Quote:
Originally Posted by W///
Very cool collection of cars. We have very similar taste!
2 questions:
1) How badly do you miss your GT3? Was it worth the huge expense? It's still one of my dream cars, but geez they are expensive
2) Why did you track an S54 powered E36 instead of just getting another E46 M3? How did the 2 compare?
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Thanks! Regarding the GT3... loved the car, but really didn't fit a good niche for me in where i was at in terms of tracking and weekend enjoyment. I really want to be able to push the limits of a car at the track, and doing so in a GT3 is beyond my comfort zone given my track experience (meaning i have way more to learn, and the GT3 is way more car than i am track driver), and cost to replace should something go wrong. For the street... it's way too much car for the street. Plus, my weekend car these days needs to accommodate my kiddo, otherwise, the weekend car rarely gets driven (for example, 3K miles on my GT4 in 1.5 years of ownership). Do I miss it? No. Would l love to have one in the stable? Absolutely.
For the S54/e36... my first e36 was cursed, so when looking for a replacement, i still wanted something lower cost, so i wouldn't be too far out $-wise should something bad happen at the track. But also looking to keep operating cost relatively low (brakes, tires, etc.). The e36M and a Cayman were the choices for me. Since I had so much stuff for the track from my first e36, I decided to give it another go with an e36 (and not "upgrade to to an e46M). The current e36 that i got was very well built... had stage 3 turner motor upgrades, full cage built by turner, etc. etc. I only decided to swap in the S54 when i got a deal i couldn't refuse from a friend for his motor, and another friend wanted/needed my motor at the same time.
So, to compare the e46M versus my S54/e36... i'd say it's hard to do. My e36 experience is with dedicated, gutted track cars. My e46M was still mostly street. But, some rough opinions are that the e36 is a little more fun due to slightly smaller chassis. The S54 swap really makes the thing shine