Who has prior experience with 03-06 BMW M3?

fak3r

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Well the time has come. I got rid of my 03 Cobra and after driving an 06 Nissan Maxima for a few months as a transition car, am getting ready to switch to something a little more stylish. I miss the attention I received from driving a Cobra so after doing the standard web searching, one of the best looking and relatively affordable cars for what you get, turns out to be an m3.
So this is where I come to you for advice:

Has anyone had any prior experience with the 2003 1/2 - 2006 M3's? How reliable are they with a supercharger, say putting down somewhere in the vicinity of 450hp/390tq? How reliable are they in general for a car that would say, have close to 40k miles? Any other ideas/suggestions/points that someone who has had one before could provide would be much appreciated. Of course, each car is a little different but there should be a general consensus on their quality points.

Thanks in advance fellas.

-Paul

PS: oh and by the way, this isn't smackdown so let's try to keep the bashing to a minimum :beer:
 

Quadcammer

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My parents owned an 03 for 4 years/75k miles. I drove about 20k of those miles

The car held up well. Initially it had issues with a bad bluetooth connection draining the battery and the oil pressure sensor failed. The only other problem that required service was when the felt trim pieces surrounded the windows drooped because of the glue failing.

Aside from these minor issues, the car performed well. when it got returned (corporate car), it was still quick, handled great, and had phenomenal brakes. However, there was some rattle from the flywheel/clutch, and well, the car sounds like absolute crap in stock form (very raspy). Several manufacturers make exhaust pipes to reduce the rasp.

The interior is plain, but assembled tight. No issues with rattles or other problems. Material quality is good, and that real thick steering wheel is awesome.

Our M3 had the rod bearings replaced, and the dealer did a decent job. No issues to report there. No problems with the rear diff either (that was an earlier model thing).

Overall, a very nice car. Its not 03 cobra fast, but its very entertaining to drive, especially through the mountains. And the level of refinement is shocking.

they are a good value on the used market, but keep in mind that maintenance might be a bit pricier than other cars due to the regular valve adjustments that are needed.

However, I would stay the HELL away from a blown one. They have about 12.5 compression, and even with a nice intercooler, you will have to be VERY careful about detonation. Replacing an S54 will not be inexpensive either. If you think cobra parts are pricey, you will cry when you see BMW engine part prices.

enjoy it.
 
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fak3r

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Fantastic review!!! Thank you very much for the insight! I think Motor Trend is looking for a new automobile writer/reviewer :)


My parents owned an 03 for 4 years/75k miles. I drove about 20k of those miles

The car held up well. Initially it had issues with a bad bluetooth connection draining the battery and the oil pressure sensor failed. The only other problem that required service was when the felt trim pieces surrounded the windows drooped because of the glue failing.

Aside from these minor issues, the car performed well. when it got returned (corporate car), it was still quick, handled great, and had phenomenal brakes. However, there was some rattle from the flywheel/clutch, and well, the car sounds like absolute crap in stock form (very raspy). Several manufacturers make exhaust pipes to reduce the rasp.

The interior is plain, but assembled tight. No issues with rattles or other problems. Material quality is good, and that real thick steering wheel is awesome.

Our M3 had the rod bearings replaced, and the dealer did a decent job. No issues to report there. No problems with the rear diff either (that was an earlier model thing).

Overall, a very nice car. Its not 03 cobra fast, but its very entertaining to drive, especially through the mountains. And the level of refinement is shocking.

they are a good value on the used market, but keep in mind that maintenance might be a bit pricier than other cars due to the regular valve adjustments that are needed.

However, I would stay the HELL away from a blown one. They have about 12.5 compression, and even with a nice intercooler, you will have to be VERY careful about detonation. Replacing an S54 will not be inexpensive either. If you think cobra parts are pricey, you will cry when you see BMW engine part prices.

enjoy it.
 

fak3r

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this girl i know has one and i can i can tell you there is enough room in the front seat to do ALOT....

pretty quick too

Haha, thanks Derek. There will be no naked ass on my leather seats... maybe in my old srt-4 but not in the cobra and def not in the m3 :)
 

DriftwoodSVT

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An Active Autowerks supercharger for an M3 will set you back around $9k and get you to around 478 BHP (I believe that's around 351 RWHP, 1 bhp is equal to 0.746 kW). Not a cheap car to make faster.
 
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fak3r

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I've looked into the prices and I understand they are quite expensive to mod. I will be purchasing an m3 that has already been built. My question is more in terms of reliability. Are blown m3's reliable? I have one strong NO. Do others agree or can a supercharged m3 be reliable as a DD?
 

thenexlevel

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M3s are meant to be a very good DD, decently quick (low 13s for 1/4), good looking and handles amazing well. Very expensive to mod, all the companies charge like 3 times as much as the ones for mustangs. Get a M3 and get some good wheels and leave it, you'll be plenty happy already.
 

50 Proof

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I've looked into the prices and I understand they are quite expensive to mod. I will be purchasing an m3 that has already been built. My question is more in terms of reliability. Are blown m3's reliable? I have one strong NO. Do others agree or can a supercharged m3 be reliable as a DD?

As quad pointed out, the engines have 12.5 compression. I don't think you need more "opinions" about how reliable the engine is with a supercharger. Just look up the facts for yourself if you don't believe him and assess your own opinion from there. I'm sure you can find many people who have supercharged their M3 who will claim that they haven't had any issues, yet. But that doesn't necessary make the combination reliable.
 
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T-Bolt

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I've looked into the prices and I understand they are quite expensive to mod. I will be purchasing an m3 that has already been built. My question is more in terms of reliability. Are blown m3's reliable? I have one strong NO. Do others agree or can a supercharged m3 be reliable as a DD?

One of my friends owns a BMW shop and has supercharged quite a few that were every day cars, and I don't think any have blown up. Mind you, the kits he's putting on only make 6-7psi from what I remember, but they are still on cars that get open tracked and DDed.
 

randyp97svt

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One thing to check out is the strut towers, they all have a common issue with mushrooming upwards due to the thin sheet metal used. It will screw with you camber a good bit, there is and easy fix to it if it has that problem. To flaten them out get a block of wood and a BFH then smack away. Turner motorsports sells upper strut tower reinforcement rings that go between the strut and the strut tower itself to support it pretty cheap. Even if they haven mushroomed I would still get the rings, because a good size pothole can cause damage to the strut towers.
 

fak3r

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Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated. I'm sure I'll have a few more threads up with pictures trying to decide on the color but as of right now, I am set on a white with silver or black wheels. SEX

-Paul
 

sunburned

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Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated. I'm sure I'll have a few more threads up with pictures trying to decide on the color but as of right now, I am set on a white with silver or black wheels. SEX

-Paul

main.php


I'm partial to the white and gold myself. Be sure to get 19's.
 

NO-BlkLightning2K

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^^^i'm sorry dude, but i think that looks like shit.

Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated. I'm sure I'll have a few more threads up with pictures trying to decide on the color but as of right now, I am set on a white with silver or black wheels. SEX

-Paul

titanium silver ftw, imo.

m3e46titanium.jpg
 
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fak3r

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fak3r

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oh crap...i just quoted with pics...

If I don't post for awhile after this ... at least you know why :-D
 
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ThrottleJunkie

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If you're buying the car already built, that would rule out the idea of a CPO Warranty, unless the blower was installed by a certified Dinan dealer. Those can be godsends should any catastrophic failure happen with the car. Remember, they are full of computers and you can't tear them apart and wrench on them like you could an American car.

That said, ask for receipts from the shop where all the work was done. Cross reference them at the above mentioned forum, or check out www.bimmerforums.com. Pretty good over there as well. If the local guys say that they check out, then you shouldn't have an issue. Horsepowerfreaks has a turbo kit they just finished developing that puts the E46 M3 into the ~600 horsepower range with a completely stock motor; the only mod that they made was a feramic clutch setup.

A lot of the reliability is in the tune. If it is tuned to run safely, then it will. If the owner wants to squeeze every pony they can out of it, it becomes a ticking timebomb; I'm sure any FI guy can tell you that.

My favorite part about being a BMW owner is that whenever you take your car in for service, even if it's the shittiest 20 year old bimmer out there, they will give you AT LEAST a brand new 3 series loaner free of charge. Sometimes they will hand out something a lot nicer in hopes of the owner taking a liking and buying one.
 
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fak3r

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Thanks for the feedback, ThrottleJunkie. Very helpful!
 

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