Is the "M" really worth it?

Semi-related side note, how many of us are making a concerted effort not to type out, "E36 M3"?

While the E36 325i or 328i are fine machines, they are different animals than the M3.

I'm with the camp that spending the extra $$ on the factory designed and engineered M car would be the best choice. You could try to replicate it, but in the end you'll spend more money and end up with a car that is worth less, and gives less driving pleasure.

And Slickdizzy---- you must have been considering a modified E36 M3, as the stock car is anything but punishing. I'd drive mine cross country tomorrow without hesitation---- it's totally comfortable, and useful for about anything I throw at it. Granted it's not as nice as an E46 interior-wise, but it's still no penalty box.

In terms of "Hungry for your wallet", the E46 M3 is worth it. The US E36 M3 is honestly an M chassis with a normal e36 drivetrain, so they aren't that bad to the wallet, the E30 M3 is a massively different beast than its siblings(like the e46) and the e92 doesn't seem to be too horrible to live with(granted the people I know with them have too much money)

As some one who had both E36 versions, get the M. I ran nearly identical times at autoxs in my former stock M (monroe shocks and all season rubber) and my M3 cammed 325is (h&r and bilstein equipped). The dynamics of the M is some much "more" than the 325-328.

The same is for the M versions of the E30, E34, E39, and E46 I had the pleasure of sampling. If I could,ve found that hyper annoying chassis clunk (we guessed the rear floor was tearing away), I would've sold the 325is and kept the E36M3.

Let me put it to you this way, if you take your automotive advice from GRM, he// yes. If you take your automotive advice from Consumer Reports, no.

All depends on what you are looking for. My E36 328i is mainly a commuter appliance, and a toe into the water of the BMW world. As a 5-speed sport package it is plenty entertaining and still reliable and relatively low maintanence.

I paid $3,200 cash for the 328i. It was well maintained, stock, adult owned zero rust documented Cali car with 155k miles. The interior was near mint, everything works and the only real problem is some clearcoat flaking.

In Seattle, decent M3's still go for $8-9k. In NorCal going rate was more like $6.5-7.5k. So you are talking at least double the money for the M version, and I just couldn't justify it. If I could have found an M3 for $4,500 like I hear about in the rust-belt, it might have been a different story.

In any case, it matters what you are using the car for. If you plan to auto-x and do trackdays with it, and would have to spend thousands upgrading the vanilla car to M specs anyway, it is probably worth it. But for my daily grind I just couldn't see spending the extra money.