anyone have info on the m3 such as... last year made? max lat g?
i see e46 and e36 m3s - whats the differences?
im having trouble figuring it out from searches.

 

E46 and E36 designate M3's the same way C5 and C6 do Vettes. E46 is the latest generation, 333hp staight 6. Previous generation had a 240(???) hp stright 6. E46 from 2000 to current, not going to be an 07' model year from what I understand. E36 from 1992 to 1999. Next M3 will have a 400 hp small block V8.

 

Um - There is a lot of info that can be posted to answer your question.

As a current owner of both an E36 and E46 M3 and a past owner of a C5 Z06 I can tell say that if you are considering any of the cars as compared to each other it is really apples to oranges.

Either M3 generation vs. the C6 really comes down to owner need. My E36 is a car I have set up with a very stiff suspension and it great when used to take spirited drives around the back roads. The E46 picks up where the E36 has shortcomings. More horsepower, more refined handling package etc. Also, remember that it all comes with A+ interior apointments and a back seat.

The C6 is going to beat those two cars in every performance category and in my opinion would be a fabulous daily driver and weekend car. For my purposes though I needed a back seat and in that world an M3 is aways going to be at the top of the performance cars that are available.

There is no correct answer - each car is good but that has to be put in to the context of how you expect to use the car and what "need" it is going to fill

 

I have both a 2002 M3 and a '05 C6. E46 is BMW nominclature for the 3 series from 1999-current, where M3 is the "M" version of the 3 series (confusing isn't it). M3 and C6 are totally different cars, one being a sports coupe and the other a sports car. 2006 was last year for E46 M3, next is E90 M3 in '08 w/400 HP, but even heavier car, and higher MSRP. Lat G around .91. Best place to go for info is here http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/forumdisplay.php?f=9.

 

Some corrections

E36 M3

1995 to 1999
3.0 straight six 240hp for 1995
3.2 straight six 240hp for 1996 to 1999 (bump in displacement increased torque)
1995 thru 1999 coupe was available
1997 and 1998 a sedan was available
1997 thru 1999 convertible was available

E46 M3

2001 through 2006
3.2 straight six 333hp for all years
Coupe and Conv available all years I believe ( may not have offered the conv in 2001 - not 100% sure)

 

I have a 2006 E46 M3 and it's a different car then the Corvette. It's about 300 lbs. heavier then a C6 with about 70 less HP and about 140 HP less TQ but it redlines at 8000 and doesn't hit max HP until 7900. Although it's heavier, it feels more nimble then a Vette and the steering feel is much easier and it seems to take less work to throw an M3 around. Each new version of the M3 has weighed about 200-300 lbs. more then the previous and it is typically about 100-150 lbs more than the 3-series coupe it is based on (the current 335 is right at 3600 lbs). Factor that in and the new one will probably be around 3700 lbs, which will make it a big fat pig.

The next version of the M3 (it should be shown at the Geneva Auto Show) will be even heavier but with more HP and TQ. 400-420 HP and 320-330 TQ with a 8500 redline are the most common numbers I'll seen thrown around, but it's all a guess for now. A current C6 will probably still beat it in a straight line but on a track is where the M3 really shines.

 

This is not correct. E36 was actually produced in 1992. It did not reach the US until 1994. Still, not 1995.

Taken from conceptcarz.com

"In 1992 the second generation M3, based on the E36 platform, was introduced at the Paris Auto Show. BMW Motorsports started with the M50TU engine used in various E36 and E34. The bore and stroke was enlarged and the intake was modified to include individual throttle bodies. A new variable valve timing system on the intake camshaft, called VANOS, was adapted to the engine. The engine, dubbed the S50, was capable of producing over 280 horsepower.


The Motorsport department continued the modifications by adapting a new suspension with firmer shocks and springs and larger anti-roll bars. Twelve-inch vented disc brakes provided excellent stopping power, while the M-tuned variable-ratio steering provided instantaneous response.


Aesthetically, the E36 M3 was similar to the regular three series with only a few distinctions. The exterior of the M3 had a front air dam, aerodynamic side mirrors, and deeper side valance panels while the interior had a M shift ****, M instrument cluster, and M sport seats. An M-Technic rear spoiler could be purchased as a dealer option, giving the vehicle a very sportier look.


The E36 M3 did not reach US soil until 1994. Even when it did it was outfitted with a special American version of its potent engine, which was dubbed the S50 B30 USA. Throttle bodies had been removed to lower compression and the continuous VANOS was replaced with a two-stage one. This lowered the cost but also lowered the horsepower, now producing 240.


In 1995, a ZF 5HP18 five-speed automatic transmission was offered on the M3 as optional equipment. During the 1994 to 1995 model year, around 10,000 USA and 18,500 non-USA versions of the M3 were produced."

 

Right, it was the 1995 model year but it hit the US in 1994.

 

Should have said American Versions - your information is still not accurate though. The initial model year for the american versions of the E36 was 1995 not 94. The 1995 was available in the fall of 94 in the US as a 95 model. There is NOT a 1994 american version. Just the same as you can buy a 07 corvette in the summer of 06.

And the 280hp you quoted was for the euro and was never offered in the US.

 

Post edited......that would make it the 1995 model year.

 

Yea I screwed up, edited post.

The quote says it was never offered in the US.

 

By the way, one of my friends had a turbo'd E36 Dinan M3.....until he totaled it. That car was a blast and would scream. Don't think there's anyway my C6 could keep up with it in the twisties.

 

Didn't mean to come off as a jerk - I think we both posted at the same time.

I hear ya on the Dinan e36. On my 97 I am running sport bilstein shocks, H&R springs, and larger sways and the car is great in turns. But it is a stock motored car so it would still have trouble handling a C6 or a C5 on a track.

 

You didn't come off as a jerk at all, I posted the wrong info. I would hope someone would always correct me on any wrong info I type.

 

The E36 M3 is a classic and many M owners and car enthusiasts consider it to be the best M3 overall. I believe back in the late 90's Car and Driver called it the best handling car ever.

 

I never had any problems with M3's at the track except for one that was on Kumho 710's with so much negative camber that it didn't look like the outsides of the tires touched the ground when it was going straight . It was at WSIR and I was in my 2000 FRC (stock on worn Kumho MX's), ran it down, but the driver kept blocking me under braking going in to corners so that I couldn't get a drive coming out. Finally figured out to stay back and time it so that I started my drive a couple car lengths back and blew by leaving T9. My C6 definitly handles better than the M3, no comparison, and power is not in the same league. M3 does have 4 seats though, and with the rears folding down, is much easier to get my Bicycle in when I go riding. I use it for my foul weather car due to the crazies here in CA when the roads are wet.

 

I agree, the older/current M3's are too underpowered to be a match for a C6. The new M3 could be another story though, not in a straight line but with the increase in HP and TQ, it could be a formidable foe on the track.

 

Have to wait and see. If it's much heavier than a Vette, it will still fall behind. Can't overcome physics of HP/wt and contact patch. Currently the new M5's and M6's can't keep up in the corners, mainly due to weight and the suspension still optimised for comfort/sport vice the other way round. Straight line it's a horse race with a stock C6, but Z06 leaves them. New M3 is still being tweaked, but I'm afraid it will be heavier than the current model from what I'm reading, and with equal HP/TQ numbers to C6, it will not match up. Again, we'll have to see what shows up on the showroom floor. However, I don't think it will ever look as good as the E46 M3 (why I'm keeping mine), just my 2 pesos.

 

I wish I could afford to keep my M3 and still get the C6 but it's one or the other and the C6 is the route I'm going.

 

Excellent choice