The 32k Question S4, M3, ect?

[Accumulator]

haper- I know *exactly* what you mean with the Corrado/e46 M3 fun-to-drive comparison! I felt the same way when I had some mighty good cars that just didn't put the same smile on my face that some "lesser" cars did. There's more to enjoying a car than its ultimate capabilities, especially on the street.

Honest-to-god, I sometimes think the most fun I *ever* had with a car (on public streets ) was my '87 VW Quantum Synchro wagon with a tweaked supension, at least when the weather was bad. I used to leave the Porsches/etc. in the garage because I simply enjoyed the VW more.

[simracer]

Originally Posted by Picus

No BMW's but "M's" get LSD's. It's silly, but that's how they've always done it.

Not always. At least up through '93, you could get a 325i with either the sport or inclement weather packages which got you a LSD.

IIRC, ASC (anti skid control) came on the BMW scene in '94. But I still think you could get a LSD with either of the two option packages above so long as you didn't specify the ASC option.

I believe once the 328i was introduced in '96, the LSDs were gone as options and ASC was standard.

[M3Armand]

I've driven both on the track... I think you will be very disappointed with the V8 S4 on the track due to the weight and that the brakes are not made to go on the track. There are no ductings to help cool them. Thus, the car (with it's heavy weight) really gets the brakes fading quite a bit. The E46 M3 is not lightweight either but is significantly better on the track. You will need 4 snow tires during the winter and it will drive better than an SUV without snow tires. I live near you so I know about the weather.

So if you are inclined to go on track, there is no question that you must get the M3. If you do track the S4, you will need to get some pretty aggresive brake pads to compensate for the brake fade - Hawk Blues 9012 (kills wheel finishes) or Hawk HT-10's.