Why *not* buy an M3 vert?

Originally Posted by fawaz911

I owned both, Love the vert more though. I got a 2006 Vert with 3.91 gears, CSL airbox, Headers and cats, Soft top delete, Evolve tune. I pulled away on every coupe I seen in my area and handling was noticeable compared to the coupe but that changed with the KW2, Handles awesome!! With the right mods you can have the speed and the handling of a coupe but with TOP DOWN and don't forget about no pillars in the Vert. Plus there is ways to get more weight off the car different exhaust, Carbon Fiber hood and trunk, Lightweight wheels. Best one is removing the top and having a hardtop.

How were the 3.91 gears for daily driving? Something I've considered for my vert to offset the added weight.

I do some highway driving its not bad, Rpm's are not that high compared to the 4.10s. It gives it that nice kick but will not be enough to offset the weight savings.

Here's what I don't get. Yes he every is a couple hundred pounds heavier. But factor in gear ratio and the power and torque difference. I don't get how people can say their butt dyno puts it about even between the M3 coupe and the zhp. That's just crazy.
Y'all must have some hella precisely calibrated butt dynos.
Cause all I know. Zhp yeah. Lil faster than regular 3.
M3 vert.... Woah! That's quick.
M3 coupe...wooah snap. That's very quick.

Either way tho. At the end of the day. Get what u want. Yeah verts are heavier. But I'm not trackday junkie as far as cars go. So the little trade off there is vs a coupe.
Meh! I'm quite fine, cause dropping the top on the right days, makes I all worthwhile.

I put the top down today. Felt soooooooooo good.

I love my '06 vert and could care less about the extra 400 pounds (I don't street race) and the current M3 weighs 400 more than mine! Bottom line, I live in Florida and have the top down at least 2 to 3x per week! Cruising in the Keys with the top down is the only way to go!

I love my vert as well, and hey, I live in Miami, so I can drop the top nearly 365 days a year.

Originally Posted by DSilk56

I love my vert as well, and hey, I live in Miami, so I can drop the top nearly 365 days a year.

I have a vert too summer in Florida the top would stay up....that would be unbearable.

Florida makes sense to own a vert, imo. The roads are straight, so you don't really notice the compromised handling much, and you can use the top down aspect regularly.

You make the difference in handling sound like a M3 vs a Toyota solora vert.
90% of us don't drive hard enough to notice the difference in handling of the heavier M3 vert.

I own an m3 coupe, and my brother owns a m3 vert.. I personally never driven his car, but he has driven mine and I asked if he noticed if which is faster and he basically said their was no difference in feel, the only thing he did say was when driving it he slightly noticed a lighter feel in the coupe in the turns, but not much....

He has also has a hardtop, and in my oppinion I think the vert w/ a hardtop looks pretty damn good, mind you I favor the coupes over the vert..

Originally Posted by DSilk56

I love my vert as well, and hey, I live in Miami, so I can drop the top nearly 365 days a year.

I'm jelly bro, it rains 364 days out of the year here in Vancouver, Canada so I had to opt for the coupe.

I absolutely love my Vert! First one I've ever owned, and I have to say it is a blast to drive, especially on a nice day! I have a hardtop for it, and to me that just sets it off even more. It's a great choice for the ///M!

I bought the vert because I love me some rag top. I gave up caring what others thought about my choices a long long time ago. Buy what fits your requirements and what you are buying the car for. If the look of a vert turns you on then get it and enjoy what you spent your money on. If the coupe look is where it is at then go for that. Lots of threads here on the whole vert/coupe thing. In the end we all own the car we like, no one can tell you that your choice was a mistake other than yourself.

Now, soap box put away... I daily drive mine 75+ miles a day in combination highway and city roads. I live in the south so I get to be top down a lot. I like driving with no roof so the choice was easy. the car is what it is. I could care less about 1.4 mile times. I like the feel of the car, I like the engineering of the car, I like the way I can jet up the on ramp when I am lucky enough not to have mama granny pants in front of me.

When the car fails to put a smile on my face after a crappy day at work I will sell it and find one that does. So far it has never failed me yet.

It's also kind of noisy with a cloth top also but I assume it would not be as bad with a hard-top on. I'm not sure if handeling is affected since there's no roof and I can't say for my self because I haven't driven a coupe more than 10 feet but I drove many verts.

I think for a ragtop its a pretty quiet chassis. Even at its age.

The E46 M3 vert looks just as good as the coupe on my opinion.

I was originally looking for a coupe, but found a vert with the hardtop and fell in love. I feel There is a noticeable difference when the hardtop is on compared to when it isn't in terms of stiffness and in the handling.

Originally Posted by srlehmkuhl

I was originally looking for a coupe, but found a vert with the hardtop and fell in love. I feel There is a noticeable difference when the hardtop is on compared to when it isn't in terms of stiffness and in the handling.

Nor should there be, it doesn't add any chassis stiffness.

Originally Posted by Obioban

Nor should there be, it doesn't add any chassis stiffness.

Are you sure about that? BMW quotes different numbers for when the top is up vs down. If the rag top can add to the stiffness, then I would think the hard top would add even more since it can't flex nearly as much

It has to change something. It's like twisting the chassis with a door open vs closed. There has to be a difference. However minute.