Quote:
Originally Posted by EXE46
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dylan86
They do deserve to be in a separate category, and they are. Look at the prices 
Having owned both, I can't bring myself to understand your logic.
People work hard to own any car, period, that's common sense. Though most owners who paid MSRP or more than their annual salary to have the latest/greatest depreciating asset from BMW must justify their purchase when debating "value".
Most (new) M car owners are legit pussies as drivers and can't drive the cars to their factory limit let alone the limits of the cars after they dump $20k into performance modifications.
Most older "M" car owners can't afford to obtain or finance the newer cars, and they equally justify their ownership with "older is better, more raw, NA bro". Then there's the sensible ones, who buy what makes them happy, not what everyone thinks will be the best car, for them.. they get by just fine, too. The performance margins between the M cars of today, and their m-variants, make for another discussion altogether, the gap-up is no longer what it used to be. |
Amen! with the blatant narcissism being displayed by the so called real M drivers. I am proud to not be a part of that camp. Their self esteem is tied to their cars, they didn't buy their M cars for the performance. They bought it merely as a status symbol to shout to others that they have the better car than the other 3 series guy.
I mean, if you want to impress someone with a performance car, get a 997.2 GT3 RS. M3 isn't even considered a sports car these days. Why settle for M3, there are far better drivers car, yes they cost more, but we know these real M drivers all have unlimited sums of money so why are these grown men here crying about dilution. |
I disagree. Yes, I believe the majority of people driving around in new leased M cars are just badge snobs with more money than the badge snobs driving around in an M340, there are a lot of older M owners this is not true for.
I also disagree that older M cars are for poor people. Most anyone can walk into a dealership and sign paperwork for a $900 lease with proof of income and mediocre credit.
Not many people can hand over a $30k cashiers check for a 10 year old car. Nor can they stomach the absurd cost of maintenance.
I'm 37, self-employed, bi-coastal (live in both Florida and California), and have the title to my car in a safe. Am I rich? No. Could I walk into a BMW dealership today and take my pick? Yes.
What I'm getting at is, the type of people who simply point at an older car and blame it on lack of financial ability to procure a newer car just don't get it.
Would you point at someone in an old Porsche 356 that he just bought at auction for $200k and write him off as being poor for driving an old car?
Some M owners maintain their own cars, love a specific platform for a reason, care about heritage and legacy. They love driving a true motorsport-derived car, even if it means expensive maintenance, obsessive warm up routines, quirkiness they call "character", etc.
I drive an E92 M3 because I love German V8s and I love the M3 heritage. I read about M history, enjoy wrenching on my own car (I pay a membership fee to access a lift I use regularly and do all of my own work, aside from rod bearings).
Owning my M3 is expensive. And tedious. And time consuming. At times it's a downright hassle. But I do it enthusiastically, and it's rewarding.
It's nice to know that badge is special. Not because I care what it means to others. But as a true car enthusiast from the age of like two years old, it's a badge of pride. It reminds me that I've subscribed to an entire ownership experience and not just something neat to get from point A to point B in.
I guess badge/brand dilution doesn't really piss me off the way it does others, but it certainly doesn't help maintain the brand as a true enthusiasts brand, and my decision to drive the M3 I most desire is not reflective of what I can afford. It's reflective of how much I'm willing to participate in the ownership experience, and when I roll my eyes at non-M cars with M badges, it's is most certainly not rooted in narcissism.