MikeDov
Guest
Sorry guys, I just thought I would shove my two pence in here while this thread is still going.
I recently sold a very nice E36 (the last model) 325 coupe, it was a fantastic car. I have owned BM’s for around 14 years now, having my first one (E30, old box shaped one, 325 2 door) when I was only 19 years old. I never thought I would see the day when I wouldn’t have a BM, but things change. The last one that I had I sold on the pretence that I was going to get an E30 M3, yes, the old boxy one again but an M3 is something that you should all experience, however, after around a year of looking for a ‘mint’ one of these I realised that it just wasn’t ever going to happen, it’s not easy to find a car in spotless condition that is around 15 years old, if you do then you will end up paying through the nose for it and be too afraid to use it!
As for the latest, or should that be the now old E46 that has just been replaced, they are good cars, I cannot deny that, I have driven them, been out in them and several of my mates have them, I looked and just couldn’t warrant the expense. The problem with them these days is this, when I was younger (I do remember it sort of!) to have a BMW was fantastic, no one else had them, however now you can walk into any BM showroom and walk out with any BM you wanted, the salesmen in there will to coin a phrase ‘club a seal to do a deal’ I could be doing a paper round and own a new M3 as all they are interested in is shifting new metal and making money, that’s there job, same as any other car dealer.
After a while I realised that BMW’s weren’t for me any longer, the build quality that everyone raves about, well, its just not as good as the first 3 series were, an E30 was like owning a car that was hewn out of solid steel, the E36 wasn’t and the E46 is the same. The newer cars do go wrong, and god help you if you don’t have a warrantee there to fall back on, I read a post on a BM forum a while back where someone had an engine fail on a ZM Coupe, the cost of repair was around £13K for a new engine!!!!!! There is also the fact that they are just too common these days, you can go out and spend £30K plus on one and see one exactly the same as yours within a mile of picking it up from the dealer.
After a lot of soul searching and looking I decided on getting a Leon Cupra R, not because it’s the quickest thing in the world, just because its different, and that to me is what its all about, I have spent £16K on an 05 plate LCR (that I pick up on Wednesday, YAY) rather than £16K on a BMW that every tom **** and harry has got.
As for this ‘I’m quicker than you’ thing that’s going on, does it really matter, you cant go breaking the speed limit these days for fear of your licence taking a brief holiday to Swansea (the DVLA) If you want to race me, then go ahead, but there is always someone who will be quicker than you or, worse, wont care and is not insured and will just run into you!
As a final word, you can all buy whatever you want, does it make you a better person, NO, will it make you more successful, NO, will it make you a hit ‘with the ladies’ NO. Everyone is different; you make your own choices. That’s it, rant over, sorry to put you through reading that, just had to get it off my chest.
MikeDov, soon to be LCR owner, ex BMW 3 series owner. And yes, I can ues my indicators, and I hate people who drive around with there fog lights on.
I recently sold a very nice E36 (the last model) 325 coupe, it was a fantastic car. I have owned BM’s for around 14 years now, having my first one (E30, old box shaped one, 325 2 door) when I was only 19 years old. I never thought I would see the day when I wouldn’t have a BM, but things change. The last one that I had I sold on the pretence that I was going to get an E30 M3, yes, the old boxy one again but an M3 is something that you should all experience, however, after around a year of looking for a ‘mint’ one of these I realised that it just wasn’t ever going to happen, it’s not easy to find a car in spotless condition that is around 15 years old, if you do then you will end up paying through the nose for it and be too afraid to use it!
As for the latest, or should that be the now old E46 that has just been replaced, they are good cars, I cannot deny that, I have driven them, been out in them and several of my mates have them, I looked and just couldn’t warrant the expense. The problem with them these days is this, when I was younger (I do remember it sort of!) to have a BMW was fantastic, no one else had them, however now you can walk into any BM showroom and walk out with any BM you wanted, the salesmen in there will to coin a phrase ‘club a seal to do a deal’ I could be doing a paper round and own a new M3 as all they are interested in is shifting new metal and making money, that’s there job, same as any other car dealer.
After a while I realised that BMW’s weren’t for me any longer, the build quality that everyone raves about, well, its just not as good as the first 3 series were, an E30 was like owning a car that was hewn out of solid steel, the E36 wasn’t and the E46 is the same. The newer cars do go wrong, and god help you if you don’t have a warrantee there to fall back on, I read a post on a BM forum a while back where someone had an engine fail on a ZM Coupe, the cost of repair was around £13K for a new engine!!!!!! There is also the fact that they are just too common these days, you can go out and spend £30K plus on one and see one exactly the same as yours within a mile of picking it up from the dealer.
After a lot of soul searching and looking I decided on getting a Leon Cupra R, not because it’s the quickest thing in the world, just because its different, and that to me is what its all about, I have spent £16K on an 05 plate LCR (that I pick up on Wednesday, YAY) rather than £16K on a BMW that every tom **** and harry has got.
As for this ‘I’m quicker than you’ thing that’s going on, does it really matter, you cant go breaking the speed limit these days for fear of your licence taking a brief holiday to Swansea (the DVLA) If you want to race me, then go ahead, but there is always someone who will be quicker than you or, worse, wont care and is not insured and will just run into you!
As a final word, you can all buy whatever you want, does it make you a better person, NO, will it make you more successful, NO, will it make you a hit ‘with the ladies’ NO. Everyone is different; you make your own choices. That’s it, rant over, sorry to put you through reading that, just had to get it off my chest.
MikeDov, soon to be LCR owner, ex BMW 3 series owner. And yes, I can ues my indicators, and I hate people who drive around with there fog lights on.