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Originally Posted by NickyC
Yep, and I'd even go so far as to say it died with the E46. I purchased an E46 M3 about eight years ago, after coming from an E36 M3, two Z3M roadsters, and a Z3M coupe all of which I absolutely adored. Let me tell you, I despised the E46 M3 after about a week and sold it within a month. The car to me had absolutely no soul, I HATED it.
If I was forced to make a decision between any of the prior M3s, I'd take an E36 M3 in good condition over any of them.
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I imagine they are hard to find in good condition/low milage. I see lots of them on the road here that look pretty trashed, which I suppose is a testament to their durability. I have a friend who has one with well over 100K. His philosophy is basically to not maintain the car other than what is needed to keep it on the road.
Quote:
Originally Posted by m3power13
I agree 100% with the OP. When BMW wen't away from the dash/controls that were angled toward the driver (E90) the nail was in the coffin. BMW spent the 70s/80s/90s building the brand and image so that every rich kid, housewife, and corporate douche would want one. Since all this demographic cares about is that the roundel is on the hood/steering wheel to be seen in their instagram post, the driving experience isn't a selling point anymore. To get anything resembling the Ultimate Driving Machine nowadays you have to pay out the ass for an M or non M optioned to the teeth with sport packages. Even then it is only a faint representation of what once was. Gone like a fart in the the wind.
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It seems that every car manufacturer wants to have an offering appealing to every segment, to the point where they will change their cars to be more directly comparable to their competitors cars (like Audi & BMW have done with the 3 series/A4). I guess it must make sense at a corporate level, but it just seems crazy from the buyer's pov. And goes against everything I know about marketing by building an identifiable specialty which sets you apart. I miss the the days when each marque had it's own niche.