7 Reasons Why You Might Not Want To Own An E46 M3 (Part 2)
Last week, we brought you seven good reasons why owning an M3 might not be such a grand idea. That was a counterpoint to our seven reasons you simply have to own one video – but here’s the thing. What if you simply don’t like the E46 M3? What else could you buy for the same cost, that might deliver just as much fun? And that’s what we’re going to look at this week.
First, though, a few parameters. Here in the UK, non-CSL E46 M3s start at around £6000 and go all the way up to around £20,000. But to get a decent, straight, manual coupé with history – the car most enthusiasts will be after – you’ll need to expect to pay an absolute minimum of £7000. So that’s the budget we’re using. And what are we looking for here? Well, very little out there’s going to match the pace and prestige of the E46. But there are a few cars around that can deliver just as much fun. OK, so you might not win at the lights if you come up against an E46 M3 – but we guarantee that each one of these options will put just as big a smile on your face.
7. Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth
Need we introduce the Cosworth? It was a hero to any car-mad child of the late ’80s, and in later Sapphire form, it spawned this tarmac-gobbling 4x4 version. It’s only endowed with 221bhp stock, but it can still make point-to-point progress with devastating rapidity. Plus you get the smug knowledge that your seven grand’s been spent on an appreciating asset, and of course, endless kudos for buying something cool and retro. Oh, and if that power figure isn’t quite enough for you, don’t forget the Cossie YB engine’s one of the most tuneable in history, and can easily make a strong, reliable 300bhp day in, day out. And if you still don’t want one, we reckon you’re bound to after this ’80s-tastic promo video from the car’s launch.
6. Porsche 928
Fancy something a little more premium for your dosh? How’s about a Porker? No, not a Boxster – for this cash, you can only get an early 2.7, which isn’t really a match for an M3. Mind you, neither’s this 928 – but it does offer something the M3 can’t, which is achingly cool looks. Oh, and a deeply erotic V8 soundtrack, too…
But how can we really recommend one of the lardiest classic Porsches of all to you? Well, don’t forget the 928 was designed to replace the 911, so it’s handier than you'd think in the corners, too. Plus the thumping 4.7-litre engine gives out 310bhp, all delivered in a big, ballsy wallop right through the mid-range. A decent example like this is, in short, an awesome thing to hoon around in.
5. Bentley Turbo R
Large, heavy, automatic, and – let’s face it – all at sea if you show it a corner. How on earth can a Turbo R like this one be considered an alternative to the E46? Well, quite easily, actually – it’s all thanks to that hulking great 6.75-litre turbocharged V8 up front. Bentley never released power figures, but it was estimated to produce 300bhp and a stonking 486lb ft, giving this preposterous 2.4-tonne leviathan the ability to hit 60mph in a shade under six seconds. OK, so it could also swallow up the entirety of the North Sea’s oil reserves if you dared to breathe on the throttle, but from inside its leather-swathed and walnut-clad interior, the driver would be past caring, as a simple flex of the right ankle brought the nose up like a battleship at full steam, and sent the big Bentley tearing off up the road like a possessed rhino. If you don’t love it for its utter ridiculousness, you’re a humourless old fart and we pity you. Here’s Jay Leno to tell you why you should.
4. TVR Chimaera
Face it. You want a TVR. Oh, we know you’re probably put off by tales of terrible reliability and flaky build quality – but if you put those aside for just a few seconds, we just know the thought of a gloriously curvy two-seat convertible with a bonkers noisy V8 up front is something that you, as a red-blooded car enthusiast, would climb over your own grandmother for. This is, of course, a vastly different proposition to the M3; where the BMW’s a scalpel, the TVR’s a hammer and chisel. But in terms of excitement, a hairy-chested Chimaera like this one is every bit as capable of plastering your face with a mahoosive grin as the E46, and if its outrageous soundtrack isn’t enough reason to buy one, then we simply don’t know what is!
3. Lotus Elise (Series 1)
Yes, we know – before you say it, there’s no way in heck the Elise is ever going to compete with the M3 in performance terms. But stick the two on a twisty road, and we’ll put money on the Elise driver keeping quite easily in touch, if not snapping at the heels of the BMW driver. And in any case, we’re almost certain that it’ll be the guy in the Lotus who’ll be having a better time. That’s because the first-gen Elise was one of the most beautifully set-up cars of the ’90s, following Colin Chapman’s ideology of lightness above all else. This example’s had its revvy K-Series' head gasket changed recently, which should make it reliable as well as fun. You will, however, have to do without creature comforts – Elises are categorically not luxury cars – but frankly, we reckon you’ll be laughing too hard to care.
2. BMW M5 (E39)
Are we really suggesting that instead of a BMW, you might want to consider another BMW? Well, why not? Especially when the M5 is such a talented machine. There are BMW nuts the world over who still contend that the E39 M5 is the best car the company’s ever produced. Why? Well, look at the ingredients. A 394bhp 4.9-litre V8. A wonderful six-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential. A beautifully set-up chassis and delectably linear steering. A cosseting, expertly-built cabin filled with all the tech you need, and none of what you don’t. And to top it all off, perfectly-proportioned super-saloon looks. In fact, the only reason you might not consider an M5 over an M3 is because prices have risen a touch, making it by a whisker the more expensive of the two – decent-looking examples like this one for below our budget are hard to come by at the moment. Buy it anyway, and use it to re-create your very own version of the epic Star promo vid BMW came up with. (Note, in case of stupidity: This is just our way of saying ‘Here’s a cool video’. Don’t really try this.)
1. Mitsu Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen
But what could top the M5 as a rival for the M3? Well, you might have noticed a conspicuous lack of Japanese entrants to our top seven list. That’s because we’ve saved the best 'till last. Enter the Mitsubishi Lancer, in the most desirable version of probably its most iconic form. The TME kicked out 276bhp, significantly less than the M3, but a considerable saving in weight, plus the benefit of four-wheel-drive grip, both meant that it could actually hit 60mph fractionally faster. Throw in mental grip and an insane ability to simply demolish B-roads in a manner that’d leave the M3 gasping for breath, not to mention an edgy, deeply involving chassis, and you’re left with a real rival for the BMW. Of course there are downsides – what you gain in grip and turbocharged punch, you lose in interior trim and refinement – but if an E46 M3 really wasn’t your bag, one like this would be the car we’d recommend going to look at instead. And if you’re still not entirely convinced, here’s a video that shows exactly why you should buy a car with Makinen’s name on it. Keep an eye out for the parked cars – mental!
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