ESS Twin Screw or M3?

[JKO_ZHP]

Speaking hypothetically, would you get the ESS supercharger for your ZHP or use that money, combined with the sale of your ZHP to get an E46 M3? Assuming that combined, you would have around $20,000 if you went the M3 route.

[derbo]

I would get the TS2. I love my 4dr and I wouldn't be able to trade it for a M3 coupe unless it was dirt cheap and a ZCP in alpine white with black interior.


TBH, the TS2 has been on my to do list. Just waiting for my new job to pan out and get settled before I deal with this. :)

[HokieZHP]

Ts2. Me personally, I couldn't afford all of the extra costs associated with a m3, insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc. plus I love my sedan


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[JupiterBMW]

Hah, I will agree with the two above me. And frankly, I would be willing to bet that every sedan owner on this site will agree with us in the claim that there is no way we'd give up our 2 extra doors. :)

[cakM3]

Funny you guys are saying this.....in my case, I had my ///M first then the ZHP came up and I couldn't pass on the deal so I scooped it up. As my mechanics tell me, the ZHP is happy it found me...:) I love having the extra doors my ZHP provides and feel I have the best of both worlds having these two cars...:wub

To OP...if you love your car as is then I say get the ESS TS2.....you will have awesome performance :thumbsup It's faaaasssssst!!!!

[nike001]

Ts2. Me personally, I couldn't afford all of the extra costs associated with a m3, insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc. plus I love my sedan


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Same here. I love my sedan too, but I never use it for what it is lol. I'm usually riding solo dolo in it or w/ only one passenger

[midlandtech]

Hah, I will agree with the two above me. And frankly, I would be willing to bet that every sedan owner on this site will agree with us in the claim that there is no way we'd give up our 2 extra doors. :)

+1 a LSD would be a must as well


~Steve
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[UdubBadger]

This IS the age old question.

M3 is high revving, lots of fun and a good amount of NA power.


TS2 or AA St2 is more unique, more work but yields higher power than the stock S54, plus you just put it on your own car.


Financially speaking probably easier on the wallet to buy the M3 (if not paying cash) because you are spacing out the payments and such. :dunno

I ask myself this question every day.

[wertyu78]

A LSD is a must...
+1 a LSD would be a must as well


~Steve
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[webster]

i would get an E46 M3. the E46 coupes look better anyways and you get the 333 HP NA monster engine and factory LSD and beefed up drivetrain and all the little ///M details and bits. maintenance costs associated with all the fine tuning to get a S/C and LSD fitted to a ZHP are going to outweigh a well maintained M3 IMO...

[wertyu78]

I love my sedan. Just like you, I often drive solo. But there is always that random road trip... that trip in which you take 4 smokin hot foreign exchange chicks across the state. that alone is worth it.:happyspidey
Same here. I love my sedan too, but I never use it for what it is lol. I'm usually riding solo dolo in it or w/ only one passenger

[M3TA5IN]

i would get an E46 M3. the E46 coupes look better anyways and you get the 333 HP NA monster engine and factory LSD and beefed up drivetrain and all the little ///M details and bits. maintenance costs associated with all the fine tuning to get a S/C and LSD fitted to a ZHP are going to outweigh a well maintained M3 IMO...

I agree with most of this (except that e46 coupes look better, I think the M3 is the only e46 coupe that looks better than a e46 sedan.)

Now if the only option was SC the zhp or buy a M3. I would buy the M3 because of a lot of the above stated reasons. If you are dead set on FI, why not save those penny's and play with the big boys. Down the road, FI the M3.

I can go both ways though, if you just want a fun unique car. SC the zhp and call it a day.

If it is a DD I wouldn't buy an M3 to daily drive. I dunno, that's just me. I don't believe a M3 is a car to daily drive. It's a car you rip on on the weekends or take to the track. Or drive to work on a nice day just because you feel like it. I dunno, I'm a firm believer in buying a car for its purpose. I work with 3 people that have M3s and have no idea what they are capable of. They simple putt around in them as of it was a Prius. They had the money so they bought a status symbol. That's like owning a 3500 diesel an you never haul anything with it.

If maintence cost is a concern, neither should be bought IMHO.

And last but not least... These are all our personal opinions... In the end do what you want and what makes YOU happy :)




Sent from my fancy city machine.

[johnrando]

So true, the age ole question. I always hear that the ZHP engine (or any n/a mass produced daily drivers) wasn't built for supercharging so you're putting extra strain on parts that weren't meant to handle it so in the end, it's not necessarily a good thing for your car. So, given that theory (which could be debated), it would make sense to get the car already built for that speed with the n/a engine. I really like how classically aggressive the M3's still look today. If money weren't an object, add the M3 to the ZHP stable like Charlie did. I'd love an M3 (vert) but I couldn't sell Ness, so I guess push comes to shove, I'd SC.

[cakM3]

If it is a DD I wouldn't buy an M3 to daily drive. I dunno, that's just me. I don't believe a M3 is a car to daily drive. It's a car you rip on on the weekends or take to the track. Or drive to work on a nice day just because you feel like it.

This! :thumbsup

[CERF04ZHP]

i would get an E46 M3. the E46 coupes look better anyways and you get the 333 HP NA monster engine and factory LSD and beefed up drivetrain and all the little ///M details and bits. maintenance costs associated with all the fine tuning to get a S/C and LSD fitted to a ZHP are going to outweigh a well maintained M3 IMO...

Good call.