.
To each their own.

[Blades]

Originally Posted by T.Dot_E30

Saying you hate something without stating why is a pretty useless comment, just sounds like your jumping on the hate bandwagon

No Clutch ..