Hi guys, I'm considering buying a new WRX, but given the options I'd want, I can probably get a used '97 M3 with 30-50,000 miles. Anyone have any opinions on which is the better way to go? I'm looking for a car I can take to the road course and have fun with but still drive to work, grocery store, etc. Also, I think it might be a good car to learn proper racing technique with (I currently have a 97 Viper GTS, but besides worrying about crunching it on the track, it is a little hard to drive at the edge of its capabilities at my level of expertise).

I drove the WRX, but it didn't "feel" as fast as the '97 M3, but I do like the relatively cheap upgradeablity of the Subaru. Any opinions? Thanks.

I have access to both cars right now and all i have to say is that the m3 is a lot easier to drive than the viper (96rt anyways). Why don't you just race the viper? Especially on a 96+m3 with obdII it's very hard and expensive to modify. A turbo kit from active auto cost 10 grand not including the optional pistons. Its not that. Its just if you blow the engine it cost a lot compared to the subaru. So in my opinion get the subaru and bullet proof it to sti specs. A 97 m3 with killer mods you might as well get the 2001 E46 m3.

In conclusion get the wrx with suspention mods. Awd is the way to go expecially on a small turny track.

what would you really like to know I have a 95 m3 with dinan supercharger stage 1 Dinan($6,000)and bilstien struts,shocks,and rd sway bars($1,500). My wrx is stock because nobodys got **** available yet. I'm on the list for sti parts but I was told mid summer not cheap by the way. My m3 is criminally fast and it hugs rails. The jury is out on the wrx it is unfair to compare a thirty some thousand car with almost $10,000 of upgrades to a twenty some thousand stock. I like the fact that the wrx is new and unique though and will gladly report bak after i invest a few grand.

You have a Viper, don't worry, buy em both http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/tongue.gif

Both are great cars just have to weigh what you want and test drive both and think real hard.. The m3 feels faster cause of it's tourqe curve/no lag.. plus it helps that it is a little faster.. just not WAY faster.. i mean if you know how to launch with a m3 you can sneak a 13.9.. stock.. but i'm sure a wrx with chip will be a flat 14 high 13 car.. of course who knows.. wrx development is in it's infincy.. Plus if you bought a wrx it'd be brand new with warrenty.. which is always a plus.. but with a used m3 you could get a extended warrenty.. decisions.. decisions.. i chose a m3 cause i needed a car in november.. but if i needed a new car this month.. i'd deffinitly be thinking about both very hard.. if the sti was available i'd be sellin the m3 right now..
http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif

I don't road race the Viper because I can't afford to crumple it on turn 8 at Willow. I don't want to be worrying about that little voice saying "Don't F*** up this car," as I'm learning to heel-toe. Also, I really don't want 145 mph rock pits in the fascia of my Snake. Besides, if I put some strips of white shelving paper on the Wr Blue WRX, it will look like my Viper's little bro. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif Actually, I know 2 other Viper owners that race their ACR's, but have just as much fun with their Type R and S2000, respectively.

Anyway, I was unimpressed with the WRX on the test drive until I wound it past 3000 rpm http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif It's my first experience with a turbo car, so I guess I'll have to get used to keeping the revs up. I just don't want to have buyer's remorse when for $3000 more I could get the '97 M3 - although reliability and affordability of mods definetly weigh in favor of the WRX. I defintely plan on driving the WRX off the lot with the STI or Syms short shifter installed (didn't like hunting for third gear), but I also want to be able to modify the car for the track and still drive 20 minutes to work in it 4 times a week.

Finally, the Subaru may lack the snob factor of the M3, especially in SoCal, but I'm not really looking for a status symbol, just a fun, reliable car to track and get groceries with. Besides, if anyone kicks sand in the little guy's face, his big brother might have to come back and bring the heat http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif j/k

Thanks for the input.

Whoah, Vipers, M3s... jeesh, this board is
taking on a whole new personality!

Hey Kid. (yeah right) Get the WRX. Southern California has enough BMW's already. And you have your snob apeal with your GTS. What good is your Beemer going to be when there's fresh snow at Big Bear and you have to strap chains on that puppy. I'll be passing your dirty sloshed out butt in your M3 with my Scooby.

Ok, so maybe you don't go to the mountains. But out of the two cars, the WRX will be more confident feeling overall, more economical, less snobby, and hey damnit, it's F'n got AWD!http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif

Once I got my Scooby, it's hard to ever go back to another FWD or RWD car.


That's my $0.02.


Skylab

BTW, I've got a 400hp race Camaro and I prefer driving my relatively stock Impreza http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Get an M5. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

you have a viper and want a wrx?? umm are you odd????, i mean WRX is HOT!!! but viper kicks ass with the power its got, but i forget which engine it is, v10 or v8??

Did you know that the viper is the worse exotic american muscle car compared to the Z06 and Cobra Type R? But man I'd be damn if a viper jus tpure kicks arse! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Delhi - are you smoking something? The Viper straight up pounds the ZO6 and the ZO6 hands the limited production Cobra R its lunch. Trust me on this one, I've actually driven the Viper in more race situations than you've read about. Straight line, road course - you name it. I turn low 12s on a stock Viper with street tires consistently at trap speeds of 119.x.

Anyway, I'm looking at the WRX because I can't stand the idea of messing up the Viper on a road course, and the WRX seems like an economical way to race and have a fun car and still throw the groceries in the back. I'm thinking of adding the WRX, not getting rid of the Viper - lets not get crazy here. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

Think it might be worthwhile to wait for the real STi version to come over in a couple years?

All I can say is Active autoworks for the M3 and Subi who!! 450hp stage 2 turbo M3. Now thats bad ass.

That dude should just wait for an STi... Doubt if I'll ever be saying 25 grand is "cheap"... This topic is too rich for my blood... Bahhhhhh, I'm just jealous...

if had ure money(which i think you got mad money), i would go for the M3. and mod it.

i mean, if i had that kinda cash

Just a few words for ya:

Hennessey Venom 800R

Thanks for all the responses. The WRX is a nice car and the mods are the right price, so it is making it a tough decision. As far as cash goes, if I had unlimited funds I'd be going for the M5 as a practical 4 door, but I am limited to the $25,000 - $30,000 range, which isn't cheap by any normal standards!

BTW, anyone with a WRX interested in swapping a right seat run at the track in a 500 hp Viper for a run in the WRX should show up at a Buttonwillow or Willow Springs event, and I'm sure something can be set up http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gif

as I mentioned before I own both cars.therefore I am the expert. I bought the wrx for my wife and plan to tune it for now its stock and its an auto matic, if I own a supercharged m3 why did I buy it Because it's all wheel drive with the tightest factory frame. I wouldn't dare run the m3 into a hard curve on a rainy night even with my beefed up suspension , WRX to the rescue fellas 27K for a loaded rex 227 hps and all wheel drive that's why I'm making these payments and crusing these boards. M3's Vipers C4"s whatever. this car rocks period and after I get my chip and my turbo boost and cold air and suspension all on back order. I gona find me a honda and show it how to make instant rice........

I'll chime in here as well. Kid, I faced the same dilema as yourself. I have owned my E30 M3 for 5 years now and am a big M3 fan. BMW club member for a good 8 years or so. I have been saving my $$ for a 'new' M3 for me that meant the same as you a '95 -'97 M3 with around 50K-70K mi. This is what I had been eyeing for a while. With the introduction of the new E46 M3 I was hoping E36 prices would be tumbling down.

I am a big rally fan and when I heard of the WRX coming ashore I became a kid in a candy store and didn't know what to do. The low entry price of the WRX combined with the AUS and UK know how meant good upgrade potential. The AWD was also a big big plus. But the M3 is more a pure sports car.

You say that you want a road course car to learn proper techinque and still drive to work and the grocery store. That is going to be your real dilema. They are really at opposite ends of the spectrum. I am not sure that either can be done effectively while leaving room for the other. Thats why I am keeping my E30 M3 and am going to go club racing with it. Its ready to go except for a cage. Has coil over Eibachs, front and rear camber plates, strut bar, 17" wheels, chip, camed, intake, brake upgrade w/ss lines, race pads, and slotted rotors, exhaust, etc. I learned my driving skills as a young man in Karts. Ran the WKA national series for 5 or 6 years and eventually moved into enduro Karts. Finished as high as 3rd in the National season points one year. The M3 will teach you more sound driving and set up skills. Thats not to say the WRX wouldn't be a good race car but the set up will be much more complex to get a handle on. Believe me learing the suspension set ups and what you need to do to correct for over and understeer isn't easy to learn. The AWD and turbo will add a big complexity level for club racing set up. Trust me. If you want to learn the fundementals of driving and set up the M3 is the way to go. If you REALLY want to learn then go Karting!! If your looking for a car that may be more versitile, cheaper to mod and possibly more fun the WRX is the way to go.

So have I answered your question? Probably not at all, and even confused you more. But its another opinion to chew on. Good luck and really, you probably can't make a bad choice here so don't sweat it. Make the decision and don't look back either way.

I might as well pipe in here also, I bought the WRX for the fun factor. I checked with Brabus about an engine upgrade for my C-43 and they wanted 20 large so I said hey.. buy a WRX.. so I did. In the last 2 yrs I've owned a 96 Impala SS, a 86 Buick Grand National totally built, a 96 Mustang Cobra w/ a Kenne Bell blower, Roush suspension, and a 99 Dodge Dakota R/T all built up. But I've got to say the WRX is a blast!!!! I love it!!!!

http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lol.gif "find me a honda and teach it how to make rice"

what does everyone have against hondas? i think they're pretty nice. to an extent.

its just that the pizza dilevery guy drive a turbo civic and keeps telling me smack about how its the bomb. That My supercharged m3 is sooo heavy and that his plastic honda is soo light that the power to weight ratio is through the roof and he can't wait to blow my doors off. Let them all eat rice cakes......and do'nt be a honda lover..also I traded a crv for the wrx. I in a law suit cus this ricer took for ever to send me a jr supercharger so I canceled and he's still charging even though I never got it and sold the car. ricer...ricer...ricer...

Two totally different cars. I would take the subie any day. Does the world really need another M3 driver... of course not. Plus the Subie will be brand new. By the way, A WRX with an automatic is sacreligous, whether it be for you or your wife.

Now that I think about if you bought a viper http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/confused.gif you would probably want the M3. They both kinda make me queezy.

I don't own a WRX, haven't even driven one, but I do own a '96 Brighton coupe with a cheapie muffler and the silencer removed and it is absolutely the most fun car I have yet to drive. I do love it so....

I've never driven a Viper or a WRX, but I have driven E36 and E30 M3's in various states of tune. They are expensive to modify in comparrison to the WRX, and both will do things better than the other. It comes down to compromise. If you want a fast flashy car, get the M3, if you want a fast, subtle great handleing car that will get you anywhere and back, get the WRX and tune it. My current RS handles on Par with E30 M3's, it doesnt have the top end, but cornering power and torque are a bit better. Also look at repair costs, the WRX will be cheaper to fix than the M3, andthey have less specialized parts. Personally, I'd buy a WRX, trick it out to the 9's, and leave M3's in your wake.

I agree with one of the points jjameson made on this one. If you want to learn proper road race technique, then I think the M3 is the way to go, as it is more of a "traditional" race car (i.e., RWD).

Don't get me wrong -- I drive my Impreza on the track as often as I can and I love it, but I drive it differently than I would a RWD car. In a sense, the Impreza has given me "bad habits" because of the AWD system. Nothing that can't be overcome with a little practice, of course, but if your main goal is to learn proper road race technique, I would say that the Impreza is a slightly different animal than most race cars you'll encounter. Certainly, the dynamics of the M3 would be more similar to your Viper than the Impreza would.

Disclaimer: Although I've driven RWD V8's and Formula Fords on a track in addition to my Impreza, I'm not a real racer, just a track-day wannabe racer. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/smile.gif So any real racers, feel free to step in and correct me.

look dolphin boy whats really sacreligious is a guy who list his car as a mountain bike on this form or any form in the first place forget the auto I bought my wife. Dolphin get a job save up and buy a car hopefully a soooby then modify it and maybe then you can have an opionion worth something.