Hey guys, this is my very first post on this website... just wanted some input from you 350Z guys. I'm coming from a '98 BMW M3 4 door (you can find me at bimmerforums.com) and I'm most likely selling the car or trading it in, as it gets older and older the car just keeps asking for more money to keep it alive as a daily driver. Maintenance has proven to be a costly ***** and I'm thinking about buying a brand new 350z, so I can enjoy the benefits of warranty and a low mileage car.

I love my M3, did a few mods (Conforti CAI, Conforti software, RE pulleys, AA Tuning SSK, some comestic stuff as well...) and the thought of getting a new car is almost sinful. Was wondering if anyone has had similar experiences going from an E36 M3 (or similar BMW) to a 350Z. I'm most concerned about performance and how it compares... I raced a 350 once with 4 friends in my car.... it was dead even, so I'm sure if I was alone in my car I would have pulled on him.

I'm not going to be modding the car, for warranty reasons, so what do you guys think?

TIA

 

I have no regrets. I came from a brand new 98 E36 M3 (2-door) to a brand new 03 350Z and loving it. Mind you, the car is more raw and less refine than the M3. Very little sound proofing on the Z. It is a 2-seater and an open cabin means you'll hear more rear wheel noise. All in all a fun car. I'd honestly say performance is comparable. PM me if you have more questions.

 

I have little experience driving BMW's, but I sure do like them. I almost bought a 330Ci instead of the Z. Weird to cross shop those two cars, huh? I would say a simple test drive would make or break your opinion of the Z. Be sure to drive a 6MT. The first time I mashed it through first and second, I actually got so excited, I started laughing. It pulls hard, but you know what was best? That sound it makes. The VQ35 sure sounds good. See if the salesman will let you drive it alone. It's best this way.

Don't expect that BMW high quality interior. The Z is nice inside, but it's not jaw dropping like a Bimmer or an Audi.

I suspect when it's as old as your M3, it will be significantly less expensive to fix.

When the warranty expires, you'll find tons of aftermarket doodads to make it go faster, or stick tighter to the road or what-have-you.

You will appreciate the amount of attention the Z attracts. You may already be accustomed to it with the Bimmer. I've had my regular looking -used- Z for almost 2 weeks. I've received about 5-6 comments on it from strangers, and countless stares.

Anyway, test drive it, and form your opinion. Don't go in and test drive and buy the same day. Just drive it, figure out if you like it. If so, find the colors / options you want, research the **** out of it on the internet, and assault the dealerships until you find what you want.

 

I did an auto to manual swap on an E36 3.0 liter coupe. I didn't like the gearbox shifter much and my cousin ended up money shifting (3rd up shift to 2nd by accident). I like the pedals on the M3 cause you can toe heel much easier. The performance is quite similar to a Z even though his was lowered. Other than that I'm sure you'll enjoy the 2 seater feeling. Just need a few bolt ons and you can keep up with an E46.

 

Came from a 95 E36 M3 (would probably still have it if I hadnt gotten rear ended) to a Z. No regrets.

 

Curious... if the drivers are of equal skill, would a Z not pull on an E36? Z has 287hp vs the M's 240hp and I'm guessing the M would wiegh more... especially with 5 people in the car... or would the mods make that much of a difference?

Not trying to start a war... I love M3's... almost bought a '99 before my Z. Just curious...

 

I think it should have been even with your mods and your weight. Some math genius chime in.

 

came from a 95 M3, im on bimmerforums also.

no regrets so far but i miss having back seats and just the overall feeling of an M car. im itching to get myself back into one and will most likely trade the Z in for an E46 M3 soon.

with equal drivers a stock Z is a tiny bit faster than stock E36 M3's. look at the trap speeds for both. i think the reason E36 M3's keep up so well is due to gearing and lighter weight.

 

Ive never seen any E36 M3's trap 102-103 @ the track....I usually see 98-100 mph, 100 mph is on the low end of the 6-speed Z, there are auto's that do that. It all comes down to the driver, put a good driver in both and it will be very close till about 70 then the Z starts pulling away at a good rate. I used to race my friend in his M3 when I was stock all the time, the higher the speed, the worse it was for him. Anyways not flaming, I love M3's, the E36's handle so good.

 

how much hp will those mods yield for a E36 4 DOOR m3?

Truthfully, I dont waste my time on those 4 door m3's. I have raced a couple of e36 2 doors. They are about as fast as s2000's on the interstate.

 

alberto...what you have for boltons?

 

i was a bimmer guy before the z and i will say the performance is great in the e36 but on the hwy the m3 cant and wont keep up. 0 to 60 is a different story. dude buy the z you wont reget it and you can still mod and keep your warrenty. good luck im sure you will make the right purchase.

 

I love the e36 M3 and I came very close to buying one. It is an amazing car. Just after being in a Z I knew I had found a new love. I also went with the Z b/c it had a warranty.

 

traded 2000m3 for a 05z i dont miss the m3 at all.

 

Agreed. I never street race, but I had a unique opportunity to race an E36 M3 on a closed airport runway strip (after a Solo2 event concluded). The M3 had pretty much equal mods to me (exhaust & intake) plus it had R compounds versus my Kumho MXs. It would take me 1/2 a car length in first gear, absolutely EXPLODED ahead in second gear by another car length, but then I passed it before 4th gear was done.

 

jwt pop-charger, crawford plenum, crank pulley, test pipes, injen exhaust, technosquare ecu.

 

I sold my semi-modded 98 M3 Sedan for a 2003 Z(from bimmerforums as well). There were some things I still miss about the M3 but overall I love the Z. Performance-wise I consider them very close. But after the Z I think I am going to get another M3. BTW: M3 Sedans and coupes are exactly the same as performance goes.

 

Thats odd that you had a 2000 M3, becuase they never made one....

 

i thought the same thing they didnt make one... but i didnt want to be the jacka$$ because im new

 

Seen it with my eyes 2-3 times already at dragstrip. Z pulls on the e36m3.

on average

M3 times are range of 14.1 - 14.4 @ 95-96 depending on driver
350z times are range of 13.9-14.2 @ 99-100 depending on driver

m3 launches way better though