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

[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!]

Originally Posted by jjm4life

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 ;)