s50 e30 m3, vs e39 m5, what to buy?

[1-pippin]

im trying to decide between an s50 swapped e30 m3 and a e39 m5. my friend is the one selling the m5, and he would give me an amazing deal, ive driven it and its one of the best cars ive ever driven, there are no flaws about it, pretty much everything is perfect.
ive never driven an e30 m3, im going to test drive one in a couple days just to get an idea of what its like. im guessing an s50 swapped e30 with some engine mod's would be pretty close to an m5 in acceleration, maybe a little slower? but with a good suspension setup, which the one im looking at has, id imagine it can corner a bit better than an m5. the m3 im looking at is in amazing condition with a great interior, exterior, tons of aftermarket parts, everything looks new on it.
so its pretty much either a go-kart, or a big autobahn cruiser. they are different in alot of ways. i like the look of the e30 m3 more than any other bmw. and so many people say its the best m car bmw has ever built.

also i own a 2000 s4 with some mods and around 350 hp, and its similar to the e39 m5 in alot of ways, so im concerned that if i go with the m5 that it wouldnt be much of a change. where an e30 m3 would be a pretty big change.

[James]

Originally Posted by 1-pippin

also i own a 2000 s4 with some mods and around 350 hp, and its similar to the e39 m5 in alot of ways, so im concerned that if i go with the m5 that it wouldnt be much of a change. where an e30 m3 would be a pretty big change.

True, but not necessarily for the better. I think you'd be pretty surprised the difference in comfort as compared to your S4 in the E30 - whereas the M5 would arguably be a step up in luxury. You've driven the M5 yourself so you already know what it's like. The biggest difference I've felt comparing a similarly modified S4 like yours to the M5 is the powerband - and how much grunt the M5 had at pretty much any RPM.

The resale value of the E30 M3 is debatable - especially since the original motor has been swapped out. A well maintained M5 holds its value pretty well - especially if you're buying it for a great price.

My vote goes for the M5

[1-pippin]

Originally Posted by James

True, but not necessarily for the better. I think you'd be pretty surprised the difference in comfort as compared to your S4 in the E30 - whereas the M5 would arguably be a step up in luxury. You've driven the M5 yourself so you already know what it's like. The biggest difference I've felt comparing a similarly modified S4 like yours to the M5 is the powerband - and how much grunt the M5 had at pretty much any RPM.

The resale value of the E30 M3 is debatable - especially since the original motor has been swapped out. A well maintained M5 holds its value pretty well - especially if you're buying it for a great price.

My vote goes for the M5

what im trying to do with replacing my s4 is go a little less towards luxury and more towards a stiff harsh ride. im more concerned with all around performance than luxory. i was disapointed with the s4's handling, and now id rather sacrafice speed for handling rather than the other way around.

[James]

Ah - well, are you set on getting a bimmer?

[1-pippin]

Originally Posted by James

Ah - well, are you set on getting a bimmer?

not totally, im set on a european car, more specifically a german car. ive considered evo's, sti's etc.. though i love how they drive, they just dont do it for me, you dont get that emotional connection that you get with a good european car. plus for around 20k you cant get much better than an m3/m5 from any year.
i was also considering a 911 though, either a 73 911s if i want an old school one, late 70's to mid 80's turbo, or an early 90's carrera 2/4. 911's are such great cars, i saw a mid 70's 911 the other day, the body style, the exhaust sound, and just the car overall is so amazing, ive only driven early 90's 911's and they are such good cars.
its just with the m5 and that m3 you get the same performance in a sleeper sedan.

[polizei144]

M5 --my vote

[Cone]

I say get an M5. If you get an E30 M3 you have to get one with a real motorsport engine.

[e36mmm]

m5 for shureee!!!

[CraigMakDaddy]

I vote for the M5 over a molested M3. Although I would vote for an e30 M3 any day if it had original components.