Good point. I went the other way, selling a pristine 1998 M3 coupe, and buying a 2005 S2000. The M3 was a great car, but I was tired of it, wanting the excitement of something new.

Once you get through the few mandatory upgrades, mostly cooling system related, the car is trouble free, reliable, and fun to drive. You will have a 5 speed transmission that, even with a shifter upgrade, will never be close to the S2000's shifter. You can spend $5k to have a 6 speed transmission installed. The cost of maintenance items isn't much different from the S2000, if you don't go through dealers.

Mitch

 

I love the E36. Driven a bunch of them. Manys friends of mine have/had them. Apart from what everone else has said, I personally feel you might not be happy with one. They are more practicle, but you said you have already used the S as a DD. The E36, while an amazing car, doesn't offer near the same driving excitement that the S does IMHO. Drive one and I think you will agree.

 

e36 M3 is a blast.. driven one with cams and gears Was very fast. That being said, I wouldn't take one over my S2K.. just another car with a roof

 

I have to disagree that many of the e36m3's mechanical issues are "regular maintenance" issues.

Cracked shock towers are not something you can prevent with regular maintenance (you might prevent it by driving like my dead grandmother). Same with the water pump...that was a cheaply designed impeller on BMW's part. Bad VANOS is also not something the average owner can prevent. Nor is the steering rack problem or the tranny problem.

And as another poster on Bimmerforums noted, the oil pump sprocket nut backing out is not something you would check with each oil change.

I won't comment on the weak valve spring retainers since our car suffers from that as well.

The only weakness that might be partially influenced by good maintenance is the ring failure. My car suffered from that at 75k miles (it is the reason I now have the S2k) and I can tell you I religiously maintained my ///M. I was completely surprised when the leak-down showed that I needed a re-build.

Having hung out with lots of M3 owners the 4 years I had the car, I know that shortly after the warranty expired, we all started to experience some of these more significant and expensive issues. I think those owners who haven't had one or more of these issues are more the exception than the rule, unfortunately. I will only own another BMW while it is in warranty.

 

I loved the E36 M3 for long time, however, after learning the S2K my outlook has changed quite a bit. It feels so heavy to me now, still a wonderful car with an enjoyable amount of torque but compared to the S it feels like a tank.

 

i liked the s2000 more than the e36 m3 even before i got my S. have you driven the e36 m3? i suppose it comes down to the feel of the drive and expected expenses.

 

get the s2 because the new m3 is coming out.

 

Thanks everyone for your comments. It seems like maintainance is a big matter with the E36 M3s. I haven't driven one yet, but will hopefully this weekend (that is if we find one lying around a dealership or a private owner who is willing to let me take it for a spin). I really wouldn't have the funds for all those fixes and repairs, so it looks like the S2K would be better. The only real reason I was looking at them was because of the extra space (not a big deal but sometimes nice to have for more people), extra torque (although I love reving the S2k), and its a BMW (but my S2K already gets enough looks and compliments). Again thanks for the comments and I'll post my opinions once I get to drive one. Any other comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

I miss my M3. Love my S2000. The m3 was a great car. Good auto-x, awesome track car, plus lots of BMW guys at the track. Good community through BMWCCA. The maintance on my M3 was not bad at all. Just make sure to pick one up that has been cared for and has all the records. Hope all is well, cant go wrong with either choice.

 

I liked my M3, but I *love* my s2k. The M3 has more torque, more space, more luxury but it's also more maintenance and seems more isolated compared to the s2k. The clutch is heavier, and I didn't like the gearbox at all. But the torque was sure nice on my commute.

Really the big turn off was every 6 months something broke and cost $100-$1000: airbag sensor, thermostat, climate control electronics, water pump, power door locks.

Can't go too wrong either way. Both good driver's cars. Just depends on your tolerance for "issues".