RE: M3 Newbie Q's and advice

[Mark Williams <williamh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

- - -----Original Message-----
>>Personally, I wouldn't mind the 5 speed, but the girlfriend is worried the
>>5 speed won't shift smoothly, and will make her nauseous like my turbo
>>eclipse does.    Any comments here?<<

dan  replied:

>convince the girlfriend you can shift it smoothly.  it would be a shame to
>allow some auto transmission brain to usurp a great portion of the pleasure
>of driving such a well-engineered car.


I agree..   this is all up  to  you and your right foot... The E36M3 can have a
rubber band effect when getting on and off the throttle, and of course you can
easily bounce a passenger's head around like a Raggedy Ann doll by being
abrupt with the throttle and stepping off the clutch abruptly... Take a car
for a test drive or two.. practice being smoooooooooth... THEN take the
girlfriend on the test drive.. be even  smoooooooother!  And after you
buy it, save the hot-rodding for when she's not in the car..

And a dose of realism..   what if you buy an M3 automatic and you and
the girlfriend part ways in the next 5 years?  You get stuck with an automatic
and a bad case of buyer's remorse.... WAY uncool..

>>My budget is less than 25K.  For those of you with the 4 door auto, how do
you like them?  Any regrets to purchasing the 4 door auto m3's?<<

I personally favor the 4 door.. Same car... similar curb weight,  more doors= better functionality..
There are many 97 M3s for sale in the 24-27K asking price range in the Roundel..... I am sure you
also find a couple at a car dealer or in a newspaper near you..   Good Luck!

Mark Williams
Dallas, TX
91 ///M3 2.5L

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