To customize an S5 you'll be waiting much longer. From what I've heard 5-8 month wait now. E92 M3 is really nice especially with the carbon fiber hood and won't be such a long wait.
I looked at a Beemer coupe too and although the BM is a lovely drive, I just didn't want to be another BMW on the road indistinguishable from the rest.magpie is in the UK, not the US. Delivery times in the UK are much shorter. Typically 8-11 weeks. Plus some small amounts of stock may be available.
The S5 is comparable to the 335i and not the M3. The RS5 will be the one that goes up against the M3.
The M3 will be the better drive from a track point of view. The S5 is a better all rounder. Where the S5 scores well against the M3 is interior and styling. The S5 is no slouch though.
Hi Magpie, you're right, on paper the S5 and E46 seem pretty closely matched, on power at least (343bhp plays 349). However, where this has been discussed before, there seems to be a general acceptance that the M3 is still the better driver's car, offering an inherent balance and adjustability that's just not possible with the S5 (not least because of the weight of the V8 strung up-front and leading to a more pronounced nose-heavy feeling than the M3). I drove an E46 (cabrio, so not the best of the breed) back in March and remember it feeling so much more lithe and nimble than the S5 and the rwd makes it far more of a 'seat of the pants' experience.I've tried to search on the site for comparisons against the E46 and haven't come across much! If anyone has any comments on the two it would be much appreciated. On paper they look about as quick as each other although that's not my sole reason for buying the car.
S5 performance wise should outdo the E46 M3, it's not as quick as the E92 M3 or likely as agile, it's a bigger car than both, and different beast to be in. The S5 is a GT car, along the lines of Aston Martin, it's the difference in comparing a AM DB9 to say a Porsche GT3, one is more GT'ish, and the more track car.magpie is in the UK, not the US. Delivery times in the UK are much shorter. Typically 8-11 weeks. Plus some small amounts of stock may be available.
The S5 is comparable to the 335i and not the M3. The RS5 will be the one that goes up against the M3.
The M3 will be the better drive from a track point of view. The S5 is a better all rounder. Where the S5 scores well against the M3 is interior and styling. The S5 is no slouch though.
Very good, Bandar haha. I did test drive the S5 for about an hour though. The things that were very noticeably to me were: lighter in steering at lower speeds, shifter was a little more notchy than I'm used to (I have a short shifter and aftermarket clutch in my M3 though), more growl than the E46!, and lower rpm shifts from 1st to 2nd to 3rd in the S5. These were the most noticeable, but they didn't bother me for the most part. Like any car you aren't used to, it takes some time getting used to. The most disappointing thing for me is the lack of an open sunroof, but I think I will warm to this more as I get used to it! Performance wise, I think I'm going to love itTry talking to one of our members "DrakeS5", I believe he has an e46 m3 and an S5 or something like that
**Update** nevermind he hasnt gotten his S5 yet