Can't beat them join them. My M3
 

Pics as promissed Very pleased it is an understatement, Not very good pics but you get the idea.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3118.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3117.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3116.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3115.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3113.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3112.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3111.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3110.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3109.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3108.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...5/DSCF3105.jpg

Fantastic mate, looks well nice, welcome to the club.
Love the wheels, is a shame mine did not have the CS wheels.
What year is it,i am guessing 2003/4
I am loving mine more and more, especially today,dry roads great fun.
Rob 5k gets you fitted blower 485bhp:mrgreen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XghVr8jeFlk

Oh and prepare to get slated

you sure thats a bm, theres no gangsta tints and big chromes on there. only joking mate looks a tidy motor.

Very Very Nice mate looks like you have bought your self a good one there :drive: Now bring it to the ring, come on book it now! IF YOU CANT BEAT THEM JOIN THEM! Hitler said something along those line's. Bring it on sausage muncher. Next thing you know he will be clicking his heels & holding his right arm up in the air.:rofl:

Oooo I like and it's a manual too :mrgreen:

Very pretty.

I'm a huge fan of the M3 & one day there will be one in the garage but best I'd manage at the mo is a slightly tired E36 & I'd rather have a nice Bug Eye or New Age for that cash ;)

Still one day.

Hope your enjoying her, she looks a beaut :)

Neil

Well, they say bad things come in threes ;)

Just kidding, lovely looking motor :doubleup: And that youtube video Martyn posted is pretty nifty too!

I think thatch would look better !:razz:

Its a 2001 but way better condition inside and out than any 2003/2004 I had given consideration to in the past. All original paint I think, it did have the armour guard fitted in most places and then recently removed hence the paintwork so good. The front end, and leading edges to rear arches are pretty much stone chip free. Purchase price reflected the fact is was a 2001.:D So didn't even need to stretch my budget which as a bonus.


Comes with the territory I guess. Bring it on biatches. :D

That all for the kind comments. Good to see fellow petrol heads recognize them for what they are ,and can now look beyond the former image they used to have.

They really are a great all round package and represent great value for money these days IMO. Different league to the E36 M3s even though I like them as well.

Very nice motor indeed Rob. You should be able to join the SES committee now!

:SMBLU:

Ahhh so thats how you do it. I did wonder :wave:

Rob
Thats bloomin fantastic for a 2001, the interior also looks like its only a few years old.
What sort of miles has it done, would like to have a look sometime if pos Rob
Mine didnt have a single stone chip, now it has bloody loads, all caused by the ****e roads this winter.
Whats really anoying is the chips show up so bad, its like the primer is almost white.

Yeah come on Mr X hurry and get your M3:wink:

Shweeeeeet looking motor Rob and, in case you're wondering, yes I'm as jealous as fook :tissue::tissue::tissue:

Funnily enough I was looking at E36 M3's today [can't stretch to a 46'er :hitfan:].....thinking about trading the leggy :kickbutt:

very nice car

Can't see it in the for sale section yet!!!

Its still got half a tank of fuel:mrgreen:

If only I could, my daily drive looks like it will end up being a £500 shoe box, can't afford to keep running the scoob as my only car!

I do like the M3's always have since the first widearched incarnations, love the fact they have got more subtle since. Although if I had the money it would be a M5 for me!

Lovely looking example Rob. I bet you are well chuffed matey.

Now the weather is on the up, I reckon a pic session is on the cards. :nod:

Oh yes for sure:yeah:

Looks good mate

The Germans are invading again!!!!!!!!

For the new forum :mrgreen:

Lovely piece of kit mate !

I have had to BMW's and they do know how to build a car.

I'm on day 4 of ownership now, and have to say it continous to impress me. Putting the build quality and comfort to one side as a performance car only it really is superb and a very capable bit of kit. This car is leagues ahead of the E36 M3 which I always thought was a nice car and quick. The E46 is markedly quicker.

I was expecting it to be a little lacking in the lower rev range, but no it picks up instantly and it just keeps pulling and pulling all the way to 8K revs. Its got the same sort of power as some of the quickest scoobs I've had, but it has power instantly on tap when ever you want it. Its soooooo freshing not to have to wait for a turbo to spool. Even in the twisties its impressing me, and have so much more throttle control in the corners not having to wait for turbo to spool.

Impressed is an understatment.

Only critism so far is its actually a very harsh ride for a BMW, but a small sacrifice for the handling. And the gearbox and clutch is very heavy/clunky, but I'm getting used to it. Part of me thinks I might have actually liked the SMG. But need to give it time and just get used to it.. And the traction control is fairly violent stopping power fairly obruptly.

Unlike some cars I have had its one that has lived up to and exceeded my expectations.

This one might actually last me.... :D

I have to agree with your comments mate.

The way the E46 M3 handles is fantastic and on the twisty stuff verging on surprising. The gearbox(in my case SMG) is clunky and the Traction control is simply draining. The first thing I do every day on start up, in order is Heated Seat - Sport Button on - Traction Control off! Then when in gear, move the severity bar to the end. Gear changes are then lightning quick ( I would challenge anyone to change gear manually even close to it), suspension and throttle response are instant.

It is a superb bit of machinery without a doubt.

Once bitten, forever smitten.

I would be seriously surprised if you haven't got it this time next year.

Enjoy mate :yeah:

Great to hear your loving it Rob, I agree of course as i love mine , its without doubt the best car i have owned.
I have exactly the same procedure as Steve when i get in, and he is so right the gear change using paddles is so quick, it even does blips by itself between changes, which you can also program to certain revs etc.
Not to forget the launch control, not tried it yet as been advised it takes loads off the clutch.
I am fortunate enough to have the CS which has the quick rack and of course the MTrack button, which removes most of the traction control but not all, its fantastic you can loose the arse but the mtrack steps in just in time, takes some getting used to trusting it, but its cool.
Rob, you really need to come to Germany, i need the support;-)

Traction control Mtrack button, bliping by itself between gear change's, programing the revs,ect who is driving the bloody car then? :drive:

looks good rob,so when can i buy it???:drive:

lol us bmw drivers have trouble with indicating, let alone driving:rofl:

Maybe next year - Doing Le-man this year again.

Support.! - just don't keeping looking in your rear view mirror too much as you past all those scoobs ;) and concentrate on whats in front and you'll be fine. :D I have no doubt the car will get you down and back in total comfort, and put in plenty of lap time without it even breaking a swet. Enjoy! will be good to hear how you get on with it in, driven in total anger.

Just when I thought I was sure I was taking the scooby you make me think again! :rofl:

Stop listening to them, they're waffling a load of rubbish :mrgreen:

Take the scoob mate, at least you will have Crowman to tow you back when something blows on the scoob. :rofl:

If its anything like some of my trips to le-man half the challenge and fun its getting the car there and back in one piece. That said I've killed 2 jap cars on my way my trips to le-man over the years so the novalty is wearing a little thin as are my pockets from doing so.
http://www.simonlemans.co.uk/2/p9.jpg

Rob
Whats the betting my M3 goes bang now. lol

The irony involved in me bringing you home in my scoob would be to much to bear! :lol:

Steve I would never live it down , would get the 1st flight back

I was just thinking that, that would just be my luck!..... Mmmm see my next post ;)

Well Day 9! now and still loving the M3 - But not sure.............

It’s a great car and extremely accomplished car, and does everything its Sais on the tin. It truly is the complete package and a good balance between power, comfort, build, and handling.

But it has no soul.

My silver scoob has some quirks, nothing is bolted together that well, and the build trim of the car is all a bit horrid compared to the BMW. The doors goes ding, rather than thud, the engine doesn’t feel like it will last half the time of the BMW. But do you know what I still like the scoob. It’s difficult to go as far as to say I prefer the scoob. But the differential isn’t that great.
I like the fact that if something goes wrong, I can fix it myself, I like the fact I can bolt on bits and chop and change bits at my leisure, and in a perverse way like the fact the bodywork is far from perfect, and would have actually looked forward to mucking about the bodywork during the summer months.

Driving the scoob hard is a bit like Russian Roulett and you never quit no whether it’s going to make the journey, but in consideration of its value, it also part of the thrill of ownership and wouldn’t be upset that long even if I did blow it up.

You can’t get past the fact the BMW is a heavy car with heavy car characteristics in its drive the scoob is such an effortless car to drive either slow or fast.

It don’t help I keep parking up alongside my silver scoob, and cross comparing them. But have to say I’m not sure, and just don’t know. Put it this way, if I could sell the BMW quickly for good/fair money I think I would be just as happy jumping back into my silver scoob... Go figure.!!

change of mind in two weeks......outstanding! ;-)
You mention when driving the scoob you didnt know whether it would last the journey...crikey reminds me of owning my tvrs! You must have had some bad luck with the scoobs because mine has been more reliable than most of the bmw's I've owned!

Again, I agree 100% that the beemer is a soul less car, in exactly the same way that (Put's on tin hat :razz:) the Evo is a completely soul less car.

Both the Beemer and the Evo are fantastic cars, don't get me wrong and straight out of the box give you exactly what you want.

I test drove the Evo8 and the STi8 before choosing the STi8. And it was purely down to how the car made me feel. In all honesty, I thought the Evo was a better car by way of facts and figures, but most of that was acheived by electric gizmos and some hidden wizards somewhere in the ECU. And I never felt like I was driving it. It was more like being along for a very fast ride.

The redeeming factor the M3 has is that you can turn the aids off easily enough. But you can't get away from the fact you have mentioned that it is a heavy car, which sometimes (even in sport mode) can verge on being "wallowy". I do still love getting into the M3 and as long as you remember what it is in essence, which is a "sports tourer" then it does fit the bill pretty much to the letter. And on the journey down to the ring this spring, Martyn will arrive still feeling fresh but also would have seriously kicked some scooby butt on the Autobahns (Skullfudge being the exception there) especially after the de-limiting he is just about to have done. Where as we'll be haggered, deaf and aching. But, the following day when we are all out and about in the twisties around the ring he will be wishing that he had the scoob without a doubt.

Nothing gives me the same thrill as jumping in the scooby (except for the obvious of course :norty:), I still grin like a buffoon every time I start it up and it's a joy to drive and sets the old pulse racing every time. It's a car that has to be driven and allied to that beautiful burble that gives it something that so many cars lack. A soul.

At this time I am in a very lucky situation and able to have both cars, but if and when the time came for me to wind my neck in the M3 would be gone in a blink. I wouldn't have to think twice.