M3 Stablemates: What else do you have in the garage?

[Chas3n]

S2000 and e55 are gone.

Zhp is pending sale

C55 is the new daily




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[racee78]

I jumped on the e90 bandwagon

Nice and same here. Makes for a pretty nice daily I must admit.


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[Keith_MN]

Can you talk about this one a bit? I've recently fell in love with FJ60's and they're available in abundance out here in California with no rust. But with them being 40 years old they all need work unless you buy a restored one for all the money, and I've heard they're kind of a dog to drive

I will always talk Toyota trucks.

Mine is an '87 with 176k. Mechanically stock other than OME leafs & shocks.
Rust is the killer on these. Frame, roof gutters, windshield surround, wheel arches, door seams, etc. Mostly the usual places but the gutters can be a tough repair if needed.

They are definitely a dog but to me, that's part of the charm. It's not the vehicle I choose if I'm in a hurry. It's perfect for a scenic drive or running errands around town.
Manual choke, leafs & drums on all four corners, manual accessories, 4spd, 4k redline on the 2F. It's a tractor in SUV clothing.
Also, smaller than it looks. It's currently parked where my 4dr 6' bed Taco usually is and you could ballroom dance in the extra space.

A common upgrade is using the H55 5spd transmission which gives you a 5th gear and makes highway speeds more doable, but the 4spd also does the job just fine for casual use.
Lots of engine swaps with Cummins or Chev V8s being the usuals.
Still good parts availability which is helped out by these vehicles being so simple.

Like most enthusiast vehicles, pricing has come down the past 6 months. Good time to buy! What's your end goal with usage?

[Gearhead55]

The X3M really is amazing. Yours is beautiful.

It is interesting—albeit, sad—that more and more of the “best” cars these days are actually SUVs. Load em up and haul ass. When 6000lbs behaves like 3000lbs, you have to smile.

Thanks man. The X3M is *only* 4500 ish lbs too.

[MTiz]

This one's time is coming soon, but I'm in no rush to move on. Was my attainable dream vehicle for many years.

Can you talk about this one a bit? I've recently fell in love with FJ60's and they're available in abundance out here in California with no rust. But with them being 40 years old they all need work unless you buy a restored one for all the money, and I've heard they're kind of a dog to drive

[9kracing]

Is the interior size difference between the two substantial? What about overall comfort when driving?

As I mentioned, my biggest concern about the f85 X5M is the reliability and absurdly high repair costs that I read about.

How is rear passenger space and comfort?

Interior size is similar, although the X3 is a tiny bit smaller, and you can feel it when going camping or something like that, the X5 definitely fits more in the back with the rear seats folded down.

Rear passenger seats are fine, although again, smaller than the X5. I would have no issues throwing 2 adults in the back of the X5 for a road trip, but IDK that I'd do that in the X3. Two kids maybe.



I don't think I've ever posted a pic of mine. 2023 British Racing green. Competition. Moonroof delete. Lowered on KWs. Dinan intake, Dinan exhaust, Dinan PCU.

It's a fun car.

[BlueBimmers]

This looks great. This is on my list of future M collection cars for sure. It is either this or an e92 m3 as my next long term M car purchase.

Thanks. That choice is a popular one. Haven't driven the E92 but told driving experience very different, M5 gives a lot more torque, unusual for a M car of the period.

[LSB4Me]

The R33 has a special place in my heart. I feel like they are seriously slept on. Yours looks like a clean example.

You’re welcome to come drive it, if/when you’re up for a little RHD JDM action. That car is a trip.

[LSB4Me]

Just took my daily X3M on a road trip up to Laguna Seca to watch IMSA weathertech racing up there. This thing never ceases to amaze me.

The X3M really is amazing. Yours is beautiful.

It is interesting—albeit, sad—that more and more of the “best” cars these days are actually SUVs. Load em up and haul ass. When 6000lbs behaves like 3000lbs, you have to smile.

[Mayan-Viking]

Nice! We just picked up a 2017 (non performance) a couple months ago, definitely enjoying the magnetic suspension the most, just got it wrapped:

Nice man, car looks great! Love the wrap. I don't know if you've looked into it yet, but I would definitely at least consider the Fidelity Platinum warranty for these cars. The A/C compressor is an engine out job and totals over $15K. It would also cover your suspension which is a huge plus. I was able to get a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty at what I think is a fair price. Let me know if you need the connect and I'll put you in touch with the guy who took care of me.

Cheers and congrats!

[siamkazi]

Oh man, I totally forgot about this thread. Glad to see it again as I enjoy seeing everyone's rides. I picked this up about 1.5 years ago. 2015 R8 V10 Competition. 1/57 ever produced. I purchased it with 4,400 miles on the clock. Just turned past 5,000 miles last week. It's a hoot to drive and the 8,900 rpm redline is pretty impressive for a V10.

I just realized, as an added bonus you can see my daughter's 2006 330ci ZHP in the reflection on the bumper...

Nice! We just picked up a 2017 (non performance) a couple months ago, definitely enjoying the magnetic suspension the most, just got it wrapped:

[powerbait]

I jumped on the e90 bandwagon

[Keith_MN]

This one's time is coming soon, but I'm in no rush to move on. Was my attainable dream vehicle for many years.

[Gearhead55]

R33 update. Still surprises me how nimble and capable this is on the twisties. These are much more than drag machines.

The R33 has a special place in my heart. I feel like they are seriously slept on. Yours looks like a clean example.

[Gearhead55]

Nice, it seems like 295/40 is about the limit on the rear in terms of tire widths. I do read a lot of complaints about the ride quality and comfort with the x3m on stock suspension. It is good to know the KW v3's help out in that department. Everything I read says the x3m handling 100% better then the x5m in sport/sprinted driving scenarios.

That is a primary concern of mine, the interior size. I don't want to lose a lot of interior size compared to my e70 x5. I never owned an e53 x5 so not sure if that is only marginally smaller then say a e70 interior.

How is rear passenger space and comfort?

Some guys run a 315 in the rear but you would need higher offset wheels to make that fit. But very possible. And yea the stock suspension is quite stiff. The comfort mode is too bouncy and the full stiff is not compliant enough, resulting in skipping/less grip IMO. KW does a better job at both comfort and ultimate handling grip, but they're not cheap. IMO it's worth the expense.

This guy Brock has a great build and he has tried a million different wheel/tire setups:

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1910236

I would just go to a dealership and sit in any X3 to feel out the size for yourself. For us there is sufficient rear space for my wife and the baby seat for road trips. Adult dudes fit back there without complaint as well. Plus two 45lbs dogs can still go in the trunk area with no complaints. It is as much space as we need.