Seriously thinking about selling my e90 M3 for a e46 M3, convince me not to.

I've had my '11.5 for almost two years now and I barely drive it. I guess I'm afraid of breaking something so it just sits in my garage. I wasn't always a fan of the e46 platform but over the past year or so they have really grown on me. I would love to get my hands on a '05 or '06 ZCP Carbon/Black SMG or manual that I can whip around town. Convince me that I'm crazy or I should just keep what I have.

Before you sell would you care to trade me your silver OEM wheels for my spare set of 220 that are powder coated in gloss black. PM me if interested...I already have my ZCP in Gun Metal and BBS wheels, but would like to have a set of Silver ZCP for winter setup. PM me if interested. Good luck with your decision on going to E46 M3 platform. I'm probably going to keep mind and add a P car in the near future.

NitroBiz wrote

I've had my '11.5 for almost two years now and I barely drive it. I guess I'm afraid of breaking something so it just sits in my garage. I wasn't always a fan of the e46 platform but over the past year or so they have really grown on me. I would love to get my hands on a '05 or '06 ZCP Carbon/Black SMG or manual that I can whip around town. Convince me that I'm crazy or I should just keep what I have.

I wouldn't replace it ...

I had a 05' E46 6MT jet black, and a '03 SMG carbon black before the current '08 E92 DCT. Prefer the E92 over both in every department; engine, looks, DCT -> SMG, etc.

That being said, I would love to have my '05 6MT back as a second car. Only reason I went E92 was because it got totaled.

jd501 wrote

NitroBiz wrote

I've had my '11.5 for almost two years now and I barely drive it. I guess I'm afraid of breaking something so it just sits in my garage. I wasn't always a fan of the e46 platform but over the past year or so they have really grown on me. I would love to get my hands on a '05 or '06 ZCP Carbon/Black SMG or manual that I can whip around town. Convince me that I'm crazy or I should just keep what I have.

In addition to or to replace?

I had a 05' E46 6MT jet black, and a '03 SMG carbon black before the current '08 E92 DCT. Prefer the E92 over both in every department; engine, looks, DCT -> SMG, etc.

That being said, I would love to have my '05 6MT back as a second car. Only reason I went E92 was because it got totaled.

Replace.

Gotta hold on to an IB ZCP E90. That's a gem.

Buy a 05 ZCP SMG, 80k miles ish in maintained driver shape for about $20k and run the wheels off it.

I’m one of the biggest E46 fans on this forum, but if you’re afraid of something breaking on the E90 from use, stay far away from an E46.

I've never owned an e46 M3, I went from E36 M3/4/5 to an E90 M3 manual, But I don't think I could ever go back, I do look from time to time, But I feel the E9x platform spoils you.

Either way, You will still have a gorgeous vehicle and a joy to drive.

IB M wrote

Gotta hold on to an IB ZCP E90. That's a gem.

Buy a 05 ZCP SMG, 80k miles ish in maintained driver shape for about $20k and run the wheels off it.

I know....that is why I got it. I just don't drive it that much and I'm looking for something that looks good and can be whipped around. I recently picked up a '06 VW Golf for $750 for my brother and it's so satisfying to drive. There is something about a smaller engine that feels really good to me, the vibration and feel and feeling if anything breaks it's pretty cheap to fix.

wyatth wrote

I’m one of the biggest E46 fans on this forum, but if you’re afraid of something breaking on the E90 from use, stay far away from an E46.

I hear what you are saying, I guess I don't have the most confidence when I hear so many people talk about their rod bearings, throttle actuators, engine mounts, thermostat and other misc parts failing.

Own a car you are not scared to drive and enjoy it.

NitroBiz wrote

wyatth wrote

I’m one of the biggest E46 fans on this forum, but if you’re afraid of something breaking on the E90 from use, stay far away from an E46.

I hear what you are saying, I guess I don't have the most confidence when I hear so many people talk about their rod bearings, throttle actuators, engine mounts, thermostat and other misc parts failing.

All E46's have the rear subframe issues and the earlier cars have the same rod bearing catastrophic failure that the S65 has and the 46 has vanished issues as well. Same/similar problems on an older car.

NitroBiz wrote

I hear what you are saying, I guess I don't have the most confidence when I hear so many people talk about their rod bearings, throttle actuators, engine mounts, thermostat and other misc parts failing.

E46 it's vanos, vanos bolts / timing chain, subframe, and valve adjustments.

E90s are pretty stout. Lots of them running strong on all original parts with over 100k miles. Maintain and let it warm up before flogging the s65.

Sell the E90, buy 3 E46's.

1 for garage queen
1 to mod and do stupid shit with it
1 for gut, strip, track, and drift

E46 m3's are ranging from 4-9k in the bay.

Enjoy!

Richneerd wrote

Sell the E90, buy 3 E46's.

1 for garage queen
1 to mod and do stupid shit with it
1 for gut, strip, track, and drift

E46 m3's are ranging from 4-9k in the bay.

Enjoy!

I can't find any here in Seattle for less then 10k and those are usually pretty trashed.

I'll never sell my m3 but today I picked up a 2000 Integra Type R and I can't tell you how much of a breath of fresh air it was to drive the ITR. I feel like you would feel the same way about the e46. Best case scenario you keep the e90 m3 and pick up an e46. Good luck.

This 2003 slick top - nice shape but not too nice to enjoy - parks in my garage at work - perfect daily driver.

E46 M3s are not without their issues. I would argue that the E9X platform is more reliable overall. When the throttle actuators go, snag a set from FCP Euro and get a lifetime warranty with them. Won't be the end of the world.

While the S54 is very cool...nothing beats the sound of the S65 at 8300 RPM. Keep your car, change the oil every 5K miles, and enjoy it.

If maintenance cost is the most important thing to you, snag an E36 M3...a complete riot to own and considerably less to repair and maintain than any other M car.

NitroBiz wrote

I've had my '11.5 for almost two years now and I barely drive it. I guess I'm afraid of breaking something so it just sits in my garage. I wasn't always a fan of the e46 platform but over the past year or so they have really grown on me. I would love to get my hands on a '05 or '06 ZCP Carbon/Black SMG or manual that I can whip around town. Convince me that I'm crazy or I should just keep what I have.

This is just the lock down making you think crazy thoughts. 😂

If you can get a 2006 Comp E46 M3 with low miles and no accidents then go for it.
Its the only car I would ever trade-in/sell for. The E90 chassis with a V8 is near perfect. I can't think of a more practical sports car for the price today.

Came from 2003.5 Carbon Black E46, had it for 3 years and 35k miles...had my E90 for 9 months and 8k miles. Had to fix something quite often, which is understandable for such an old car. The costs added up nonetheless. About $6-$8k I think. E90 has been trouble free to me...so far. Sans the cosmetics,

E46:

Gruppe M Intake
Agency Power Headers
Status Gruppe SCZA Section 3
Buildjournal Tune
Autosolutions Shifter

H&R Springs
Koni Yellow Struts
Apex ARC8 18x9.5 265 PS4S

E90:

Macht Schnell Intake Stg II
Macht Schnell Pulleys
Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust
BPM Stage II Tune

Ohlins R&T Coilovers
Monoball Thrust Rod Bushings
Apex ARC8 18x9.5 265 PS4S

I sold the E46 due to a few factors:

-More items were going to need servicing and I kept having to take it into the shop
-No shop in Hawai'i with extensive knowledge of subframe reinforcement
-It was my daily and was putting on considerable miles. Keeping it would require me to do subframe reinforcement for my peace of mind.
-With my amount of driving, I was open to something newer and more comfortable.

With the E46, stock exhaust sounds terrible but with the right axleback and header combo, it sounds amazing in the cabin. I still prefer the exhaust note of the S65, but the S54 is a raunchy beast and 5k+ was pure bliss. Much more audible exhaust sound in the cabin than my E90, but I'm assuming that can be fixed if I swapped out my Akrapovic Evolution. Induction sound is MUCH better in the E90, that's one big advantage of the S65 imo, downshifting in the E46 provides more exhaust note than induction sound. Not as enjoyable. I'm sure the E90 is quicker, but I can't tell a huge difference driving at reasonable speeds. Acceleration in this one is less noticeable as the powerband of the S65 is so linear and smooth, S54 is more sharp and cold-blooded. But once you get to the higher speeds, the E90 definitely accelerates much quicker. E46 acceleration dies out at a certain point.

Steering in the E46 is less accurate, the E90 steering is a little more accurate. But, the E46 has great steering feel. The E90 feels numb in comparison. The E46 has a much more tactile feel all around. My E90 has much superior suspension than my E46, and the E90 does handle better. The E46 is a little better in the tight turns however.

I miss the E46, but I think I made the right decision with my driving needs. The E90 is more comfortable, more convenience features/technology, and is still a blast to drive. The E46 was more fun though. If it was feasible to have two cars, E90 DD and E46 6MT weekend warrior absolutely. They provide two very different driving experiences, so test driving would be a great idea. If you're considering the E46, get one in manual transmission, the SMG is terrible. If you're going to test drive one with a stock exhaust or aftermarket system without careful consideration of each part, you will be underwhelmed. Stock sounds awful and the wrong selection of aftermarket exhaust parts sounds equally bad, but louder. Proper research and selection of aftermarket exhaust components are the way to go. I've already took too much real estate on this thread, but feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

NitroBiz wrote

I've had my '11.5 for almost two years now and I barely drive it. I guess I'm afraid of breaking something so it just sits in my garage. I wasn't always a fan of the e46 platform but over the past year or so they have really grown on me. I would love to get my hands on a '05 or '06 ZCP Carbon/Black SMG or manual that I can whip around town. Convince me that I'm crazy or I should just keep what I have.

A ZCP IB e90 M3 is already super rare for one thing.