Has anyone compared BMW M Roadster to the Boxster S?

[phrankandbeanz]

If I had to make it a daily driver, I would get a m3 cab because I think it is just more practical for everyday use. With the boxster, a trip to costco could be a hassle. I love my boxster, but I feel that it is more a second car then a primary car.

[Rowag]

Actually, the front of the suspension on the Z3 is based off of the E36 (prior-gen 3 series), while the rear is from the E30 for space consumption reasons (the E36 rear setup would have resulted in the Z3 having a prohibitively-small trunk).

I agree, though - bumpy corners tend to upset the rear end a bit.

Originally Posted by Lux

However, it handles like ****************. The suspension is from the 2nd previous generation (E30) 3 series. Try taking some bumpy corners at speed and see what happens. That alone should make the Z3 a non-contender.
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[Push]

Originally Posted by phrankandbeanz

If I had to make it a daily driver, I would get a m3 cab because I think it is just more practical for everyday use. With the boxster, a trip to costco could be a hassle. I love my boxster, but I feel that it is more a second car then a primary car.

That car doesn't do much for me in the looks department.

[Rowag]

If I was buying, I'd go with the Boxster S. It's got plenty of power for me, and I love incredible-handling cars.

You may want to try a used M3 convertible, as well. Though as Lux pointed out, the steering feel in the E46 (the current chassis) M3 is horrible. But there's LOTS of power there and even though the steering rack is crap there are still some redeeming factors in the handling department.

I'm not certain if a lease would be a consideration, but if it is and you could use the practicality of 4 seats you may want to look into a 330ci convertible with the Performance Package (code named "ZHP"). That package includes a short shifter, different suspension setup, different cams/intake/exhaust, a shorter final drive, alcantara seats, alcantara steering wheel (leather now on later '05s but you can get it swapped), different exterior trim (bumpers, side flares), and different wheels. The car's fairly quick (235hp, 0-60 in 5.6, qtr mile low 14's @ 98mph), and handling is fantastic. There were some incredible lease specials for the past few months on the 330ci coupes as BMW needed to keep cash flow up for the launch of the new 3-series sedans this year. There might be similar deals on convertibles.

If you don't have a need/use for the 4 seats, though, buy the S or the M-roadster and enjoy. I agree with you on the "you always want more power" thing. That's why I'd buy the Boxster.

Originally Posted by Push

Which one would you choose?

[Lux]

An M3 cab is the worst of all worlds. It's a pig at what?...3800 lbs for the E46 and 3500 lbs for the E36? Handling will suffer as well as straight line speed.

The Boxster with its 2 trunks is actually damn practical.

If I had to pick a BMW roadster, I'd go with the Z4 before even the MZ3. At least the Z4's chassis is up to the task of being a roadster. The Z3 is a little loosey goosey.

Rowag,
You are correct on the suspension. Not that the E36 rear was that great. I've blown out more shock mounts and lower control arm bushings than the law allows. It was great when everything worked though.

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[Adam]

I agree with what you said about the M3 cabbie being a pig. It's good for boulavard cruising and that's about it. The only reason I suggested it was because it didn't sound like Push drove hard enough to realize the benefits of the Boxster...but he cleared that up.

[Richard Truss]

to read all these posts, you would think the reason we bought our boxster is because it fit our specific needs unlike any other car -- which i think we could all agree, in the price range for the boxster S (which i have) there are cars that are WAY faster, handle as good (or almost), are MUCH more practical, are FAR cheaper to maintain, are MUCH better on gas, are MUCH more comfortable -- the list goes on and on....

why did i buy my boxster S and never really gave ANY other car more than a passing thought? because -- to be blunt -- only a woman and a ferrari give me as much (or more) wood as a porsche. i love almost all porsches (save the 924). a porsche is a porsche -- and no merc, bimmer, Z06 or whatever will ever have the head-turning value and pure thrill of looking in and sitting in it as my boxster will.

the only drivers i envy are other porsche owners of my other favorite cars (968 and 993). bottom line is i love the handling, and i love the power, but those reasons came down the list for me -- it was all about looks, the badge, the heritage, and the car that everyone looks at. i have owned an E36 and a cherry impala SS (when they were actually rare) -- and im telling you, those cars never got any love from anyone. my porsche gets more attention that i would have ever imagined. but hey, its shallow -- but who am i fooling..... people love it for a reason -- a great car only a few of us are lucky enough to have. THATS why we buy these cars.

pardon the rant.

[Brucelee]

A man's relationship with his car is irrational!

Let the good times roll!

[clubhead]

My previous car was a Euro 321bhp M Coupe, slighly different from the 240bhp ones in the US. Until the S54 engine came along that is Mine has the S50 engine. I had it for 3.5 years and was my only daily transport. I'm now driving a Boxster S.

In terms of power, it is just awesome. Of course, I had a couple of usual things done to it like SuperSprint exhaust, Gruppe M carbon intake kit, UUC short shifter, adjustable camber/caster kit, etc. The sound of the engine above 5,000rpm is just too awesome to describe. The power is stunning on that car in a straight line. I've outrun a stock Evo on the track straights and heavily modified Nissan S15s. The gearshift is short, precise and sweet contrary to what some mentioned here. Fuel consumption is very good for such a powerful engine... bet 7.5-8.5km/l

The brakes on the M Coupe sucks big time. Double sliding pistons up front and single sliding pistons in the rear. Fades big time on the track even with my upgraded Tarox floating rotors.

The downside is really the trailing arm rear suspension that was inherited from the E30. This suspension is very prone to camber changes during suspension travel. Hence, the reason for sudden snap oversteer during corners. It did scare the daylights out of me a couple of times on the track..... and thank goodness it only happened on the track for me. A few M Coupes/Roadsters have been totalled this way on public roads, especially on roundabouts in UK.

Interior wise, I think it's comparable to the Boxster. But my Boxster S came with full carbon interior which I thought looked much better than the M Coupe's. It has additional things like oil temp gauge that is lacking on the Boxster.

After owning my Boxster for 6 months now, I think the Boxster wins hands down for steering feel, brakes and suspension. The M coupe wins in terms of straight line power. That power is useless in corners because of the suspension. Power out too early and you'll be looking the other way on the track at on-coming traffic.

The power in the Boxster is still lacking in my opinion. You just can't beat the rush of straight line acceleration of the M Coupe or the Evolution (my car before the M Coupe). And the tiptronic doesn't help

Hope this has been helpful

One last note, the body of the M Coupe, though supposedly much more rigid than the M Roadster is still less rigid than the Boxster. Lots of creaks and groans as you feel the chassis flexing.

[Adam]

Perhaps the shifter in your M coup was different than the 5 speed I drove in the 02 roadster because I thought it was just horrible imo. It was notchy and rough as hell. . It was a used example that had been in a pretty bad accident so perhaps that can account for the poor performance as well.