Pics of my new M3
- Thread starter brahtw8
- Start date
After a bit of google research, it appears my car is an early 2003.5, which started with the 5/03 production run. The 2003.5 changes include LED rear lights, an OEM strut tower brace, extended trunk lid and perhaps a later production run of the engine, although I believe the same potential problems exist.
This is widely considered an authoritative site on the model changes by year:
http://m3.madrussian.net/modelchanges.shtml
This is widely considered an authoritative site on the model changes by year:
http://m3.madrussian.net/modelchanges.shtml
Awesome motor braht. I really, REALLY have a lot of time for the E46 M3. So subtle, yet so muscular. What sort of mileage is on your car? Did you plump for the manual gearbox?
I remember when I drove one the gearlever was tall, and the throw was L-O-N-G but bloody hell, did it feel great swapping those cogs at 7,500rpm [headbang]. Nice heavy gearbox with plenty of feel is what I concluded. Congrats on the acquisition.
I remember when I drove one the gearlever was tall, and the throw was L-O-N-G but bloody hell, did it feel great swapping those cogs at 7,500rpm [headbang]. Nice heavy gearbox with plenty of feel is what I concluded. Congrats on the acquisition.
I see. I remember years ago I sat in an M3 and I thought the clutch was incredibly stiff. I really like the clutch of my G, I find it to be stiffer than a 330Ci and an Audi S4, but it is just right for a sporty car. Your leg gets used to it fast...I am pretty sure the M3's clutch is even stiffer than the G35C. I am not a pretty small guy too, only 5'7" and 140lbs but it helps me out sooo much that I am a lefty.
Tom said:
Awesome Ryan, so give us the comparo between the M3 and NSX. ![[:p]](/images/smilies/tongue.png "Stick Out Tongue [:p]")
The M3 feels (and is) faster below 60mph than my NSX. Above 60 MPH, they feel pretty equal. The M3 has a torque advantage, but the NSX has a gearing advantage at high speeds. 0-100 MPH my money is on the M3. 100-170 MPH I'll take the NSX.
The steering on the M3 is nice and direct. It reminds me of the NSX, but the NSX has a bit more feel as a result of the lack of power steering.
This is where the similarity ends. They are very different to drive. Being mid-engined, with the engine behind your head and being only a few inches off of the ground makes the perspective from the NSX much different. The car feels like it envelopes you and you feel very connected to the NSX.
The M3 is very good for a car with a back seat and a trunk. It is probably the closest thing you can get to an NSX that has a back seat and a trunk.
The NSX gearbox is great. Very crisp and short throws. The M3 desparately needs a SSK and (to a lesser extent) the removal of the clutch-delay valve.
The C30A in the NSX likes to rev more than the S54 in the M3. The C30A feels like it could rev to 9500 (and can with nothing more than a chip, 10,500 RPM will bend valves). The S54 keeps pulling strong to its 7900 RPM redline, but I don't have as much confidence in taking the S54 beyond 7500 RPM.
I am worried that the S54 failures are the result of crank vibration at high RPM, which appears to be an inherent design flaw that can't be corrected. The crank is simply too long, given that the engine is an inline six of 3.2 liters.
Can anyone think of an engine with a similarly long crank, i..e inline of 3.2 liters or a V-configuration of 2x that displacement, that revs to 8000 RPM or even close? I can't think of anything off hand . . .