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I never loved the e9x m3, honestly I hated it. The v8 motor had no torque. I'd much rather have the c63 or the s4 as a DD. I'd pick the S4, I had one for 2 months and loved it. Great in the snow with proper tires. Very comfy around town and on shitty nyc roads.
Did you have any issues with the s4? manual? What kind of additional power did the Stasis tune add?
I had issues with the Stasis exhaust, the bracket in the rear kept breaking, but that was a Stasis issue and not the car itself. The sheet that came with the car stated it was 420hp. My dad had an S63 at the time and my S4 would pull away from it.
Mine was an auto. I had planned on keeping the car after the lease was up, but when Stasis went under I was worried Audi wouldn't honor the warranty any longer. The car was bought as a Stasis tuned car from the Audi dealer, so I had full warranty.
Not sure how you can consider an S4 and C63 and think an M3 is a snooze-fest. It's by far the most dynamic and exciting car of the bunch. The S4 isn't even in the same category as an M3 or C63.
Sounds like you are leaning towards the germans, but I have two more options for you:
2015-2017 Chevy SS 6 speed. Other than the bland looks (could be a plus if you are looking for a sleeper) this car does everything really well. It has the 6.2L LS3 motor with 415 HP and TQ, Tremec 6 Speed, RWD, LSD, Magnetic Ride Control, Brembos, sweet exhaust note and tons of Tech and space. Even at 4000 lbs, the car is a blast to drive, and handles pretty well for what it is. The car is also very reliable, and highly modifiable. The best thing is that this car is built in Australia, so you could say it's an import
2011-2014 Lexus ISF: 416 hp, 5.0 V8, RWD, LSD, Brembos, Very nice 8 speed Tranny with great paddles, lots of tech and in my opinion it looks great, especially in Ultrasonic Blue or Starfire White Pearl. This car is a rocket, and can be made even faster with PPE Headers, Exhaust, Intake and a Tune. Now there is even a Supercharger kit if you want more power (but it's $10 grand!). This would be my top picl in this category for sure.
I have owned both of these cars in the past, and also an M3. I have also driven many AMG C63 and Audi S4, and although they are also amazing cars, my vote would go for the ISF. You can even find the 2008-2009s for low 20s in great condition and with good miles. Did I mention these ISFs are bulletproof?
I never loved the e9x m3, honestly I hated it. The v8 motor had no torque. I'd much rather have the c63 or the s4 as a DD. I'd pick the S4, I had one for 2 months and loved it. Great in the snow with proper tires. Very comfy around town and on shitty nyc roads.
It revved to 8300 rpms and had instantaneous throttle response. Not sure how anyone who appreciates S2000's can't appreciate the S65. It's a glorious motor (that sadly was far to susceptible to bearing issues).
It revved to 8300 rpms and had instantaneous throttle response. Not sure how anyone who appreciates S2000's can't appreciate the S65. It's a glorious motor (that sadly was far to susceptible to bearing issues).
x2.
"Low torque" is relative. Sure, it has much less than a C63 or forced-induction competitors. But it's still pretty much twice as much as the S2k, peaking at a far lower rpm. Not gonna blow your face off, but I've never been like, "man, this thing can't get out of its own way." And worth the trade-off for the high-rpm goodness, which any S2k lover should appreciate. And it's in a wonderful chassis for a sporty daily driver.
Sounds like you are leaning towards the germans, but I have two more options for you:
2015-2017 Chevy SS 6 speed. Other than the bland looks (could be a plus if you are looking for a sleeper) this car does everything really well. It has the 6.2L LS3 motor with 415 HP and TQ, Tremec 6 Speed, RWD, LSD, Magnetic Ride Control, Brembos, sweet exhaust note and tons of Tech and space. Even at 4000 lbs, the car is a blast to drive, and handles pretty well for what it is. The car is also very reliable, and highly modifiable. The best thing is that this car is built in Australia, so you could say it's an import
2011-2014 Lexus ISF: 416 hp, 5.0 V8, RWD, LSD, Brembos, Very nice 8 speed Tranny with great paddles, lots of tech and in my opinion it looks great, especially in Ultrasonic Blue or Starfire White Pearl. This car is a rocket, and can be made even faster with PPE Headers, Exhaust, Intake and a Tune. Now there is even a Supercharger kit if you want more power (but it's $10 grand!). This would be my top picl in this category for sure.
I have owned both of these cars in the past, and also an M3. I have also driven many AMG C63 and Audi S4, and although they are also amazing cars, my vote would go for the ISF. You can even find the 2008-2009s for low 20s in great condition and with good miles. Did I mention these ISFs are bulletproof?
Good luck with your decision!
This... Yes! I have only owned the ISF for 2 weeks as a 2nd weekend car but I can totally see it being a great daily though. It's comfy and if you're easy on the gas, you can get up to 19-20mpg with mixed driver. I've seen it go up to 25+ MPG when you're on the highway because of the 8 speed. The gas tank is SMALL so if you're averaging 15mpg, it'll need constant fill ups. This past weekend when I was driving on the backroads, it showed 10.8 MPG so the car's range isn't great. The 5.0 V8 sound is good. You want the 2012 and later ones as a daily since they have the updated softer suspension.
The ISF recently just got on my radar as the used prices on those things are making them very appealing. The fact that they weren't too well received in reviews and generally snubbed by M3 type consumers means the demand isn't rabid which means better value on resale. It's still a good car, with a decent chassis, compliant ride, NA V8, and Lexus build quality. For the intended purpose of a fun, everyday type of car, this one checks alot of boxes. Buying used is always a value proposition, and with german cars it comes down to the cost of ownership.
I'd throw the Golf R and Audi S3 into the mix if you're willing to sacrifice a tad bit more interior space. Both are great drivers cars and handle daily duty well. I loved my R...
01-08-2018, 04:40 PM
