Desired M Cars

[TurboLlew]

There is just something special about that F1 inspired engine. Even Srethen admitted that his E60 has dethroned his E39 M5.

Prices for M6s seems to be attractive vs M3 prices though you might be in for some hectic spend in repairs & maintenance.

Do it!

Honestly its hard to comment on cars that one had seat time in only for the simple reason of “Access” hence reading and research is our new friend. As an example, I have good seat time in F90 pre LCI, but none in F10…..so end up going with the many youtube reviews and articles to form an idea of what its like. The only Ferrari I have seat time in, is a 458 but you must hear my opinions on 488 ….

The noise is a key factor in all of these experiences. Nearly ALL the appeal is in that V10 wail and the very linear power delivery that only an NA car can really do.

Even people who have moved from the 458 to the 488 seem to miss it because of the noise. We are just wired in a certain 'primal' way to respond to certain things. We try to find a more sophisticated thing to find appealing about things, but the reality is that it's usually the most obvious things that create the initial reaction (and @Eust this also goes beyond cars )

I think that in our current reality though 'research and reading' can be weaponised against us... or at the very least end up being unreliable as people generate drama and go through these 'epiphanies' in a scripted way to generate more content year on year. The influencer culture is just 'vrot' whatever way you look at it. We have covered this elsewhere.

 

[TBP88]

Assuming a top 5 of what I'd want to actually own (assuming I get to keep my existing car)

E46M3 wagon (do a build)
E39M5 wagon (do a build)
E92M3 with an N54 swap + built engine.
F80M3 (probably one of the many, many special versions they released, but much of a muchness really).
F87M2comp DCT (great usable every day sportscar, just let me wrap it and get some funky interior mods done somehow!)

 

[Mytfine]

Assuming a top 5 of what I'd want to actually own (assuming I get to keep my existing car)

E46M3 wagon (do a build)
E39M5 wagon (do a build)
E92M3 with an N54 swap + built engine.
F80M3 (probably one of the many, many special versions they released, but much of a muchness really).
F87M2comp DCT (great usable every day sportscar, just let me wrap it and get some funky interior mods done somehow!)

Im getting old, i would have everyone one of my M cars stock standard flaws and all. Once you put finger, it will never stop, there will always be a piece missing or some tuning to do.

 

[individj]

E28 M5, E30 325is, E46 M3csl, E92 M3comp, M6 V10, 1M

 

[1 Eyed Monkey]

E36 M. In red. 2door. Please.

Strangely, I'd love to own a e28 535i over an M5. Also in red. Maybe its because I know how scarce M5's are?

 

[zabbo]

So I have my 2nd e46 M3 after having many e36s (none of which were an M-version), some of which include a 325i Track Car and a nicely fettled 328i Individual.

After selling my first e46 M3 (2004 in manual with 30k kms), which was a short lived love affair of 2 years as a daily, I always wanted to get back into one. Took me 12 years before I bought my second one being a 2002 SMG variant with 140k kms, which needed lots of cosmetic TLC and is being used as a weekend warrior. Its 3 years of ownership now with a couple of niggles but I am one very happy chappy! The obvious allure of this car to me is that timeless design, build quality and that S54 rasp which I absolutely love.

It is by far not the quickest car around and my slightly tweeked F30 320i Daily feels that much quicker overall :-( But if I had to choose between the 2, the M-car would win every time. The older generation cars just cannot compete performance wise with the newer cars. But they beat them hands down from an experience and driver engagement perspective.

I had the opportunity to drive in an e46 M3 CSL not too long ago (perhaps it is even the one that was discussed here) and as special a car that it is, does it provide 4 times the thrill of a normal M3 .... definitely not!! Don't get me wrong, its a very special car and I am sure that if we could all afford one we would have them without thinking twice. But there were only a handful in the country and therefore the current prices are crazy.

The e30 M3 was always lusted over probably because we didn't have them but if I was offered one today I would probably not take it over a 325iS. The e36 M3 is where the real love of BMW started and I was converted!! Never quite liked the e92 except for that beautiful sound but the more I see the new models, the more I want an e92 M3 - go figure. The newer models are very exciting and capable cars but they some how lack the appeal of the older M cars.

My Top 5 list would therefore be:
e46 M3 CSL
e36 M3 Coupe
e60 M5
e92 M3 Comp
F87 M2 CS

 

[gavsadler]

For me, there are a few that stand out:

• E39 M5: A super saloon. 300kw back in the day. Brilliant advertising (the filming rig for the land speed vehicle on the dried lake bed), and stories of 4 beefy guys in an M5 keeping superbikes honest on the highway at illegal speeds.
• E46 M3 CSL: This was my poster car in the bedroom. I loved how they made it a more focussed car, small tweaks here and there from the mechanical side, through to bodywork and so on. It's stunning. And that sound....
• E82 1M: I remember stumbling across some posts on the interwebs, where a 135i had been butchered with wide plastic fenders screwed onto it. That would be the start of an epic machine. I love the looks, and how it was a frankenstein of some of the best parts from BMW.
• E90 M3: enough said. My detailed review is in my own thread on this car.

This would be my dream garage from BMW. (it is somewhat, albeit in 1:18 scale at present).

Honorable mentions:

• Z3 M Coupe: I loved these when they were launched, purely because they were different. It's not pretty of beautiful by any means, but it's just a cool car. Although at 1.91m tall, getting into one, let alone driving one would be comical at best.
• E36 M3: The first M3s on local soil. I loved the 2dr in Avus Blue, and even Dakar Yellow was a Treat, then it got better with the 4dr which came with more power and sleeper looks.
• E46 M3: As per above, just down a couple of clicks, still a beautiful car in all aspects. I enjoyed this era of squeezing everything possible out of N/A motors. Yes, compared to modern cars, it's pedestrian, but a 252kw M3 compared to a 170kw 330i was remarkable.
• E60 M5: V10 power, huge step up from the E39, but a bigger car too, and a more complicated transmission. Looks are polarising.
• F10 M5: Twin-Turbo power for the super saloon, levelled up again. Stupendously fast.
• F80 M3, I like the looks, the big arches and it probably goes like stink (I have yet to drive one / get a ride in one), but the soundtrack is underwhelming for me. Power is also getting to almost unusable levels for the street (yes, I'm getting old and complaining about going fast, haha)
• F87 M2: The OG M2 with the N55 motor. Looks great, sounds great, goes great.
• G80 M3: a technological tour de force. Stupendous in all aspects, except 1 looks / design elements are not my taste at all.

 

[TBP88]

For me, there are a few that stand out:

• E39 M5: A super saloon. 300kw back in the day. Brilliant advertising (the filming rig for the land speed vehicle on the dried lake bed), and stories of 4 beefy guys in an M5 keeping superbikes honest on the highway at illegal speeds.
• E46 M3 CSL: This was my poster car in the bedroom. I loved how they made it a more focussed car, small tweaks here and there from the mechanical side, through to bodywork and so on. It's stunning. And that sound....
• E82 1M: I remember stumbling across some posts on the interwebs, where a 135i had been butchered with wide plastic fenders screwed onto it. That would be the start of an epic machine. I love the looks, and how it was a frankenstein of some of the best parts from BMW.
• E90 M3: enough said. My detailed review is in my own thread on this car.

This would be my dream garage from BMW. (it is somewhat, albeit in 1:18 scale at present).

Honorable mentions:

• Z3 M Coupe: I loved these when they were launched, purely because they were different. It's not pretty of beautiful by any means, but it's just a cool car. Although at 1.91m tall, getting into one, let alone driving one would be comical at best.
• E36 M3: The first M3s on local soil. I loved the 2dr in Avus Blue, and even Dakar Yellow was a Treat, then it got better with the 4dr which came with more power and sleeper looks.
• E46 M3: As per above, just down a couple of clicks, still a beautiful car in all aspects. I enjoyed this era of squeezing everything possible out of N/A motors. Yes, compared to modern cars, it's pedestrian, but a 252kw M3 compared to a 170kw 330i was remarkable.
• E60 M5: V10 power, huge step up from the E39, but a bigger car too, and a more complicated transmission. Looks are polarising.
• F10 M5: Twin-Turbo power for the super saloon, levelled up again. Stupendously fast.
• F80 M3, I like the looks, the big arches and it probably goes like stink (I have yet to drive one / get a ride in one), but the soundtrack is underwhelming for me. Power is also getting to almost unusable levels for the street (yes, I'm getting old and complaining about going fast, haha)
• F87 M2: The OG M2 with the N55 motor. Looks great, sounds great, goes great.
• G80 M3: a technological tour de force. Stupendous in all aspects, except 1 looks / design elements are not my taste at all.

Z3MC also worth a mention. Especially clean and stock S54 ones, not the horrible modded ones we got (those rims )

 

[FiRi@Rennzport]

Any M


Thanks and regards


They all have something to offer and everyones balls will tingle a different way for each of them.

All that I want is an honest car that is reliable.

When I hear how far is the breakfast so we can calculate mileage to be driven...I wanna klap mense.

Okay bye.

Sent from my SM-S928B using Tapatalk

 

[M3boi]

Very much on my "must own" list. Don't think I'll buy another M car until I can find the right Z3M Coupe.

 

[GravityLee]

Very much on my "must own" list. Don't think I'll buy another M car until I can find the right Z3M Coupe.

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That’s “the one that got away” for me.

On the topic of desired/desireable Ms, I’m glad that I owned the ones which are today considered “classics” when they were current. They satisfied both the tech geek and a sporty driving enthusiast in me.

 

[TBP88]

Very much on my "must own" list. Don't think I'll buy another M car until I can find the right Z3M Coupe.

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View attachment 22217

Overseas they were lucky enough to get non-M Z3Cs, I think the last of the line had M54B30s in them, that would be a great, great daily. Roof racks for more boot space, dogs in the back, super reliable engine...

 

[VinceM]

Quite a few Z4 Ms popped up on FB Marketplace


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Alex/M5]

It's easy to start worshipping performance numbers as they do make a difference. I am guilty of doing this.
However, at the end of the day everything is relative. An objectively fast car like an M240i will feel insane if you're used to driving a Suzuki Swift, then you'll get used to the acceleration of an M240i and it wont feel so insane anymore. Next you will drive a 720s and the process will just repeat itself. You basically become an addict to feeling that "put you back in the seat experience" and need that main line injection lol. I have a friend that takes his superbikes on track and has owned some of the most extreme power-to-weight ratio bikes out there and even he says you get used the acceleration.

My point (all be it...subjective) is that you can keep chasing the acceleration but you will never be satisfied. Personally I find solace in driving a car that produces decent handling and acceleration (at least in my opinion) and gives me the right vibe and level of driver engagement to keep me from getting bored. Maybe the Miata crowd knows something we don't haha.

Honestly, I'm going to die on this hill. The e34 M5 is absurdly undervalued. Paul Rosche developed engine, rarity, and last "hand assembled" M car. It's enough speed for me and I am astounded at how well a 1700kg car can dance through the twisties. The S38 is a special engine and sounds incredible with a decent exhaust. The car has heaps of character and the whole 90s vibe is just impossibly cool. They look great too, especially in darker colors. Good luck finding a water pump for it though.

My dream M cars in no particular order:
e36 M3 3.2
e34 M5
e39 M5
e23 745i (m88+mt)
e30 m3
e60 m5
M1

 

[Mytfine]

I really want a CSL but not for nissan gtr/911 money.

In 2008 i was going to purchase a grey csl with 5000km for 500k but the wife decided for the 1st time that she would like to get involved in the choosing of my next vehicle so i ended up with an H3 hummer 😂.

Hummer pulled out of the country 6 months later and i lost i think close to 150k and i never get my M3 i always wanted, and think i would still have had.😥

 

[Mytfine]

It's easy to start worshipping performance numbers as they do make a difference. I am guilty of doing this.
However, at the end of the day everything is relative. An objectively fast car like an M240i will feel insane if you're used to driving a Suzuki Swift, then you'll get used to the acceleration of an M240i and it wont feel so insane anymore. Next you will drive a 720s and the process will just repeat itself. You basically become an addict to feeling that "put you back in the seat experience" and need that main line injection lol. I have a friend that takes his superbikes on track and has owned some of the most extreme power-to-weight ratio bikes out there and even he says you get used the acceleration.

My point (all be it...subjective) is that you can keep chasing the acceleration but you will never be satisfied. Personally I find solace in driving a car that produces decent handling and acceleration (at least in my opinion) and gives me the right vibe and level of driver engagement to keep me from getting bored. Maybe the Miata crowd knows something we don't haha.

Honestly, I'm going to die on this hill. The e34 M5 is absurdly undervalued. Paul Rosche developed engine, rarity, and last "hand assembled" M car. It's enough speed for me and I am astounded at how well a 1700kg car can dance through the twisties. The S38 is a special engine and sounds incredible with a decent exhaust. The car has heaps of character and the whole 90s vibe is just impossibly cool. They look great too, especially in darker colors. Good luck finding a water pump for it though.

My dream M cars in no particular order:
e36 M3 3.2
e34 M5
e39 M5
e23 745i (m88+mt)
e30 m3
e60 m5
M1

100% , the e34 M5 started my love affair with bmw, just remembering that engine at full tilt gives me goosebumps.

 

[Benji]

I recently spent quite some time in a Z4 and Z4M, what a joy that was. I then climbed into my E46 Touring (with E63 M6 seats - very similar to E46 M3 seats) and I immediately felt like I was sitting "on" the car, wondering who adjusted my seat height...I checked, and the seat was in its lowest position. I couldnt shake that feeling and that alone makes the Z4M feel much more special...besides all the other things about a Z4M

 

[TBP88]

I recently spent quite some time in a Z4 and Z4M, what a joy that was. I then climbed into my E46 Touring (with E63 M6 seats - very similar to E46 M3 seats) and I immediately felt like I was sitting "on" the car, wondering who adjusted my seat height...I checked, and the seat was in its lowest position. I couldnt shake that feeling and that alone makes the Z4M feel much more special...besides all the other things about a Z4M

Is this the bit where you tell us you got a Z4M

But yeah, that seating position, low, and with a huge expanse of bonnet ahead of you makes every drive in a Z4M feel something special. A *BIG* part of me often wants one again (maybe in another life! LOL)...

 

[Bernard///M3]

M Cars are truly special, we all have our favourites, yes there might be certain non-M cars with some modifications that can outrun an M Car. But sorry they still not an M Car. Everything is “more” special in a M car.

I have always been a BMW Fan as little kid I loved watching Tony Viana racing on TV. So my love started with the E30 325i, 333i and 325is.
When I started high school in 1993 the E36 M3 was launched and I fell in love with that car. New price was R209998 which was R1000 per KW
When I was in Varisty the first official pics of the E46 M3 came out and I stuck a pic on the inside of my varsity file. “One day” I still have that file with the picture on the inside cover.

I am fortunate enough to have my dream garage at the moment. Well sort of, I don’t have a garage big enough to fit them.

I started with my E36 M3, originally purchased to be a track car, tracked it a bit. I’ve restored it, it’s a 1993 SA Spec, No. 735 of 748 built in SA, everyone wants a “German Spec” but in actual fact a SA Spec is a rarer model, my only wish was it to be Avus Blue instead of White.

Then I got myself one of the very last E46 M3, 2006 Manual, it’s a concours car, and the car that was pictured in my file, that “one day” came!!

I then built my E46 M3 Racecar,

The Next M car was the E92 M3 Comp Pack, also one of the last of them a 2012, and in not a very common spec.
Comp Pack in Space Grey but with a Sunroof. 90% of them had a Carbon roof.

And recently like 2 months ago I bought a F82 M4cs in San Marino Blue, only 60 in SA. With all those Carbon bits, 600nm, in my opinion the best of the F82 M4 range

My opinions:
E36 M3, 1st love and that low slung look
E46 M3, best Handling M3
E92 M3, best sounding M3
F82 M4cs, stupid Fast

My favourite out of the 4
E46 M3

I would really love to get my hands on a E30 M3, but pretty hard to get so I’m going with all the M3/4 available in SA 😜
With the G82 M4cs recently being announced I’m looking forward to buying one in the next 3-5 years to add my little “collection”


If I had the space and the finances, I would love to get the
E82 1M
F87 M2cs
G87 M2 (cs when it realises)

Hell if I had money like dust,
I would get all the M5 generations as well

Regarding the prices the more people post these hectic prices, the more the demand for these “collectible” cars the more likely they will land up getting to those prices eventually. Hey for me I love it because I have some of the cars and their value is appreciating!!

My opinion best “Classic” / Old School M Car is the E46 M3 in Manual, but be prepared to pay for a decent example!

 

[Mytfine]

Funny though there was a white F90 M5 rolling with my personalised plates MY T FINE a couple years later. was it a forum member ?