alenbalen

[QUOTE=BobDigi7080,Aug 19 2007, 03:08 PM]I wonder why "vs. E46 discussion" isn't ever brought up

cdelena

I've run with a properly setup E36 M3 on the track more than once... I would say the cars are about equal except the E36 is easier to drive and more forgiving at the limit.

Jacques79

The E36 M3 is probably my 2nd fav car after the S2000 and I've driven numerous ones.

I've even contemplated selling my S2000 to buy a well maintained 1999 M3.

The BMW has better steering feel but the turn in response and steering ''quickness'' are a deal killer for me. It feels too slow from the time I turn the steering wheel to the time the tires react.

I prefer the M3's brakes, they feel more solid and the ABS isn't as sensitive.

Another gripe about the bimmer has to be the shifter: it feels rubbery, too long and belong's in a 70's estate car or something, not in a sports car. Again just like the turn-in response thing, I guess I'm spoiled by the S2000.

The engine in the bimmer feels MUCH more energetic and powerful than the 240HP suggest: it really pushes you back in your seat around 3500RPMs. I've driven a lot of sports coupes with more than 240HP who feel much slower than the E36 M3. The engine feels like it has 260HP!

I love the driving position on the bimmer, excellent for a luxury sports coupe. Cockpit feels extremely comfortable and it's a no-nonsense dashboard. Everything is just right!

Handling wise the M3 does feel heavier than the S2K but it grips very well and is fun to slide around, more forgiving than the Honda obviously.

What I love the most about the E36 M3 is that even after 8 years of its death it's still a sports coupe that can rip to 60 in 5.5 seconds, haul 4-5 people with a big trunk, weighs less than 3200 pounds, handles beautifully, has trememdous steering feel, great brakes and a large trunk!

But the steering response and shifter feel are deal breakers for me. Maybe if I had never driven-owned an S2000 I wouldn't have cared for these 2 things, but...

Ideally in a few years I'm picking up an E36 M3 as a 2nd car, which I think is the IDEAL addition to a garage with just an S2000.

esmith

First, when you say turbo, do you mean supercharger?

Second, shouldn't you say "a turbo kit for 5k and a bunch of other mods for another 5-10k to get to 400 to the wheels"? AFAIK common $5k S2k turbo/superchargers aren't capable of 400 rwhp unless you get them waaay out of recommended boost range. 300 rwhp is more realistic.

negcamber

Hmm not to hijack the original thread...but it seems quite a few folks with less than $10k in the car are able to put down 400+ at 11-13psi. With stock head and C/R, many more see 330-360whp at 8-9psi.

Most of the 400+whp cars are turbo...not that much more expensive than SC. Plus, the turbo gives much larger gains at lower rpm, whereas the SC pretty much maintains the stock power curve but just moves it upwards.

Here is a thread from the FI forum going back a couple years showing mods & results.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=313786

pdexta

That was a particularly anticlimactic cross post. I was getting myself ready for an all out war... and everyone just kinda agreed with each other.

s2kpdx01

If you are going to track your car a bunch get the S2000. If you are mostly going to DD the car get the M3. In my experience a s2000 is a faster track (not 1/4) car especially on a budget.

sexycheto88

not to sound like a jerk or get off topic, but i gotta say your wrong.

InlinePro offers a turbokit starting at 4k. with the 1k for the EMS, maybe 200 for a 3mm headgasket. you can do 400+ easily with around 15psi.

check out their site if u dont believe me. they ever advertise 450+ with their kit.

and no i dont mean supercharger. i meant what i said, A Turbo Kit.

and what would u call recommend boost? i didn't know their was such a thing.

s2kpdx01

yeah, put 400whp through the car on the cheap. 3mm gasket...great idea. If you are driving slow around town or have a 'show' car (read: doesn't need to go anywhere) that might work. That's the cheap hack way to do it. More then likely 400whp done up that way during some real driving, like track work is going to grenade the engine and probably destroy the tranny and diff in the process. It's a really bad idea for an S2000 driven hard to try and get 400whp to the wheels, IMO.

The only 400+whp S2000 I have seen that was even somewhat reliable at a track had a totally built engine, reinforced tranny, and a totally different differential and axles. That was about 15-20k into the car.

sexycheto88

i dont think the 3mm head gasket inline sells and insists u buy before they up the boost, is anything but cheap. its the better alternative then lowering your piston compression ratio.

okay this maybe true i wasn't saying it was gonna be DD or easy. i was mearly point at the fact with 5k u can get over 400 to the wheels. you can't do that with a bmw. the cheapest quality kit like the inlinepro costs 10 for the kit! for the bmw. that is mearly my fact.

with 400 to the wheels of a bmw i'm sure u'd have to build up everything too. which would cost u double that to do for the s2k.

please dont argue about what people say, keep it topic oriented.