What's Next: e36 M3 or Evo VIII

[thebillsman]

I've been going back and forth for months. I hate asking questions that pertain to personal preference, objectivity and car comparisons but I honestly need help. Every day I see the wonders of the evo, whether it's that video of the 2.4 sk'd 4g63 at 30psi walking a paxton supercharged viper or just of some kid plowing through 8 inches of snow.. I just want the VIII. But then again there is something about that 1998 M3/4/5. Four doors, Five speed. A subtle sport sedan that can more than handle its own. There's just something about the luxury that BMW offers. There isn't too much on the inside of the evo besides the seats and steering wheel.. and its not the most comfortable ride for a daily driver. The bimmer is an upscale interior with a solid motor.

I don't know, convince me?

[jnr5005]

Your car is sick don't sell it lol.

I have seen this yellow M3 sedan in Media, PA w/ exhaust. Looks mint, and he got on it near me and it sounded fantastic. I hadn't thought about them in a while until I saw this one. I then remembered how great they can be, especially with a little tuning. That being said, the Evo would be less expensive to repair, easier to modify probably, and offers a more modern look and feel.

[thebillsman]

the evo is a rocket, there is no doubt about that. VIII's eat up bolt-on's and after a tune put down ridiculous numbers. I'm aware that e36's arent the fastest things to grace this earth but their feel and handling is bar-none. I want an evo, I really do, but it just doesnt seem like a practical car, though I could be wrong.. I feel that BMW's are a performance status symbol, meanwhile VIII's are just a shi1tbox on roids but god damn do they bend the laws of physics.

[bl@ckvr4]

It really depends on what you want. If you want to build an all out monster, the Evolution is the obvious choice, since it can be done for a fraction of the price of an M3 build.

[thebillsman]

im 60-40 m3 right now, i dont want a monster.. i just want something that can handle its own and be comfortable

[11secdsm]

I've had an insane Evo..loved it. Driven many E36 M3s...loved them too. Two VERY different vehicles. The E36 is a much rawer machine. The Evo can be a very fast machine. If I were to want a toy and could find a CLEAN E36, i'd probably choose that.

[abrok99]

i say go for the evo.

also aston villa sucks:-p

[jjm4life]

evo.

/thread

[thebillsman]

just saying evo doesn't really help

[Bender]

I personally wouldn't call an e36 M3 a performance status symbol at this point BUT they are incredibly cool cars.

It all depends on what you want:
If you want a nice cruiser that had awesome performance in its day and still isnt a slouch AND you don't mind spending mod money on repairs - then the M3
If you want something that won't be quiet as comfortable but will be a beast - then you know the answer to this one.

[jjm4life]

let me elaborate

evo 8 is going to be between 5-8 years newer than the bmw. so with that in mind youre talking about years of use on the bmw the evo hasnt seen. even the best cared for 12 year old car is still 12 years old. yes the evo interior feels cheap, but it was never meant to be luxurious. ive been in many e36 body cars and they feel dated, cheap and make the same noises if not more than the evo does. not to mention evo seats and steering wheel are better. so is the driving position but thats personal preference.
i never cared for the e36. e30 hell yea, e46 yea. e36 feels like the black sheep. like a 996 series 911.
evo as a daily driver is not a concern. come on.. 4 doors, good size trunk, awd. the suspension isnt that bad, and if you get a MR the bilsteins are very comfortable. my evo8 with swift springs was more comfy than stock fwiw.
moving on
making power in a evo is cheap easy and reliable. 400whp on pump gas? done. want more.. just look at some of the evos on tst alone. the possibilities are limitless as to what you can do with the platform. want to make big power on a 12 year old bmw... might not be as reliable.
you mention a solid motor. the 4g63 has decades of service behind it. treat it right and its a reliable as a new camry.

so there you have it. i elborated. whichever you chose, enjoy the car. but i vote evo.

by the way, i mentioned the new camry.. the v6 camry would potentially give a 98 m3 a run for its money.

[ScoobyNubieToo!]

i never cared for the e36. e30 hell yea, e46 yea. e36 feels like the black sheep. .

I agree on the E46....that's a hell of a nice car.

[mcperson2k]

My dad has two track e36's and my brother drives an e46. That said I am a very bias towards the m3. They are sick, solid cars. Don't get me wrong, evo's are awesome but the e36 is a giant go kart. The daily maintenance of the BMW will be more, especially since its age, but like I said before, they are solid and reliable. I wouldn't even put the word reliable in the same sentence with the evo when comparing these two cars... Oh wait I just did.. :D

[supraghost]

as an e36 driver i would choose the evo any day lol. e36's are nice, but the m3's really arent that fast. and modding potential is at a minimun, not to mention very expensive.

but its a much cheaper car to begin with. you can get a clean m3 for 8k (there was a supercharged one on here that sold for less than that actually)... dont see any clean evos around selling for close to that.

[mcperson2k]

Yeah, your never going to be the fastest out there on the street, but they are fun as hell to drive. They aren't slow though... but like Supra said, they are expensive to modify...

[thebillsman]

the e36 doesn't really feel that slow to me, I'm pretty content with it's pace.. I know the evo is literally a rocketship and I honestly don't know if I'm responsible enough to drive something that fast, but don't get me wrong I'm a good driver lol

[Renegade_]

If you get an M3, dont expect to be able to build the bottom end and turbo it for a reasonable cost.

You can boost it and get good power without building the bottom end, see Chelsea Denofa's E34. Thats a pretty stock engine (HG I think, and injectors of course) but it makes plenty power. No idea specifically the mods, but I've seen the engine and it looked like the engine came stock with a turbo. Some random cast log style manifold with a decent snail and it ripped. Look into turboing other beemers as there are cheaper ways to go about a turbo 3 series and get turbo power. You wont get as much as a turbo E52, but youll make more than it ever will NA unless you drop lots of paper on someones desk. I'm sure an M3 turbo getup would be more than the setup he mentioned to me the one time I spoke to him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCCSqH5Pzi4&feature=fvw

Im sure you can build that for around 10-11gs. And thats not an M3 motor.

[EklipzGSXkid]

And if you get an evo, You can always get the RS. Lighter, Cheaper, And more money to spend on building down the road. A friend of mines RS just made 700whp last season tuned by sean ivey. still an every day street car, too with all the ''creature comforts''.

[thebillsman]

I dont really plan on boosting my car or trying to make 700hp lol. I'm cool with just a few mods and nothing too crazy.. The evo is just too much in too little for me, if that makes sense? I feel like I get more with the M3, I can move fairly quickly and its comfortable. I could never live with an RS evo, eghh! the inside of the car deserves some love too. It's a daily driver, i can't deal with a 30 million horse power evo.. The evo just brings out my boy racer, but I think in the long run.. bimmer, every time

[EklipzGSXkid]

I understand. I always say I'm going to switch over to a luxury car, Especially getting ''older'' now. But, It hasen't seemed to happen yet. Something luxury, But still fast would be a perfect combo ;)

[jjm4life]

^^ i grew up too. problem is i skipped over owning something sensible, and went right to the midlife crisis car.

[tcturbo91]

i don't know how the evo is not a good daily driver over an m3? M3's are not very good in weather, whereas evo's are 4 season cars in every aspect. both hold people and cargo. personally i like evo seats better than vaders any day of the week, and 4 door m3's dont even come with vaders they come with the lux pkg seats which are even worse. it is all preference, which it sounds like you are about the bmw. dont get me wrong, i love m3's, but in comparison, i'd go with the evo any day of the week.

[marshallpre1]

Evo ftw!

[laser92dsm]

I say Evo because 1. BMW parts are more expensive that Evo parts especially m3 parts. 2. Evo seems more weather friendly {AWD}. 3. Evo would be newer and you have a better chance of finding one in better unabused conditon, as for the m3 you want yes they are out there but they are either beat on or way over priced (as far as ive seen). I Love Bmw they are great cars my friend has a 318ti m-editon and its in prestine condtion and i love it. But I say Evo just because its a more DD friendly thats going to have lower miles and be in newer .

[vonclausen]

go for the evo

[Proven]

I of course also say EVO but then again I am Japanese bias. A lot of good points have been made above hinting on going with the EVO that I agree with. One thing you should NEVER take into consideration is your age and what car you SHOULD be driving. Choose what car you automatically want because that's who you are, never let what people might think of you or the car you drive sway your decisions.

EVO

[Evil M]

How about e36 M3 Evo. >:D

[MPowerKai]

Why not look into an E46 M3? My friend just bought an 04 with 40k, CPO, all for 20k out the door.

[thebillsman]

I'm trying to sell my car as we speak and I don't think I'll get more than $14, Im not a huge fan on e46s to begin with but if I could afford one I'd have one in a heartbeat

[mcperson2k]

3. Evo would be newer and you have a better chance of finding one in better unabused conditon

I totally DISAGREE with that statement.

[Renegade_]

To be honest, if you dont want to take out a loan...

M3 with IHE, suspension mods, and good footwork.

Classy, snazzy, and leather gets the ladies. The suspension mods will let you tear their bras off with G forces. <- Truth

[thebillsman]

To be honest, if you dont want to take out a loan...

M3 with IHE, suspension mods, and good footwork.

Classy, snazzy, and leather gets the ladies. The suspension mods will let you tear their bras off with G forces. <- Truth

haa thats another thing i was talking about with a few of my friends tonight, girls arent really quick to jump into mitsubishi's.. bmw on the other hand

[jjm4life]

youre sold on the m3. its pretty obvious.
if youre buying a car for pussy, then youre buying a car for the wrong reasons. but if thats your intention... if a 10 year old bimmer gets the ladies, id be in a serious state of shock

[MPowerKai]

youre sold on the m3. its pretty obvious.
if youre buying a car for pussy, then youre buying a car for the wrong reasons. but if thats your intention... if a 10 year old bimmer gets the ladies, id be in a serious state of shock

Chicks don't dig sports cars. That is a fact. A nice sports car is more of a dude magnet lol. Girls like big and luxurious like an Audi Q7, or Maybach.

[thebillsman]

youre sold on the m3. its pretty obvious.
if youre buying a car for pussy, then youre buying a car for the wrong reasons. but if thats your intention... if a 10 year old bimmer gets the ladies, id be in a serious state of shock

Buying the car for pussy, come on man. If you honestly think I want to get pussy because of my car do you think I would pick a MINI of all things to drive? Getting girls doesn't really matter to me when buying a car but if someone told me I could have Car A or Car B, and I like Car A more than Car B and it gets more girls than obviously I'm going to choose A. It's just the way it is as I see it. And I don't know, I think girls seem to like four door e36's..

Chicks don't dig sports cars. That is a fact. A nice sports car is more of a dude magnet lol. Girls like big and luxurious like an Audi Q7, or Maybach.

I don't know man, I know some cars that arent that big that girls would want to jump in

[Renegade_]

if youre buying a car for pussy, then youre buying a car for the wrong reasons

And you sir, are obviously married.

[jjm4life]

And you sir, are obviously married.

couldnt be further from the truth. but cool cars are dude magnets. i just got home froma concert where i parked the lotus in a garage right next to the venue. nothing but looks of disgust from every chick in sight, and i might have a few protein stains from the gentlemen.

op- i wasnt implying you were looking for a chick magnet, just saying that a 10 year old bimmer vs a mitsubishi.. neither one will get you laid haha

[thebillsman]

couldnt be further from the truth. but cool cars are dude magnets. i just got home froma concert where i parked the lotus in a garage right next to the venue. nothing but looks of disgust from every chick in sight, and i might have a few protein stains from the gentlemen.

op- i wasnt implying you were looking for a chick magnet, just saying that a 10 year old bimmer vs a mitsubishi.. neither one will get you laid haha

hahaa, neither one?! damn.

but yeah it's cool, i mean i hope your wrong but we'll see..

[jjm4life]

i hope im wrong too. i can legitimately chalk up only one chick to the evo in the 4 years i owned it haha

[Proven]

To go along with what I said before don't get a car based on what people will think of you. Jim4life is right in saying don't get a car because it will attract girls. Then again if you want to use your car as a girl magnet def. get the BMW, grease your hair up, and head to the Jersey shore :mrgreen:

(messing with you of course)

EVO

[Schepis]

I dont really plan on boosting my car or trying to make 700hp lol. I'm cool with just a few mods and nothing too crazy.. The evo is just too much in too little for me, if that makes sense? I feel like I get more with the M3, I can move fairly quickly and its comfortable. I could never live with an RS evo, eghh! the inside of the car deserves some love too. It's a daily driver, i can't deal with a 30 million horse power evo.. The evo just brings out my boy racer, but I think in the long run.. bimmer, every time

Seems like you've made up your mind.

[sinner]

Why not look into an E46 M3? My friend just bought an 04 with 40k, CPO, all for 20k out the door.

Did they make the comp in 04? He go a sick deal

[sinner]

It sounds like you're more turned on by the idea of owning an e36 then actually owning it. Is it a car on your list?

[thebillsman]

It sounds like you're more turned on by the idea of owning an e36 then actually owning it. Is it a car on your list?

It's not really a question anymore the e36 3/4/5 is going to be my next car.. i figured you guys would have picked up one it lol. i just cant see past the lancer in an evo and i know that sounds somewhat shallow but its always going to come off as just a really fast japanese economy car to me (and i truly apologize if that offends anyone) but after further review its just not the car for me.. I'm just going to stick with what I know and go with the M3. I think I'll have plenty of fun and when you see me cruisin, dont sleep on my sedan!

[sinner]

It's not really a question anymore the e36 3/4/5 is going to be my next car.. i figured you guys would have picked up one it lol. i just cant see past the lancer in an evo and i know that sounds somewhat shallow but its always going to come off as just a really fast japanese economy car to me (and i truly apologize if that offends anyone) but after further review its just not the car for me.. I'm just going to stick with what I know and go with the M3. I think I'll have plenty of fun and when you see me cruisin, dont sleep on my sedan!

I understand the Lancer thing. That's why I bought mt sti over the evo in 07. I was just curious if the m3 was on your "list". You know the list that everyone keeps in their head of cars that they need to own at some point. I've crossed allot of mine off and I'm now really happy with my R. I knew it wasn't going to be the fastest car out but it handles unbelievably, and it can definitely hold it's own. Get what makes your heart beat the fastest when you look at it. I look at buying cars like starting a relationship...it's emotional lol. You buying the evo would be like dating a decent looking blond who's OUTSTANDING in bed, but is too stupid to hold a conversation with. Does that sum it up?

[thebillsman]

I understand the Lancer thing. That's why I bought mt sti over the evo in 07. I was just curious if the m3 was on your "list". You know the list that everyone keeps in their head of cars that they need to own at some point. I've crossed allot of mine off and I'm now really happy with my R. I knew it wasn't going to be the fastest car out but it handles unbelievably, and it can definitely hold it's own. Get what makes your heart beat the fastest when you look at it. I look at buying cars like starting a relationship...it's emotional lol. You buying the evo would be like dating a decent looking blond who's OUTSTANDING in bed, but is too stupid to hold a conversation with. Does that sum it up?

haha yeah, and the M3 is an intellectual girl who I can take anywhere except she hates the snow. and shes good enough in the sack lol

[sinner]

Exactly

[MPowerKai]

I don't know why everyone is talking about snow, the M3 is awesome in the snow. You just need snow tires

[thebillsman]

I don't know why everyone is talking about snow, the M3 is awesome in the snow. You just need snow tires

i dont think i get enough snow for the winter to really be a problem, this is the first year I couldnt really drive the MINI around but the snow was off the roads by the next day so it wasnt really a big deal.. ive seen some M3's do okay in the snow and okay is good enough for me :mrgreen:

[MPowerKai]

Much better than ok, I live by a steep hill and suv's are always pulled over during heavy snow because they can't make it up. My M3 always went up like a hot summer day