What Car Dilema??

[M3ACS]

As some of you know ive had my 2001 E46 M3 for some time now and loved it to bits, however feel now is a good time to change...but what to?

Looked at the new M3 and unsure as to me it doesnt look as aggresive as my E46, people have mentioned the RS4 but again looks a little plain to me..

Thought about a CSL im looking at on Saturday which has AP brakes all round and very low mileage, but concerned with resale cost in 3 years time and if it can still keep up with some of the bigger bhp cars coming out at the moment..

Car needs to be sporty, capable on track, reliable, and priced within £40K if possible.

So i thought id add a post here to ask you guys what you would do as at the moment its driving me insane as i cant make a choice :confused:

[styler2002i]

y not wait a yr mate and get a GTR. u cant get much better then that... and its pretty cheap compared to wat it is considered against... i.e. 911 turbo etc etc..

[M3ACS]

I do like the look of the new skyline, however need to change car quite quickly so cant really wait and wouldnt feel confident with an imported GTR..

[MEGA]

I personally agree that the Audi is a no-go however I'd say the same thing about a GTR now.

What with 3 members of this forum alone picking up GTRs, you might not want to get one. They're obviously common :D :D

If you won't consider a 997Turbo, for instance, then I'd say you need to stay with the "other" german (Perhaps and M5?) or go Italian.

[Vin]

to be honest im loving the new M3 so that would be my choice but if you dont mind an older car hw about a 996 C2S.

[Moe]

Look at a sl55 amg

[M3ACS]

I think i may test drive the new M3 and see if the performance can outweigh the bland exterior, in its defense it did beat the RS4 recently on one of TopGears track races..

So what do people think about the CSL would this not be a wise decision? Or do you think that it could quickly become dated in the next 12/24 months?

[styler2002i]

of even a E55 amg... or cls55 your quiet spoilt for choice there bruv... i can see your dilemma lol

[Raja_SMGII]

Go for the new M3 in silverstone II, it's lush :)

[speed]

I've been thinking the same thing recently but won't be changing car till next year. I think for around 40k an sl55 amg looks pretty good and then spend another couple of K on something with 4 seats just as a run around.

[M3ACS]

Im getting from all your posts that the CSL is not a competitive option? Am i correct?

[XKaLiBaR]

personally i dont think the csl will drop in value that much. its a limited edition car, which is going to become a very expensive classic.
if your going to track, nothing can beat it. whenever i go track, the csl is always the fastest thing ther.

[Chaos]

Thought about a CSL im looking at on Saturday which has AP brakes all round and very low mileage, but concerned with resale cost in 3 years time and if it can still keep up with some of the bigger bhp cars coming out at the moment..

Not meant as a personal comment, but that car will run out of driver ability a LONG ASS time before it runs out of mechanical ability. The bigger bhp cars coming out will be in the same bracket to a degree, although plenty of them are less able than the CSL before they even have a driver to add into the equation.

If you're confident that you can squeeze every last ounce out of a CSL then you're into 997TT or R8 territory to make a real difference, and you won't be playing with those for 40k. I'm not saying that you have to buy a CSL, just that you seem to be discounting it for the wrong reasons in my humble opinion - unless you're only interested in straight line speed, which is less and less of an option in this country's modern times. Discount it for comfort, cost, whatever; but never performance.

A CSL for 30k could be the perfect option, maybe with a nice little S2k for the other 10k as a convertible for summer and a reliable daily driver. The CSLs are bottomed-out presently for value, I don't think they'll ever lose too much more, be a collector's car early into the next decade. If not, 40k can get you an SLK55 AMG maybe? E60 M5? 996TT?

[dodgyken]

CSL is the dog danglies - they are superb pieces of kit - and the market is waking up to that.

A CSL with BBK is going to be seriously quick - slip on some cup tyres and a lot of bigger BHP cars will have no chance.

Depends how you want to have fun - but for 40k there are always plenty of options - 545i and E30 M3??

[mikem]

For me it would be a CSL with a nice susp setup and exhaust (if it already has the brakes) a S/C can easily be bolted on if you feel you need more straight line speed after a while for 5-6K and that would be it perfect. Providing your driving is upto scratch I don`t see anything being quicker on or off track without spending some serious money or going totally impractical.

Or a 996 Turbo but if you spent £40K on one of these, you`ll probably end up spending at least another 10K on turbos, brakes, exhaust, susp etc (I know I would and thats why I`m trying to stay away from one :o ).

[dodgyken]

One thing worth remembering is that there is a huge difference between being quick and having fun - the latter can happen at lower speeds and cheaper!

[peppernick]

Will you be using the car as a daily driver? If not, let's go against the grain a little. Might be worth a thought ....... ;)

I have chopped and changed several times over the past couple of years, similar car dilemma I had to you with the same budget, and I don't drive my cars everyday. If I could turn back the clock, this is what I would have done.

A Ferrari 355 Berlinetta :cool: They might not be the most technologically advanced specimens out there today but it will be a HUGE sense of occasion each time you get behind the wheel, and they sound like nothing else. Stick it on classic insurance and you'll be paying no more than what you are for an M3. As long as you buy wisely at the correct mileage, you can use the car for a year or so having to just pay for the basic service which cost less than £800. You can even stick a warranty on it. When you sell it, you get most if not all your money back, and then you look for another one and the whole cycle repeats itself.

Have a watch ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0OusN1y1Yc :D


Worth a thought?

[amar7274]

I agree with some of the comments made by others with regards to the CSL. I've traded my car in for a CSL, i managed to source one that had done 14k miles and still had its original cup tyres on. I dont think this car will lose as much money as an new M3, RS4 or any AMG. Its a future classic, should get my car next week some time cant bloody wait :D

[M3ACS]

Chaos - Many thanks for your comments and your right, im after a car i can have fun in regardless of a weekend B-Road or track day session.

My concerns are around the resale value, and opinions of those that may have moved from an M3 to the CSL and their thoughts, as well as if anyone would consider any different car. Like PepperNick has mentioned!!! ;)

As i mentioned on my original post, im test driving a CSL on Saturday and looking forward to it, but just slightly concerned with resale in three years.

Thanks for all your comments guys, ill keep you updated and if anyone has any further throughts let me know.