18 M3 CP 6spd (New) vs 18 GT350 (new)

[minn19]

dkhm3, I stopped my BMW dealer to talk to my CA friend and I’ll admit this caught my attention. I know the murdered out look is played out, but dam it looked good. Another but, roughly 13k for the wheel/tires and M Performance package is awful steep to me when the only real performance out of all of that is the Cup 2 tires. Maybe the wheels, but regular M wheels aren’t especially heavy though the 666 ones are probably the heaviest. Any you get my point.

https://www.bmwofminnetonka.com/new/...18f3d20447.htm

[dkhm3]

Originally Posted by minn19

dkhm3, I stopped my BMW dealer to talk to my CA friend and I’ll admit this caught my attention. I know the murdered out look is played out, but dam it looked good. Another but, roughly 13k for the wheel/tires and M Performance package is awful steep to me when the only real performance out of all of that is the Cup 2 tires. Maybe the wheels, but regular M wheels aren’t especially heavy though the 666 ones are probably the heaviest. Any you get my point.

https://www.bmwofminnetonka.com/new/...18f3d20447.htm

looks gorgeous, but being a new model is around the corner and you've already owned the car and weren't fully satisfied- i'd pass.

[elitex]

Originally Posted by minn19

Thanks, I’ve done Ford Performance springs and sway bars. I’m going to add a couple of other minor suspension bits as well. Also the stock non R wheels are extremely heavy so I replaced them with Forgelines. I also had a short throw MGW shifter installed. Not really performance related, but I have a four point harness I can put into the rear and front seat belt points, which is obviously very nice for track days.

I’m thinking and this sacrilegious to most, but installing a headers back Kooks exhaust system this year.

These seem to be the most popular, especially the shifter. The stock one is not bad, but not great.

Edit: I also switched out my steering wheel for one that is very similiar in dimensions to the M ones. I wasn’t a fan of the stock thin alcantara one

Which steering wheel? I don't like the stock one either. I think it's too big in diameter.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by elitex

Which steering wheel? I don't like the stock one either. I think it's too big in diameter.

I'm not sure it will be what you are looking for, but I got it from these guys.

http://beithperformanceparts.com/pro...teering-wheel/

[AW BMW]

Originally Posted by minn19

I've tried to avoid posting in this thread as I don't want to be "that guy" that feels like he has to defend his purchase etc. I've had a F80, F82 and driven the comp pack also. I also have had a 16 Tech Pack GT350 and now a 17 GT350. I'll try and keep it short and as unbiased as possible.

It actually doesn't get old depending on what you value. The Mag ride actually rides much better than any version of M3/4 I've driven and I've driven them all except the CS and GTS. Visibility is much better in the M3/4 and if you want an Auto (sorry a DCT is just a fancy/extremely good auto tranny). But, the clutch is nice and light and the stock gearbox is decent so for me it isn't a problem to DD in any condition except I don't drive it in the winter.

The GT350 is the better drivers car and more fun IMO and a lot of others that have made the switch. But, that does come at the cost of the obvious usability advantage that a M3 and even a M4 have over it. Fit and finish is much much better in the BMW as would be expected. The stereo is crap in the GT350 and it is a very spartan interior, but really not bad and purpose built. The Recaros are better than any M3/4 seat I've sat in though as well. Also if you want ventilated seats the standard GT350 suede/leather seats offer that.

If you like to mod you can mod many things on the Ford for a hell of a lot cheaper than on the M cars. The M tax is real and it is utter bullshit IMO in a lot of regards.

I would give reliability and maintenance advantage to the BMW as well. The Voodoo is an awesome engine, but it likes oil and I would recommend checking it at least once a week. It is fairly normal to add a quart every 1000 miles give or take even during normal driving. My 16 was a nightmare and had an engine replacement in the first 5000 miles. My 17 has been rock solid and I added about 2 quarts of oil in 7000 miles and 2 track days last year. Both cars have their share of rattles and creaks here and there. The GT350 does have more vibration due to the FPC V8 up front. The thing just feels alive even at idle. The GT350 does tramline on bad roads, but decent roads it isn't a problem and I have 305/325s on my car. Some mistake that for steering feel coming form a M3/4. Sorry I couldn't resist.

Sound no conversation based on individual taste of course. I had and heard other aftermarket exhausts on M3/4s and none of them sound great to me. I'm not a S55 sound hater, but none sound great IMO. The GT350 obviously does IMO and most others.

If you want an easier ownership experience and value fit finish plus some luxury get the M3/4. Especially if you value the usability of the M3s four doors etc.

If you value one of the most unique and rewarding driving experiences available today get the GT350. But, keep in mind it will need more attention and TLC generally speaking over the BMW.

Oh yeah, also if you value dealership experience obviously BMW generally wins hands down there as well.

Hope that helps OP, good luck.

Good review and good points to both cars. For now I have decide to look for a new 2017 gt350 left over to see how much I can get off MSRP. If I can find one that I like I will let go of the M3, if not I will just keep the M and do a third makeover. I do get on the mustang6g forum to read about owners experiences and mods. The good thing is that if I get the car and want some mods done to my car, I have Paul from PKautodesign a few miles from my house. Went to visit him on Friday and talked about his experiences with his car. Since it would not be my daily driver I think this would fit perfectly in my car life.

[Circuit Hunter]

I've owned quite a few mustangs and have driven my friend's 17' GT350. And I've owned two F80's including a 2018 ZCP 6-Speed. I have to say I'm very impressed with the GT350, and same with the F80 ZCP manual. However, I think some of the perceived goodness of the GT350 is because I know how far mustangs have come from owning so many.

Simply put, the GT350 is a super fun hooligan of car. Simulated drag racing with launch control, line-lock, switch to open and close exhaust baffles, the list goes on. The gearbox and motor is delightful although the sound is a little annoying for me eventhough the F80 sounds awful. The ride and seats are super comfy but some of the interior bits like the dash, horrible stereo, and overall execution is well below the BMW. The GT350 feels bigger than the BMW and the seating position and visibility is far superior in German counterpart. The performance between the two is very similar.

Personally, I need a four door for my DD duties. If I didn't, I'd probably own another mustang.

[Graves]

Saying the GT350 is not a daily driver is pure personal opinion. Any car can be a daily it just depends on what your tolerance level is. I have owned mostly mustangs my whole life (I've always been poor. Took 17 years and 5 deployments to get an M3 brand new), had some ZO6's, etc. However, with that being said I thoroughly enjoyed my loud, violent 04 Cobra with 750rwhp as a daily driver. It was a blast. It is all about the experience and what you enjoy. I have several friends that DD the new GT350 and never get sick of it. I know I could easily DD one and love every minute of every day with that car. Again, of course there is a night and day difference in the two, they have two totally different design purposes.

[Vincz]

I just traded my 15 M3 for a 17 GT350. Honestly they drive very differently, but both have their appeals. Go drive both, buy what excites you. The sound and feel from the GT 350 is intoxicating.

I got 2k off MSRP on mine, so discounts are out there. Ford also offers much better warranty and additional warranty packages than BMW. Example, for 900$ I bought GAP insurance, oil changes for 10 years (each oil change is 120$ given the car uses 10 quarts of synthetic) and bumper to bumper warranty extension. Basically this car is totally covered for the next 10 years.. My BMW warranty, drivetrain and all, was over in 10 months and would costs 3-5k depending on discounts to extend it 1 year... Screw the M tax as others have said.

[Gstone]

Just bought a lead foot gray GT350 on saturday. 2018 and MSRP. Drove it home 60 miles in the rain at night. Car felt good on the highway in those circumstances, it does tram track though on uneven surfaces. Feels very good on decent roads. So far feels bigger than M4. I'm hoping it will shrink in size as I drive it in better conditions and 2-3 track days a year.
I bought it because I was ready for "whats next" and I wanted to experience a NA V8 manual transmission while they still exist.
For me it's not a daily driver.

[Zero_Cool]

[QUOTE=Graves;22772101]Saying the GT350 is not a daily driver is pure personal opinion. Any car can be a daily it just depends on what your tolerance level is. I have owned mostly mustangs my whole life (I've always been poor. Took 17 years and 5 deployments to get an M3 brand new), had some ZO6's, etc. However, with that being said I thoroughly enjoyed my loud, violent 04 Cobra with 750rwhp as a daily driver. It was a blast. It is all about the experience and what you enjoy. I have several friends that DD the new GT350 and never get sick of it. I know I could easily DD one and love every minute of every day with that car. Again, of course there is a night and day difference in the two, they have two totally different design purposes.[/QUOTE

The discount on the M3 makes it just on the cusp of my budget. I’m really leaning towards the Shelby just because I would rather pay a premium for an Imola or Nardo F80 when the leases hit the market in 2/3 years. In the mean time I can enjoy having a rare care in Germany and drive the shit out of it. M’s are like ass holes here, everyone has one. Every hour I change my mind though because a new M3 would be a dream come true

[Graves]

[QUOTE=Zero_Cool;22774042]

Originally Posted by Graves

Saying the GT350 is not a daily driver is pure personal opinion. Any car can be a daily it just depends on what your tolerance level is. I have owned mostly mustangs my whole life (I've always been poor. Took 17 years and 5 deployments to get an M3 brand new), had some ZO6's, etc. However, with that being said I thoroughly enjoyed my loud, violent 04 Cobra with 750rwhp as a daily driver. It was a blast. It is all about the experience and what you enjoy. I have several friends that DD the new GT350 and never get sick of it. I know I could easily DD one and love every minute of every day with that car. Again, of course there is a night and day difference in the two, they have two totally different design purposes.[/QUOTE

The discount on the M3 makes it just on the cusp of my budget. I’m really leaning towards the Shelby just because I would rather pay a premium for an Imola or Nardo F80 when the leases hit the market in 2/3 years. In the mean time I can enjoy having a rare care in Germany and drive the shit out of it. M’s are like ass holes here, everyone has one. Every hour I change my mind though because a new M3 would be a dream come true

Bro, get the GT350! It's gonna be rare and turn so many heads in Germany. I went with the M3 because of the military discount program they offer. And I'm only gonna be there for 2 years and then it's back to the states with a car that you don't see everywhere as well. Seen 1 M3 in the 2 years I have been in Missouri and it was at a dealership, lol. The GT350 is an animal!

[F80Moe]

I had a deposit on a 17 GT350

For sheer driving involvement it is obviously a better choice

I at that time wanted a DD, came across a slightly used 16 6M/T M3 and pulled the trigger. Saved a couple of $$$

My experience with a 2009 GT500 on a daily basis was a very bad one hence my choice.. Clutch was heavy, gear changes rough, loud, AC would give out at 100F+ through traffic jams, not very fuel efficient

For a weekend car, GT350
For multi purpose, M3

[stevehifi]

I drove a gt350 before I bought an M3.

The GT350 is a much more 'alive' car, in sound and steering feel (it hunts everywhere) but it is a terrible daily driver. Value-wise it's more of a 40k-ish car, since build quality is piss poor (think rental fleet). Plus you'll attract so much attention from cops, that with all the other young idiots out there with the base/gt mustangs.

Performance wise (straight line) it's about the same, but the torque on the M3 is so much more useable.

So yeah.. definitely not a car to drive the kids around...

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by Graves

Saying the GT350 is not a daily driver is pure personal opinion. Any car can be a daily it just depends on what your tolerance level is. I have owned mostly mustangs my whole life (I've always been poor. Took 17 years and 5 deployments to get an M3 brand new), had some ZO6's, etc. However, with that being said I thoroughly enjoyed my loud, violent 04 Cobra with 750rwhp as a daily driver. It was a blast. It is all about the experience and what you enjoy. I have several friends that DD the new GT350 and never get sick of it. I know I could easily DD one and love every minute of every day with that car. Again, of course there is a night and day difference in the two, they have two totally different design purposes.

Thanks for serving and congrats on getting your dream car

[Graves]

Originally Posted by F80Moe

I had a deposit on a 17 GT350

For sheer driving involvement it is obviously a better choice

I at that time wanted a DD, came across a slightly used 16 6M/T M3 and pulled the trigger. Saved a couple of $$$

My experience with a 2009 GT500 on a daily basis was a very bad one hence my choice.. Clutch was heavy, gear changes rough, loud, AC would give out at 100F+ through traffic jams, not very fuel efficient

For a weekend car, GT350
For multi purpose, M3

2009 Shelby is one of the worst mustangs ever.

[F80Moe]

Originally Posted by Graves

2009 Shelby is one of the worst mustangs ever.

Yes

570whp for bolt on upgrades.. It brought back what the 03/04 cobra used to offer.. Crazy power and speed

It was mad owning one in a good way

[Graves]

Originally Posted by F80Moe

Yes

570whp for bolt on upgrades.. It brought back what the 03/04 cobra used to offer.. Crazy power and speed

It was mad owning one in a good way

Kind of did. It was so heavy and so slow. The 03/04 is the best ever built, still to this day. Revolutionized the muscle car industry. Everything is supercharged now.

[Zero_Cool]

Well the verdict is 18 M3 ZCP 6spd w/ Black 666s. Case closed! Jk. My thought process was:

I drive an M4 and the large 2 door type car isn’t my cup of tea—-> so a Shelby looks to be even larger/longer

Build quality would probably eat at me over time on the Shelby

I could use 4 doors since I have 2 little ones..

Price wise, the discount on the M3 was to substantial to ignore

I would feel more comfortable DD’ing the M3 in the winter

I love the appearance of the Shelby, but there is something about the F80 with comp pack that I can’t get over (Shelby is like a blonde that’s well endowed and the M is a brunette with a great personality... I married a brunette)

In the end I’m just more comfortable with the Bmw (interior layout, tech, looks, modding, maintenance, online community)

The Shelby salesman was great and fought to get me a slot after ford said no more for military sales. Having to make a now or never decision, I just talked it over with my wife and she spoke M wisdom to me. I’m just a Bmw dude. And the feedback on here was consistent with what we were thinking. I appreciate the feedback.

[Zero_Cool]

Originally Posted by Graves

Kind of did. It was so heavy and so slow. The 03/04 is the best ever built, still to this day. Revolutionized the muscle car industry. Everything is supercharged now.

An old friend of mine bought a terminator with under 10k on it back in like 07/08. Completely stock it sounded great and pulled hard. I didn’t know much about cars back then but I told him he would be wise to keep it. Idiot sold it for a TBSS (trail blazer ss). Moral of the story, I’m doing well for myself and he may be hanging out with dirty mike and the boys still...

If you’re at Leonard Wood I’ll have to hit you up over the summer. Waiting for a slot to attend a course over there.

[ksa]

Originally Posted by Zero_Cool

Well the verdict is 18 M3 ZCP 6spd w/ Black 666s. Case closed! Jk. My thought process was:

I drive an M4 and the large 2 door type car isn’t my cup of tea—-> so a Shelby looks to be even larger/longer

Build quality would probably eat at me over time on the Shelby

I could use 4 doors since I have 2 little ones..

Price wise, the discount on the M3 was to substantial to ignore

I would feel more comfortable DD’ing the M3 in the winter

I love the appearance of the Shelby, but there is something about the F80 with comp pack that I can’t get over (Shelby is like a blonde that’s well endowed and the M is a brunette with a great personality... I married a brunette)

In the end I’m just more comfortable with the Bmw (interior layout, tech, looks, modding, maintenance, online community)

The Shelby salesman was great and fought to get me a slot after ford said no more for military sales. Having to make a now or never decision, I just talked it over with my wife and she spoke M wisdom to me. I’m just a Bmw dude. And the feedback on here was consistent with what we were thinking. I appreciate the feedback. Almost lost a member of the flock to a coyote! (Get it)...

Originally Posted by Zero_Cool

Well the verdict is 18 M3 ZCP 6spd w/ Black 666s. Case closed! Jk. My thought process was:

I drive an M4 and the large 2 door type car isn’t my cup of tea—-> so a Shelby looks to be even larger/longer

Build quality would probably eat at me over time on the Shelby

I could use 4 doors since I have 2 little ones..

Price wise, the discount on the M3 was to substantial to ignore

I would feel more comfortable DD’ing the M3 in the winter

I love the appearance of the Shelby, but there is something about the F80 with comp pack that I can’t get over (Shelby is like a blonde that’s well endowed and the M is a brunette with a great personality... I married a brunette)

In the end I’m just more comfortable with the Bmw (interior layout, tech, looks, modding, maintenance, online community)

The Shelby salesman was great and fought to get me a slot after ford said no more for military sales. Having to make a now or never decision, I just talked it over with my wife and she spoke M wisdom to me. I’m just a Bmw dude. And the feedback on here was consistent with what we were thinking. I appreciate the feedback. Almost lost a member of the flock to a coyote! (Get it)...

Congrats. All things considering I think you made the right call. Enjoy it.

[Graves]

Originally Posted by Zero_Cool

An old friend of mine bought a terminator with under 10k on it back in like 07/08. Completely stock it sounded great and pulled hard. I didn’t know much about cars back then but I told him he would be wise to keep it. Idiot sold it for a TBSS (trail blazer ss). Moral of the story, I’m doing well for myself and he may be hanging out with dirty mike and the boys still...

If you’re at Leonard Wood I’ll have to hit you up over the summer. Waiting for a slot to attend a course over there.

What a ding dong.

Yeah man, hit me up. I PCS in July though.

[NCThreePedals]

One thing that I dislike about Ford is that sure you have a special car but you're still going to a dealership where they work on 12k brand new cars too and I say this from personal experience

I had a 2013 Boss 302 and EVERY time I went to the dealership, they abused my car and when the techs would get in it they would either stall or drive off like a bat out of hell and that was IN FRONT of me. I caught one of them driving it to lunch even though it went in for a driver's seat issue

Had a negative experience with 3 dealerships all sharing the same BS so ever since then I will not buy a specialty car from a entry-level brand. I ended up taking it to Lincoln for the remainder of the time I had it and that was better

Still the same chassis that's with the V6 Mustang and there's a ton of cheap plastic and poor fitment everywhere you look and you just need to know that those are all "traits" the car comes with

I really wanted a GT350 but I'm not going to let history repeat itself