cbehney

Great choice. You'll love it. I've had a 991.1 and 991.2 since my 997, and I still miss the 997. Better looking, esp the rear end, and has a better feel. The 911 really is an amazing combination of sporty and practical. Enjoy that thing!

Marioshi

E90 M3 comes in auto... but I see you made your choice...Congrats! I was lusting after 997s about 4 years ago but got a C7 Corvette instead.

AZ-S2000

E90 M3 - I don't trust BMW V8s after 98. All of them had valve-guide/stem seal issues which cost average $3200 to repair. I kid you know, every V8 since 2002 has this issue. Sure its fun, but, that feeling quickly dies off with the V8 M3s from what I noticed. Thats why E46 M ownership is much longer than the V8s. The Inline-6 has a better sound and feel to it. Plus, they are much less maintenance and more reliable.

Porsche - I'm 2 thumbs up for Porsche. Porsche ranked #1 most dependable on ConsumerReports twice in recent years, overtaking Lexus. Power, solid drivetrain, and it remains the only sports car that can both be tracked and daily driven from factory based on owners and professionals comments.

white98ls

Can't say I've heard much about this valve guide/stem seal issue on either my E90 M3 or past E39 M5. Just hasn't come up in the discussions I've read. As far as the I-6 having better feel and particularly sound... unless you're talking about the M3 CSL I think your opinion is in the minority on that one. The S54 I-6 has its rod bearing issues as well, and also requires valve adjustments.

With that said, at least the I-6 isn't nearly as much of a gas hog as the V8!

JonBoy

The V8 in the E90/92 sounds glorious! I raced a guy in one with an aftermarket exhaust (me in the Z4M) and we were neck and neck in acceleration but the M3 sounded way better, to my ear. The Z4M sounds better than the typical E46 M3 in that it's a little deeper in tone and not as raspy. I've never really liked the E46 M3 engine/exhaust note...