# E36 M3 vs E46 M3 comparison post at the Org



## Guest (May 15, 2002)

Check it out- http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e36m3/forum.php?postid=648675&page=1


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

It's such a pig he was passing E36 M3's!  

j/k TD


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

TD said:


> *Check it out- http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e36m3/forum.php?postid=648675&page=1 *


that 321 hp Euro E36 M3 is a very serious automobile. A good buddy of mine has one and I had the opportunity to drive it once. Fast as a lightning.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

*Re: Re: E36 M3 vs E46 M3 comparison post at the Org*



Alex Baumann said:


> *
> 
> that 321 hp Euro E36 M3 is a very serious automobile. A good buddy of mine has one and I had the opportunity to drive it once. Fast as a lightning. *


I'm saving my pennies and I'm saving my dimes, but instead of a 409 maybe I'll eventually get a Euro motor for the M3.


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

I asked about the E36 vs E46 for the track to a friend of mine who has not only owned both as well as many Porsches (currently has an E46 M3) but who is also a racer. He asked me "What are you buying? a street car or a race car?"

He went on "If you are buying a street car the E46 is the one" If you are buying a race car BOTH fall short... go buy a real race car."

Makes sense to me! :thumb:


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

in_d_haus said:


> *I asked about the E36 vs E46 for the track to a friend of mine who has not only owned both as well as many Porsches (currently has an E46 M3) but who is also a racer. He asked me "What are you buying? a street car or a race car?"
> 
> He went on "If you are buying a street car the E46 is the one" If you are buying a race car BOTH fall short... go buy a real race car."
> 
> Makes sense to me! :thumb: *


EXACTLY

neither car is light at all 

The new M cars are SO much faster than thier prior generations, you have to be going MUCH faster than is legal to even feel like you are pushing it. For example, 110-140 is nothing for an M5 or M3 down a winding highway....


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

One of our clubs senior instructors talked to me about the E46 M3. He instructed in onw this past weekend. He said the car has such long legs that on the short and twisty course they never could wring it out. He did say due to the power the could go through 2nd gear corners in 3rd with no problem


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

Maybe the best compromise is the E30 M3....:dunno:


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

in_d_haus said:


> *One of our clubs senior instructors talked to me about the E46 M3. He instructed in onw this past weekend. He said the car has such long legs that on the short and twisty course they never could wring it out. He did say due to the power the could go through 2nd gear corners in 3rd with no problem *


yea, and this is funny



> That 100% trick diff. It is so good that it's becoming a bore sometimes. In my E36, I can induce oversteer at will with the go pedal. With the E46, you'll need to feed SO MUCH power to get it that the oversteer that you induce tend to be qutie unruly. And no, I don't drive with DSC on, just like I never drove with ASC+T on.


Damn!! Effectively putting power down and keeping the rear end on track. What a shame! :tsk:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

atyclb said:


> *It's such a pig he was passing E36 M3's!
> 
> j/k TD *


Well...The 100+ HP matters a lot.

And I think he's right on the border of being a B student anyway, he was also passing up M5s at will on the track, and he's giving up another 70+ hp on the M5s.

I will have to agree with some of what he says. However, he's never driven the E30 M3, and I think that was the ultimate M car besides the M1. I mean compared to the E30 M3 his E36 M3 was a pig with crappy steering.


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

The HACK said:


> * I mean compared to the E30 M3 his E36 M3 was a pig with crappy steering. *


There ya go! :thumb:


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

nate328Ci said:


> *
> 
> yea, and this is funny
> 
> Damn!! Effectively putting power down and keeping the rear end on track. What a shame! :tsk: *


Count your blessings you NEVER have to ride with this guy or drive on the same freeways. Everytime I rode with him he attemps to show what a powerslide looks like in his car.

And HE thinks I drive too fast on surface streets. Yeah.


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

Ya, my buddy the racer drives, among other things, a 1960s Lola. It has bad tires and drum brakes. He says you don't touch the brakes and just slide the car around the track if ya wanna be competitive at all. This is due to the lack of any technology in the car.

A judicious application of torque steer can be helpful at times but ya don't wanna go sliding the car around or your lap times will suffer generally.


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

The HACK said:


> *
> 
> Well...The 100+ HP matters a lot.
> 
> ...


It doesn't suprise me that he was passing M5s. They only have a very slight power to weight advantage. The M5 is heavy and has an older design with an inferior LSD....I will be spending 2 days driving one at the track in a couple weeks 

You are right about the E30


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

I think the biggest thing that all the E36 -vs- E46 threads point out is that evernew model has to go through the sarcasm before it is accepted.

The E36 got flamed bad for years by the E30 purists. Now we are seeing that same thing with the E46. When the next M3 comes out the E46 crowd will slam it and point out why the E46 is better.... the cycle never ends.


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

The HACK said:


> *
> 
> Count your blessings you NEVER have to ride with this guy or drive on the same freeways. Everytime I rode with him he attemps to show what a powerslide looks like in his car.
> 
> And HE thinks I drive too fast on surface streets. Yeah. *


I'll take your word for it


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

in_d_haus said:


> *I think the biggest thing that all the E36 -vs- E46 threads point out is that evernew model has to go through the sarcasm before it is accepted.
> 
> The E36 got flamed bad for years by the E30 purists. Now we are seeing that same thing with the E46. When the next M3 comes out the E46 crowd will slam it and point out why the E46 is better.... the cycle never ends.
> 
> *


Exactly....

The E36 was quite a huge change when it came out. But, pretty much everyone now accepts it. Same with the E46 non-M now. I can only think of one person here who truly hates it


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## ALEX325i (Dec 19, 2001)

in_d_haus said:


> *I asked about the E36 vs E46 for the track to a friend of mine who has not only owned both as well as many Porsches (currently has an E46 M3) but who is also a racer. He asked me "What are you buying? a street car or a race car?"
> 
> He went on "If you are buying a street car the E46 is the one" If you are buying a race car BOTH fall short... go buy a real race car."
> 
> Makes sense to me! :thumb: *


Couldn't agree more. I've had 2 C5's (and of course, a bunch of other cars like A4 1.8T Q, 325is (E36), Golf, Ranger, etc). The *E46* M3 is, overall, the best sports car I've had... :thumb:


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## ALEX325i (Dec 19, 2001)

nate328Ci said:


> *
> 
> ...110-140 is nothing for an M5 or M3 down a winding highway.... *


You know it! :thumb:


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

ALEX325i said:


> *
> 
> Couldn't agree more. I've had 2 C5's (and of course, a bunch of other cars like A4 1.8T Q, 325is (E36), Golf, Ranger, etc). The E46 M3 is, overall, the best sports car I've had... :thumb: *


:thumb:

You've had an E36?!?!?!

What a HUGE step down to the E46 M3 then  :lmao:


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

*Re: if an e46m3 is at the track...*



blackdawg said:


> *i also doubt, given the demographic, that it would have stock wheels and stock rubber and stock suspension, too.
> 
> so it would be fair enough. *


No, I understand that the E46 is likely to be all stock, but I would suspect that if an E36 M3 owner were to buy this upgrade, it is also likely that there would be suspension upgrades as well...


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