Hello all, new member.

Just sold my 1988 BMW M3 over the weekend. It was up to now the most fun car I had ever owned. Now I need to get something to replace the urge to bang the redline. I am ready for a new car and my choices are
97 Boxter
97 M Roadster
and 2000-2001 S2000

they are all at about the same price range. I am sure being a S2000 onwer, some of you must have done some cross shopping. Please share your thoughts.

 

boxter - not enough power for me
m roadster - inline 6. boo.
s2000 - reasons why i like it:

1) 9000 redline
2) 50/50 weight distribution
3) i believe its the most horsepower for a stock 4 cylinder vehicle
4) not 7 years old.

 

The Boxter was nice but unless it was a Boxter S I just seemed to be left wanting more performance for that much money. The M Roadster is great. I love the car and it is a hell of a lot of bang for the buck but, it is getting older and BMW engines while smooth as hell are notoriosly expensive to work on after the warrantee expires. Also the electrical system on most of the BMWs I have driven or had friends that drove them, always seem to have a limited life to them. The S2000 is by far the best bang for your dollar, but you have to realize buying a pre-02 model may bring you some problems with transmission reliability and so on. The best thing to do is drive them all yourself and see if any cherry deals can be had. If you get an S try driving an 00-01 and then drive an 02-03 to see if you care about the differences and if paying a little more might be worth your consideration. Otherwise good luck in what ever you decide!

 

ahh you should've kept your e30 m3. i love those cars, such classics

btw out of all the cars you've listed, the s2000 is more FUN to drive...but im not sure how you'd like it as a daily driver.

 

you really ought to drive all these cars for youself, all good stuff, my impressions of the 99 boxster i drove is that i wanted more hp and it was kinda cheap for such an expensive car, then again there is maintenance which it was not designed for you to do...the m roadster is awsome looking from most angles, and has a sweet engine, but it is oversteer city and the price for maintenance is great...but you have a legend, the newer ones have more hp and are slightly better....the S is a no brainer, if you like them after a ride in one you may take that choice. there is little to say that is negative, it is a honda and costs little to maintain and is well(hand) built.iwould also go for the newest model you can afford.

 

Well speaking from a guy who still has an E30M3 and the S2k ...Get the S2000! It is my daily 40+ mile/day daily driver and it is a blast to drive. Putting the top down after work and cruising the back roads home just makes my day that much better. I think is the closest in spirit to the original M3 concept on the market today. Off the line performance of the S is much better. Engine performance is suprisingly even on highway pulls side by side (when I had an Evo2 cam).Now I have 284/276 Schricks-advantage M3. The revvy nature of the cars is similar but for track and autocross I still prefer the nice predictable handling of the M3 over the somewhat tail snappy S2K. Note: the M3 is running race springs/sways and Bilsteins/S2000 is a stock '03. When I die I will be buried in my M3-I feel its that good. BTW. my last daily driver was an E36 M3...I guess I prefer RPM's!

IMHO-I would narrow your choice down to the S2000 and the M Roadster. Go drive both and you will know. Its torque or high revving horsepower-take your pick. My wife had a 2000 Z3 and I always felt it seemed cheaply put together compared to the German assembled cars. S2000 is like a finely crafted machine, but its not for everybody....

Bob

'03 S2000-Stock
'88 E30 M3-Track car

 

The Boxster is notorious for expensive repair if tiny thing went wrong with the engine since the engine can only be accessed from the bottom. The M roadster is a cool car. They starta at 1998 not 1997. But don't get a 98 since 99 has the clear headlights and top liner as standard. I also own a 96 Z3 and the repair bill for BMW is not too bad. The parts and labour are only slightly higher than Honda. If I were you, I would forget about the Boxster and choose M roadster or S2000.

 

The M3 is the most practical car compare to Boxter or the S2000. I have to admit when I drive my s2000 I do have to worry what I'm going to do or who or what I'm going to be carrying. The M3 is an easier car to mod then the s2000 but is not as tossable or as fun as the S2000. I find though the M3 has better gas consumption on freeway getting somewhere around 30 on highway if maintain at high speed even though I have cams and other light mods. I haven't really driven another car that is precise and responsive compared to the s2000. The Boxter I drove but not a Boxter S is not as fun but is a lot more practical then the s2000. But doesn't really compare to M3. In reality you have to analyze you finical situation because the M3 and Boxter will cost more to maintained because the M3 will probably be an older model require some repair. BMW parts normally do not come cheap not to sure about Porsche but I'm sure they are more expensive then the BMW. You should have kept you E30 I would buy one if I had the chances.