M3 or NSX. What would YOU do?

[RedWings]

LOL, actually a great post and even better suggestions. If only it were so simple. most of my parts are here in Hawaii or already installed on my car. So I've already paid for and had shipped all of the clutch, subframe, bushings, etc. The only thing not here yet is the Supercharger, which I've already paid for and they started to build for me and I've paid the shipper already.
But, since everything will be brand new and in the original, unopened box, I'm sure I can resell the parts if I need to.

Knowing that I'm already $6,000 of labor and parts that have been completed on my M3, and all parts have been paid for, and all except the SC has been shipped to my home, would you suggest the same? I'm just the labor cost and 2 weeks away from a 500+hp car for not too much over half of the NSX cost?

Finish the M3, put a few miles on it, then sell it
Buy a $10,000 Jeep Wrangler, change the oil, and buy a new surfboard
Put remainder of the money in a safe investment or a shoe box
Float on your board for awhile, consider your options and save up for an NSX
Keep hunting for a nice one with this or that mod, etc etc
Keep the Jeep as a DD, they are cheap to fix and fun too

 

[N Spec]

See if you can sell the brand new parts and other parts that you can swap out to return the M3 as close to stock, if you plan on selling the M3. If you try to sell the M3 with all of the mods, supercharger and everything, you are most likely not going to get your money back or come even close. It will however present a nice opportunity for a fellow buyer to save a bit of money if he is looking for a modded M3

Whenever a modded NSX or any car shows up on the market with a CTSC, turbo or extensive body mods, they usually will sell for drastically less than the total money invested (usually only a small percentage over the market value based on condition and mileage). It comes with the territory of modding, but we are just trying to help you maximize your efficiency if you plan on getting the NSX.

Again. I would keep the M3 with mild mods that are reliable, sell the excessive parts to help save and buy the NSX that right for your budget if you want mods. That way you can retain two reliable vehicles.

 

[moderu]

Is this thread gonna get up to 25 pages any time soon? :biggrin:

 

[TURBO2GO]

I think I'll put my NSX on a boat and move to Hawaii. Surf most of the day and talk to the surf chix. Get a $10,000 jeep as a daily driver. You can drive mine. I'll trade you for some of that local brew... Kona...

 

[navyflydoc]

LOL, actually a great post and even better suggestions. If only it were so simple. most of my parts are here in Hawaii or already installed on my car. So I've already paid for and had shipped all of the clutch, subframe, bushings, etc. The only thing not here yet is the Supercharger, which I've already paid for and they started to build for me and I've paid the shipper already.
But, since everything will be brand new and in the original, unopened box, I'm sure I can resell the parts if I need to.

Knowing that I'm already $6,000 of labor and parts that have been completed on my M3, and all parts have been paid for, and all except the SC has been shipped to my home, would you suggest the same? I'm just the labor cost and 2 weeks away from a 500+hp car for not too much over half of the NSX cost?

Hi bonhamsurf,
Well, what's done is done in the past. No point in punishing yourself by thinking " I should have/could have done this or that...." Of course hindsight is 20/20. But life is very murky and we have to make choices based on intel. data at that time. Since life is dynamic, you need to be fluid and flexible. It's ok to change your mind, that's part of being fluid and flexible. The cost of course is time and money.

You didn't make a wrong choice in buying the M3 and trying to upgrade it. However, the situation has changed and now you want to have a NSX in your life. So, let's do it. Sell the M3 and parts and generate the fund so we can start looking for the best NSX you can afford. The quicker you start this process the better.

 

[gelat0]

The NSX is a special car, even if it were not rare it would still be special.

 

[bonhamsurf]

Hi bonhamsurf,
Well, what's done is done in the past. No point in punishing yourself by thinking " I should have/could have done this or that...." Of course hindsight is 20/20. But life is very murky and we have to make choices based on intel. data at that time. Since life is dynamic, you need to be fluid and flexible. It's ok to change your mind, that's part of being fluid and flexible. The cost of course is time and money.

You didn't make a wrong choice in buying the M3 and trying to upgrade it. However, the situation has changed and now you want to have a NSX in your life. So, let's do it. Sell the M3 and parts and generate the fund so we can start looking for the best NSX you can afford. The quicker you start this process the better.

So, I'm going to buy this NSX or another one for less money. Decided! Either sell my M3, or quite modding it, let my wife drive it and sell the TL we have.

Important question to the NSX world..... does the post 1997 3.2L engine and 6dp tranny really make a big difference over the 3.0L 5sp 1996 and earlier?

 

[lustedp]

I have both, so here's quick comparison, by no means an exhaustive list:

NSX - Pros
exotic
headturner
true sports car
rare (depreciates slowly)
reliable

NSX - Cons
two seats
very low
not an ideal daily driver (trunk space, etc.)
interior that got stuck in the 80s (imo)

M3 - Pros
4 seats
comfortable
worry free (who cares if someone dents an old m3?)
better audio system, gadgets
in your case a vert
trunk space
lower insurance premiums vs a daily driven nsx (I am guessing)

M3 - Cons
reliability / cost of ownership
at the end of the day it's just a glorified 3 series
handling at least compared to the nsx
gas mileage in general (though not that bad vs an nsx)

 

[Ric]

If you don’t mind pop up headlights, 55k can get you a lot of car. For reference, I got my 2000 Comptech NSX for just a couple grand south of 55k. It has an sc, brembo bbk, headers, exhaust, clutch, bbs lm wheels and more. It doesn’t have all the show mods like led, aftermarket stereo and other cool stuffs like the blue one though.

So, I'm going to buy this NSX or another one for less money. Decided! Either sell my M3, or quite modding it, let my wife drive it and sell the TL we have.

It does make a difference. How big of a difference will depend on who you ask. A couple mods will fix that though.

Important question to the NSX world..... does the post 1997 3.2L engine and 6dp tranny really make a big difference over the 3.0L 5sp 1996 and earlier?

 

[TURBO2GO]

So, I'm going to buy this NSX or another one for less money. Decided! Either sell my M3, or quite modding it, let my wife drive it and sell the TL we have.

Important question to the NSX world..... does the post 1997 3.2L engine and 6dp tranny really make a big difference over the 3.0L 5sp 1996 and earlier?

The 05 you are looking at has fairly high milage. That excludes it from being in the "garage queen/high residual" crowd. You are paying a premium for the fact that it is an 05, but getting a high milage car. In your situation, not the one I would pick. You want a targa, so that means 95+. 95/96 cars are less expensive because they have the worst of the engine/tranny and the lack of coupe rigidity (which in your case is not a big deal as you will never see the track). I would not exclude these years from my search. The 6 speed is the bigger thing over the 3.2. It makes the car a little more fun with the closer ratios, nevermind a bit quicker.

I would look for a well priced 95-2001 car, and give up the extra expense of the 02+. I own one, but I don't think it is worth the extra for someone that is on a budget. If you are going to "upgrade it" to the 02+ look later anyway that will cost you 10K+ so just get the 02+ now. But if you are cool with the pop-up lights (which to me is both more dated and cleaner in design), get the pre-face lift one. I think you'd be very happy with any 95+ NSX in Hawaii. A supercharger will WAY more than make up for an extra gear and .2 liters. I'd base my decision on condition and price, and I think you can get a nice car in the 40K range. Of course... the blue one is already in Hawaii. It all depends on the deal to me. The fact that it is in Hawaii, to everyone else is an extra cost... and it ain't low milage either. Mods are OK, nothing that is incredibly pricey. No CTSC or BBK. These are mild mods on the car and don't really add that much value.

 

[bonhamsurf]

Except for this site and Ebay, any other good NSX For Sale websites? I looked at NSXtrader.com and there's some, but it also appears the site is not maintained and the info is outdated.

 

[EuroBoutique]

I'll give you another angle since I don't think anyone has said it:

(P.S. I've had a pair of e46 m3's including a highly modded one for over 7 years and have my 04 NSX for about 3 years now)

It seems from what my buddy tells me the NSX is like a god-like car over there so if you live in HI, buy the NSX, no need to think it over. The e46 m3 is an awesome car but it's a dated car no matter how you look at it.

Unless you need practicality or only have one car or have a family/kid - the NSX is an easy choice. Sometimes in life you just need to be impractical and I recommend you buy a <2001 car given your budget and modify it.

02+ cars in pristine condition are still tough to find. Way back when I was searching for my GPW 02+ NSX, there was a white/camel NSX in Hawaii and I was going to import it stateside but later picked another one. I think that car is no longer there.

 

[KSXNSX]

having driven the e46 and the new v8 m3, as well as a 04 nsx, I can say that the NSX will provide a certain feel that the M3s will never provide despite having more power or newer technology. The V8 M3 blows away the NSX on paper power-wise, but the NSX still has a fast sports car feel that the M3 can't replicate. While you feel what seems like endless power behind the M3, you also feel the extra weight off the line. And for some reason, it just feels less precise while the NSX has a scalpel-like precision.

There are times when the NSX feels a little slow (particularly if you drive it daily and habituate to the speed), but if you drive another car for a couple of days, you will immediately feel the raw/refined balance in the NSX when you get back in it.

If the NSX is pristine, you will definitely worry about it much more than other cars if you are anything like me. It certainly draws attention, and that extra worry you will carry when leaving it in parking lots is something you should take into consideration if you are going to daily drive it. I always end up parking really far away from others, and hate the attention the car and my parking habits pick up wherever I am. I would prefer to stay low key. Although it is always fun to notice the occasional admirer from afar.

I wouldn't want to daily drive an NSX unless I didn't care about door dings, rock chips, etc. If you are ok with those things, and the attention, I think it would be a fine daily driver.

 

[BATMANs]

The M3 rear are useless if you have 4 full sized men occupying 2 or more of the seats.

leg room is in the back is a joke. Good for a quick round trip to the local ice-cream store. Long trip? forget about it.

back to the NSX.

 

[imflipside]

Keep the car you're passionate about.

Focusing on specs and making a car "better" will only keep you happy until you see something "better" elsewhere, then you'll be uncertain again. If you're passionate about the NSX get it, if not, get the M3. I doubt you'll be happy with it for long no matter what the specs are, it's not about the car, it's an attitude thing.

 

[oscar_driver]

• Get the 3.2 T to have minor mods and be quite quick, you'll be more current -performance wise- vs modern cars without doing much, remember, a good driver can do 4.8 to 60, 12.8 on the 1/4 and you still can get to 172mph (stock).

• Get the 3.0 Coupe for heavy mods and raw performance + a bit stiffer chassis.

In both cases is a win, but one advice, some people like to DD, I DD for like 4 months, I don't think is worth @ all, not because of you, but is just WAY TO MANY MORONS driving out there.

Oscar

 

[Nero Tenebre]

I remember that white/tan 02 in Hawaii... The unicorn in a magical land, far far away

 

[imflipside]

having driven the e46 and the new v8 m3, as well as a 04 nsx, I can say that the NSX will provide a certain feel that the M3s will never provide despite having more power or newer technology. The V8 M3 blows away the NSX on paper power-wise, but the NSX still has a fast sports car feel that the M3 can't replicate. While you feel what seems like endless power behind the M3, you also feel the extra weight off the line. And for some reason, it just feels less precise while the NSX has a scalpel-like precision.

There are times when the NSX feels a little slow (particularly if you drive it daily and habituate to the speed), but if you drive another car for a couple of days, you will immediately feel the raw/refined balance in the NSX when you get back in it.

If the NSX is pristine, you will definitely worry about it much more than other cars if you are anything like me. It certainly draws attention, and that extra worry you will carry when leaving it in parking lots is something you should take into consideration if you are going to daily drive it. I always end up parking really far away from others, and hate the attention the car and my parking habits pick up wherever I am. I would prefer to stay low key. Although it is always fun to notice the occasional admirer from afar.

I wouldn't want to daily drive an NSX unless I didn't care about door dings, rock chips, etc. If you are ok with those things, and the attention, I think it would be a fine daily driver.

As for parking far away from others; I used to, but when I got back to my car there'd always be a car or two parked right next to me, even if the parking lot was otherwise empty! I don't bother anymore.

I look at it this way, most things that happen can be polished out, if it's bigger than that, well, that's what insurance is for. So far I haven't needed it. Now I simply drive and enjoy the car. I think life's too short to worry about things like this.

 

[han0355]

I owned both. I had a 05" ZCP M3 and now owns a 91" 02+ NSX

I loved both, and I still miss my m3, it's a perfect dd for me. (both my dd)

But FR and MR are just born differently, you can't really compare them, they have their own stages.

But if you are a guy who cares about handling so much like me, go for the NSX, even though the wide turning radius and the maintenance etc will bother you a lil bit, but it's just nothing a e46 m3 can get you.

Good luck with whatever choice you make!
Cheers to the cars we loved.

 

[docjohn]

I remember that white/tan 02 in Hawaii... The unicorn in a magical land, far far away

don't make me go there:biggrin:

 

[bonhamsurf]

I owned both. I had a 05" ZCP M3 and now owns a 91" 02+ NSX

I loved both, and I still miss my m3, it's a perfect dd for me. (both my dd)

But FR and MR are just born differently, you can't really compare them, they have their own stages.

But if you are a guy who cares about handling so much like me, go for the NSX, even though the wide turning radius and the maintenance etc will bother you a lil bit, but it's just nothing a e46 m3 can get you.

Good luck with whatever choice you make!
Cheers to the cars we loved.

Why do you miss the m3?

 

[ChrisK]

I remember that white/tan 02 in Hawaii... The unicorn in a magical land, far far away

Wasn't the White/Tan an 05? I saw it in person on the Pfluegar Acura Showroom floor, and a local guy bought it and then sold it a few years later. If this is the same car you guys are talking about.

 

[Nero Tenebre]

Yeah I just group the 02-05s in the same boat, they are really all the same despite an 05 being "collectible"

 

[EuroBoutique]

Why do you miss the m3?

e46 m3's have a special place in my heart too ~ far superior to the e30/e36 and way more heart than the e92 m3's. If you own one you would understand

 

[TURBO2GO]

Yeah I just group the 02-05s in the same boat, they are really all the same despite an 05 being "collectible"

IDK if they are "the same", the wiki lists 15 changes. Some things like extra synchros on gears which is not insignificant. There were even changes from 04-05 nevermind 02-05. Most other changes are cosmetic, but they aren't identical cars.