What would you rather have for the track, e92 m3 DCT or alfa 4c?

In reply to cbaclawski :

The poor-man’s version is the Lancer Evo X with DCT gearbox. I like them even more than the GT-R.

Then again, I’m a huge Evo nerd. I loved my Evo VIII for the 4-5 years I had it. Spent some time driving the Evo II, V, and 6.5 TME as well. One of the few cars that offers a genuinely unique driving experience. 

LanEvo said:

In reply to cbaclawski :

The poor-man’s version is the Lancer Evo X with DCT gearbox. I like them even more than the GT-R.

Then again, I’m a huge Evo nerd. I loved my Evo VIII for the 4-5 years I had it. Spent some time driving the Evo II, V, and 6.5 TME as well. One of the few cars that offers a genuinely unique driving experience. 

I've read the DCT box on those will overheat with spirited ON ROAD driving. 

Alfa Romeo = passion..

dyintorace said:

cbaclawski said:

docwyte said:

In reply to cbaclawski :

Then call diffsonline and order up a rear diff and call it a day!

I will probably end up doing that some day, but oddly the 3k it would cost to do that on a car that's probably worth 8k on a good day just doesn't sit well with me(it might be worth $8.2k with the diff installed).  I'm hoping to find a used one cheap someday I guess.   I'd rather spend 10x as much and go slower ;)

In addition to adding a diff, you could swap in an S55 from the same generation M3. Granted doing so would be spending even more money on a car it sounds like you want to move on from, but you’d end up with a damn quick car! 

Watch this for inspiration! M3 hill climb

A regular at the track I go to has an e36 with an s54 swap in place.  He is really quick.  But like you said it's a big bill, and would probably be cheaper to just start with an e46 M3 and start stripping.  Of course a decent e46 M is becoming collectible, and probably very close in price to the e92 at this point.  I think the e92 has more potential - even if heavier - and a true DCT.  I've heard the SMG in the e46 M is pretty finnicky...

LanEvo said:

In reply to cbaclawski :

The poor-man’s version is the Lancer Evo X with DCT gearbox. I like them even more than the GT-R.

Then again, I’m a huge Evo nerd. I loved my Evo VIII for the 4-5 years I had it. Spent some time driving the Evo II, V, and 6.5 TME as well. One of the few cars that offers a genuinely unique driving experience. 

This is interesting, I really didn't know much about these.  At a quick glance at ebay though, they seem to be going for almost e92 M money.  I bet that awd with paddle shifting is a blast on the track though.  I need to research these more...

z31maniac said:

I've read the DCT box on those will overheat with spirited ON ROAD driving. 

I didn't know that. I have no first hand experience with the Evo X. The earlier cars are fairly bulletproof as long as you do some pretty basic maintenance (and don't launch them on tarmac 50 times per week).

Beware the third-party motor swap.  Some guys don't enjoy the ownership experience they have with certain combinations (I'm looking at you, Doc).  Some do.  Only one way to find out, though. . . .

Alfaromeoguy said:

Alfa Romeo = passion..

 

Can you point me to an alfa 4c specific forum?  I'd like to read what others are doing as far as track mods, i.e roll bar mounting mentioned earlier, tunes, and tire setups - as well as anything else I should know...

JBasham said:

Beware the third-party motor swap.  Some guys don't enjoy the ownership experience they have with certain combinations (I'm looking at you, Doc).  Some do.  Only one way to find out, though. . . .

I'm a little leery of them myself, I've heard that an ls swapped e46 is a monster, but only WHEN it works.  I'm not a mechanic, I try my best to do what I can, but there are still a lot of things well beyond my abilities to diagnose or fix...

cbaclawski said:

JBasham said:

Beware the third-party motor swap.  Some guys don't enjoy the ownership experience they have with certain combinations (I'm looking at you, Doc).  Some do.  Only one way to find out, though. . . .

I'm a little leery of them myself, I've heard that an ls swapped e46 is a monster, but only WHEN it works.  I'm not a mechanic, I try my best to do what I can, but there are still a lot of things well beyond my abilities to diagnose or fix...

A doctor friend of mine blew the motor in his E46 M3.  He already has a nice 911, but he decides to get a local pro motor-swapper to put in the LS.  In two summers, it hasn't finished a session without going to critical overheat.  The pro can't fix it (so I guess we need to hang a new sign outside his shop).  When he's ready to dump it as a project car, I'll think seriously about buying it, if I get wind of the sale.  But there's no way I'm going to ask him about that.  I feel really bad for him.

JBasham said:

Beware the third-party motor swap.  Some guys don't enjoy the ownership experience they have with certain combinations (I'm looking at you, Doc).  Some do.  Only one way to find out, though. . . .

LOL!  Yeah, I'll own that.  There's a lot more involved in a 3rd party motor swap than you expect, especially when its going to be a track car.  Even more so when you're dealing with unusually harsh conditions like I do. 

The motor swap itself was fine and not all that difficult.  What was difficult was all the stuff to get to make it run properly at the track, with some sort of OEM like feel.  In other words, proper brake feel and bias, water/oil temperature control, etc, etc.  When something broke, it was always something that needed custom metal fab skills, which I don't have.

I wouldn't do a 3rd party motor swap again.  Hell, even a native swap like an S54 in an E36 is a TON of work and $$$ if you want it to have OEM like operation...

Hey man, you took the trip, and got the t-shirt.  Way to rock!  Go big or go home!