When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'd lean on the side of honesty, and throw in the offer of some $ or lunch. Most performance car owners know that their car is special, even if they don't geek out about it, and are very willing to talk them up to an interested stranger. From the seller's perspective, you become an independent reviewer - "hey this guy checked out and test drove the car knowing he wasn't buying it - ask him what he thought of it" is a hell of a selling boost.
I know rotorheads are different, but giving test drives of my RX8 and convertible turbo RX7 put a lot of undecided people into a rotary, and I had a good time with it.
Now t'were it a dealer - Oh I'd lie like Bill Clinton and Lance Armstrong's love child.
Backman - where are you? I've got a friend in Durham NC with one although it has the DSG, and he's a diehard car guy and would likely give you a test drive. He can also tell you about all the crap he's had to fix on it.
North Arkansas, according to Google Maps it's about a 14.5 hour drive to Durham, NC 😑
And I am looking for one with the DCT even though I'm a 6MT guy. I've done a lot of research and there are many people who were die-hard 6MT fans but actually preferred the DCT after trying it out, so I want to see if it will be engaging enough for me or not.
I've driven his, and the DCT is OK but not great IMHO. It does let him change the attitude from daily driver to raucous easily. I don't think it's appreciably faster on surface roads that my G sedan. On a track, sure - but neither of us track these specific cars. Better than an auto with flappy paddles, which is what 99% of dealers told me was "a manual transmission" when I was looking for my 6MT.
It *does* sound good on full boil, that's for sure.
Honestly I wouldn't really WANT much more power on the street than our G's have. With full bolt-ons and weight reduction, around 400HP is a sweet spot for me. I'm sure the M3 will be quicker because it already has 414HP in stock form, plus whatever bolt-ons I'd be doing. I believe with basic I/E/Tune, they dyno around 370-380whp.
I saw a post on M3 forums where a guy described it pretty well: "i think one thing in the street setting is that it's got just the right amount of power. i've gota new F90 as my daily, and while it's a blast, i can't reasonably use what it puts out anywhere other than a drag strip or a track. i think the E9x is in a sweet spot that doesn't feel slow without being suicidal on the street."
How about you network personal connections on a BMW forum?
Years ago someone joined the forum interested in getting a 6MT G. He was in Rochester, and he was a car guy with a BMW and a MR2 in his garage. We met up and had a good time talking cars. I let him drive my G, and enjoyed showing it off.
LOL I've tried asking on the regional forums if anyone lives nearby, closest person was in St. Louis which is about a 5 hour drive for me (one way).
I've dealt with this problem many times over the years, living where I do. It's very difficult to buy or sell a more unique sports car because nobody is interested nearby. The same is also true with buying and selling car parts. Have to ship almost everything or drive a ridiculous distance to pick something up.
Everyone around here either drives a truck, or a Mustang, Camaro/Vette, Challenger.
Every once in a while you get the typical WRX/STI, clapped out G, Miata, etc.
I'm with Rochester on this one in that I wouldn't drive a car that I had absolutely no intention of buying. I feel like it would be wasting time that the salesperson could otherwise be spending on a potential sale. And that is at a dealership.
Private sale? Definitely not, and I would be none too keen about someone wasting my time and flogging my car that had no intention of buying it. If you do go this route, I recommend being 100% transparent with the seller.
The car is from a private seller, and I am leaning toward the honest side as well. If I put myself in his shoes, I probably wouldn't let someone drive my car, but I may consider it if they "prove their credentials" to me. For example, I would talk to him and possibly show him pics of my G and how well maintained it is, garage kept, etc to prove to him that I'm just a fellow enthusiast that needs a little help test driving an M3 due to the limitation of where I live. Maybe he would sympathize.
@Lego_Maniac I think there is a fair possibility of me buying an M3 in the future, but it has to be the right circumstances. I just don't know if it's worth replacing the G over, that's one of the reasons I need to just drive one to see how it feels. If I wait long enough in my life, I could possibly afford to own both simultaneously. So I feel like at some point in my life, I will own one (if the test drive is positive).
Dealer no problem, test drive all day. My wife and I are test driving multiple vehicles at multiple dealers lately to find what she wants for the next 8-10 years. Private sale no way unless you're honest going into it and they're down with that.
I need a little advice please. As some of you may know, I've been tossing around the idea of selling my G to get an E90 M3, but I haven't been actively pursuing the idea yet. I love the G and I'm most likely going to keep it for a while, or possibly for many more years as a tribute to 6MT sport sedans.
So the idea of getting an M3 may never even come to fruition, but I've been looking for one nearby to test drive. The problem is, I live in Arkansas and it's very difficult to find one for sale within a reasonable driving distance because most of them are at least 5+ hours away. I found one fairly close on Facebook Marketplace but it's an E93 (convertible), which is fine with me to test drive because it would be a similar experience to the E90 (sedan).
I basically need confirmation that I'm even going to LIKE the vehicle. I've heard the seats are the most comfy people have felt. The main thing I want to experience is the S65 V8 motor that revs to 8,400rpm. And I've always been a manual guy but I really want to try the DCT because I've heard it compliments the car much better than the 6MT version does.
So I have this opportunity to test drive the car and experience the engine AND DCT. This is where I need advice: I'm not ready to buy, I don't even know if I'll WANT an M3 yet, but I need to test drive one at some point and this is one of the better opportunities I'll get. In this situation, do you think I should contact the seller and make him think I'm a serious buyer so I can ensure a test drive? Or should I approach it more from an honest perspective, telling him that I'm an enthusiast that is very appreciative of the M3 on paper, and needs to drive one to make a decision if I want to buy one in the future?
There's also the consideration that if I go through with this test drive, it may be such a visceral, thrilling experience that I'll get tunnel vision on buying one and not be able to shake that feeling until I get my hands on one lol
I've thought about an E90 M3 multiple times, especially since most are not terribly expensive right now. I actually drove one right before I got my G37 sedan, but decided on the G instead. The E90 M3 hp number is intriguing, but the torque and weight really tell the story of how that car drives. It does wind up to high rpms and does pull hard at that point. However, do you really want to be revving a 15 year old motor over 8,000 rpms? You will also want to make sure the rod bearings were recently replaced or plan on that expense. If you can get over those things and the fact it is relatively heavy, the benefit is it sounds great and handles pretty well for its age. If you drive the convertible version that will be heavier yet and the chassis is a little bit more loose than the coupe or sedan. I have not driven a convertible of that generation, but the E46 M3 convertible is laughably loose compared to the coupe.
Originally Posted by Epiphany
Dealer no problem, test drive all day. My wife and I are test driving multiple vehicles at multiple dealers lately to find what she wants for the next 8-10 years. Private sale no way unless you're honest going into it and they're down with that.
Working in the auto industry, comments like this make me laugh. I get it because most everyone has had a bad dealership experience so the thought is if one person is bad in this industry then they all must be. The reality is people do exactly what you are doing and suggesting all the time.
The Australian version of the WRX TR leaked. Looks like it is getting those ugly 19" wheels and a new surprise- a huge ugly STI style rear wing instead of the adaptive suspension. Bummer. This is all still speculation so hopefully it is wrong. We will find out Sunday. Here is a link to more pics that unfortunately don't post to this website since they are in the wrong format: https://www.drive.com.au/news/2024-s...-to-australia/
Again, beautuful cars for people that buy new and keep their car for 3 years. I am perfectly fine getting my doors blown off by a new M340i, knowing that in 3 years I will still be "looking for things to fix" on my 13 year old car.
Again, beautuful cars for people that buy new and keep their car for 3 years. I am perfectly fine getting my doors blown off by a new M340i, knowing that in 3 years I will still be "looking for things to fix" on my 13 year old car.
I use to think that way, but IMO the German manufacturers have came a long way I terms of reliability. 13 years and 200k, probably not, but I think you’re pretty safe up until 100-120k. That being said, I suspect that’s going to be true of most modern turbo cars, since they’re more complex and require greater adherence to maintenance intervals than naturally aspirated engines.
10-04-2023, 10:09 AM
