If u had the money or budget of $55k and had these two options to choose from, which option would u choose:

brand new STi, spend additional $15-20k on performance mods (power and suspension)

or

brand new M3 sedan and keep it stock

 

sti definately! pretty sure you would smash on new m3 with this type of money. plus u know u wanna mod

 

the m3. by far more comfortable. gets you more chicks too.

 

brand new m3 and continue to post on iclub

 

IMO if you are a car guy and you aren't afraid to play with the M3 yourself then I guess you're better off. But I voted for an STI just because all of the mechanics and wire work is a lot easier and can be made to ride just as great if not better than an M3 (without the luxuries). M3 maintenance, etc just adds up because it's a European car.

 

where's the subie love?

 

Man - I think I'd have to throw a year old Corvette Z06 into that mix

 

Check insurance on both first. Also, if you are planning on keeping your M3 for a while, once it gets out of warranty, look at how much an Inspection II costs...

 

New m3. I do love me some awd turbos though.

 

No question whatsoever in my mind. I didn't vote because my vote would be to spend the $55,000 on a used C6 Z06.

 

m3 and keep it stock

 

easy....m3 lol..... as much as i love my sti this new m3 is a beast... and the best thing about it is you dont have to worry about cops bugging you. i almost regret modding my car so much now a days.

 

M Thrizzle no comparison.

 

Why not get an STi and spend much less and still be very happy with it?

Mods I'd get:

1. Cobb AP + tune
2. Turbo back (uppipe, downpipe)
3. lowering springs since the stock setup is pretty firm and handles really well
4. Maybe get some wheels if you want

That alone will be an M3 killer and you're looking at like 280whp and 330lb/ft to the wheels. It will be reliable as hell, faster then most cars on the road, and a daily driver/race car in one package.

If you're looking for luxury, then forget the STi and get the M3 and stay stock and blend in with every other car out there.

If you want something a bit different, something ultra reliable and rugged but still really fast in straight lines and in corners, a mildly modified/tuned STi is the perfect car for you. With the mods I mentioned above, you'll have more hp then most people dream about, and you'll have reliability to go along with it.

I don't understand why people buy STi's and spend 15k worth of mods into it. That's a lot of money, and the more you do to your car the less reliable it becomes. Aftermarket parts have their place, but they were not made to work with the whole car like stock parts are. Aftermarket parts break, and they break way more often then stock parts which is why I suggested getting the already fast STi and doing some mild power mods that deliver a lot of power without compromising the car's reliability and drivability.

A perfect example of what to do to an STi is this:

https://www.i-club.com/forums/bay-area-15/bigg-thanks-lic-ahq-gst-yesterday-204331/


Look at Rick's mods, and then look at his numbers. He has some mild mods (turbo back + AP + header), with a tune from mike the car is now a BEAST! An ultra reliable beast that will hand just about every car out there their asses.

He has 272whp/321lbs torque, that's to the wheels! I don't know if you've been in an STi with that sort of power, but for me it's PLENTY of power, any more and I'd just get arrested everywhere I went... lol. It's a fine improvement of an already great platform (stock STi).

I just don't see a need for spending 15k on mods that won't increase your output by THAT much over what Rick has, and you're just hurting reliability.

The STi with mods and an stock M3 are two totally different cars, and you can make your STi into an M3 killer without much money at all.


What about getting a twin turbo 1 series and modding that? You can make them into a low 12 car pretty easily... you can even get them into the high 11's. Then you have luxury, discreetness, and lots of power and as a bonus, turbo! I'd get a 1 series with mods over an M3 any day.

EDIT: I was mainly thinking about the E46 M3, not the new one... Not sure how much power the new M3 has, but I know an STi can easily obtain that number and beat it.

Fixing an M3 out of warranty is probably the worst aspect of owning one.

 

Don't forget how much it costs to fix an M3... and don't forget about the subie community and how easy it is to get just about anything you want whenever you want, unlike the BMW world. Not only that, but subie people are much friendlier for the most part.

There's more to a Subaru then just AWD.