Anybody come from a sports car to Tesla?

[atvrida92]

Just sold my '19 mustang GT for a 23 M3P! Excited to figure the original question out for myself!

 

[cappo3]

@cappo3 TiL the 4C wasn't offered with a manual. That was my dream attainable/affordable(-ish) raw sports car. So beautiful, so pure, small and light and CF frame and just everything it should be and nothing it shouldn't.

But I don't get along with automatics. Not even dual clutch ones. They dance to a different beat than my right foot. I'm not sure about my 4C dream anymore.

Hello fellow 4C lover!
I would wholeheartedly recommend you to drive one, but properly. You’ll probably notice, like I did, that the DCT suits the vehicle incredibly well.
It makes it such a unique experience actually, that I wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

[comanchepilot]

I went from a 2006 911 Carrera 4 on Jan 20 to a M3P on 1/23 - and honestly the M3P is every bit as good. I drive my cars sportingly - and around the Tucson Foothills there are lots of twisty roads that one can spin up the rpm's on a 911 - and the M3P certainly maintains acceleration better than the 911 with a lot less noise and handles every bit as good in the mid 50-60mph up and down canyon roads.

I have tracked vehicles and driven open wheel back in my yout - and have the recent experience in the 911 to compare it to. I'm sure on a track course the 911 would win but not by much - half a second maybe? I took the M3P up my favorite twisty the other day and it came out in front of the last 911 time. . . the M3P is not a convertible certainly.

The cost was not a wash but when you consider the future maintenance costs of a 2006 911 the M3P cost me ten grand - plus tax and license.

So - here are the photos.

 

[srogers]

TL;DR - sports car/road racing enthusiast here, very pleased with M3 as a daily, great driving dynamics...but always best to have the right car for the particular job. You want a true sports car, yeah, ICE Porsche all day. You live on a dirt/mud road (like I do), base Model 3 & yeah, it's real dirty already

I've been a sports car girl/amateur road course racer for many a year. I'm just a teacher, tho, so my sports car budget is pretty modest. I've had an E36 M3 that I drove for years then built into a track car (fantastic), '05 WRX wagon (terrible), '05 Mazdaspeed Miata (turbo, brilliant), '12 Cayman S black edition (beyond brilliant), and after a few years of no sports car, back to a "stripper" supercharged Miata track/weekend car ('99, no power steering, no ABS, no a/c, roll up windows = all fun). I always rocked my '88 4-Runner as a winter/daily til I sold it to a friend w/300k miles on it.
I bought a new Model 3 RWD/SR+/however it identifies now at the end of Dec to stay under $40k for a new daily driver. Buying something ICE for that made no sense, esp in CA. My brother is an accomplished road racer and has an '18 M3P modified for track duty (he's still got some lap records in that thing). My budget wouldn't support a M3P nor is that what I wanted. We live down a one mile dirt road (ie mud/potholes in winter) so any lower than the SR isn't gonna fly...the Miata only gets out to play when the potholes are gone, spring thru fall.
This all said, the driving dynamics of the SR/RWD are far better than expected. It is definitely sporty enough for my daily needs, and comports itself well on our twisty 11 mile (bumpy) rural road. I'm very happy with it. I don't care that it's in the weird no USS/no radar limbo cuz I don't tend to use driver aids, anyway, and I don't (currently) give a s*** about resale value. We always have a bunch of (inexpensive) cars around so I'm a big fan of the right vehicle for the right application. If you want a truly proper sports car, yeah, go Porsche, supercharged Miata (lol), etc. We've got 2 Jeeps, an old Ram truck, the Model 3, the Miata, Honda dirtbike. All with their own jobs

 

[MaxYasgur]

I wouldn't get rid of a 718 Cayman, shame on you. Does it know you're thinking about selling it? Jesus man. Sell the wife instead

Haha. I had an Infiniti G37 convertible that was absolutely trouble-free for more than 5 years of ownership. I loved that car, but I couldn't resist getting a M3LR and didn't need two cars. The day after I picked up my M3, I arranged a deal with Carvana to buy the Infiniti. The next day the roof sensor on the Infiniti died, which also killed the battery. $1400 total repair for both. My brother wondered if the Infiniti knew I was selling it and was punishing me for doing so.

 

[GregD60]

i also came from an e46. in fact i had two e46s. a 318ti compact followed by a 320i. and they definetly handle way worse than a model 3. i mean the e46 is a 20year old car by now haha.

We had 3 cars when we bought our Model 3. One of them was a 2003 E46 ZHP. The original plan was to keep it for my son, but after about 6 months of having to park our Jeep outside due to only having a 3 car garage, and my 16 year old son saying he'd rather drive the Jeep than the ZHP because the radio sounds better, we ended up selling the ZHP. The ZHP handled noticeably better than the Model 3, not hugely better, but better, especially at 90%+ where the Model 3 kind of falls apart. The ride between the two was a wash, with each being a little better in different circumstances. A ZHP really does handle very nicely for a sedan, and having a weight of only about 3200 pounds helps a lot. The other thing that was better on the ZHP was the front seats. The ZHP sports seats with the alcantara and fabric covering, and extendable thigh bolster, were super comfortable and really held you in place when driving aggressively.

In most other regards however, the Model 3 is superior. It's much faster, the instant torque is addictive, the steering is comparable but quicker, the tech is worlds better, it's much quieter, the climate control system is superior, and the sound system just kills the BMW's Harmon Kardon system. I actually like the feel and modulation of the Model 3's brakes better than the ZHP's, but they do fade much quicker. The BMW brakes would fade too, but it took a while.

Overall, it was a pretty easy choice to replace the ZHP with the Model 3. It helped that the other car in the garage is a Lotus Elise. There's nothing quite like a mid engine sub 2000 pound car with manual steering for driving enjoyment. Combined with a 190HP engine that revs to 8400 RPM, a nice shifting 6 speed, and brakes that just don't give up, the Elise is a pretty terrific driving experience that makes an E46 ZHP or a Model 3 Performance feel like a truck by comparison. That said, it's very poor at running errands and if you want a quiet environment where you can enjoy the stereo, look elsewhere. It's a little more difficult to drive at the limit than a Cayman, due to a bit of a tendency towards trailing throttle oversteer, but the car really communicates what it's doing which helps, and makes it such a joy to drive. Caymans and Boxsters are pretty fun to drive as well, but they give up that last 10% to 15% of interaction with the car, in return for a substantially quieter, more comfortable, and more practical vehicle.

To the OP, keep the Cayman, get the Model 3, and dump the BMW; you won't regret it.

 

[ngng]

my 16 year old son saying he'd rather drive the Jeep than the ZHP because the radio sounds better, we ended up selling the ZHP.

lol if he is basing his decision on what to drive based on the radio, he is undeserving of a parent who is giving him a ZHP!

 

[GregD60]

lol if he is basing his decision on what to drive based on the radio, he is undeserving of a parent who is giving him a ZHP!

He just didn't inherit the car gene, so now he gets to drive a Jeep Wrangler rather than a ZHP.

 

[ngng]

He just didn't inherit the car gene, so now he gets to drive a Jeep Wrangler rather than a ZHP.

Prayers for their generation.

 

[M3_Performante]

We had 3 cars when we bought our Model 3. One of them was a 2003 E46 ZHP. The original plan was to keep it for my son, but after about 6 months of having to park our Jeep outside due to only having a 3 car garage, and my 16 year old son saying he'd rather drive the Jeep than the ZHP because the radio sounds better, we ended up selling the ZHP. The ZHP handled noticeably better than the Model 3, not hugely better, but better, especially at 90%+ where the Model 3 kind of falls apart. The ride between the two was a wash, with each being a little better in different circumstances. A ZHP really does handle very nicely for a sedan, and having a weight of only about 3200 pounds helps a lot. The other thing that was better on the ZHP was the front seats. The ZHP sports seats with the alcantara and fabric covering, and extendable thigh bolster, were super comfortable and really held you in place when driving aggressively.

In most other regards however, the Model 3 is superior. It's much faster, the instant torque is addictive, the steering is comparable but quicker, the tech is worlds better, it's much quieter, the climate control system is superior, and the sound system just kills the BMW's Harmon Kardon system. I actually like the feel and modulation of the Model 3's brakes better than the ZHP's, but they do fade much quicker. The BMW brakes would fade too, but it took a while.

Overall, it was a pretty easy choice to replace the ZHP with the Model 3. It helped that the other car in the garage is a Lotus Elise. There's nothing quite like a mid engine sub 2000 pound car with manual steering for driving enjoyment. Combined with a 190HP engine that revs to 8400 RPM, a nice shifting 6 speed, and brakes that just don't give up, the Elise is a pretty terrific driving experience that makes an E46 ZHP or a Model 3 Performance feel like a truck by comparison. That said, it's very poor at running errands and if you want a quiet environment where you can enjoy the stereo, look elsewhere. It's a little more difficult to drive at the limit than a Cayman, due to a bit of a tendency towards trailing throttle oversteer, but the car really communicates what it's doing which helps, and makes it such a joy to drive. Caymans and Boxsters are pretty fun to drive as well, but they give up that last 10% to 15% of interaction with the car, in return for a substantially quieter, more comfortable, and more practical vehicle.

To the OP, keep the Cayman, get the Model 3, and dump the BMW; you won't regret it.

well, the deed is done.....lucked out on amazing deal on pre owned M3P from Tesla!!!

Sold the BMW and kept the Porsche

Snagged a white on black 2020 M3P with EAP with only 25k miles!!!

Should be ready for pick up early next week hopefully!! Can't wait!!!

 

[cappo3]

Just sold my '19 mustang GT for a 23 M3P! Excited to figure the original question out for myself!

Congrats!
My neighbour just did the opposite and handed in his 21 3P for a new 22 Mustang GT... I guess the Mustangs are more exotic on this side of the pond!

well, the deed is done.....lucked out on amazing deal on pre owned M3P from Tesla!!!

Sold the BMW and kept the Porsche

Snagged a white on black 2020 M3P with EAP with only 25k miles!!!

Should be ready for pick up early next week hopefully!! Can't wait!!!

View attachment 903128

This is great news! I always loved the white paint on the chrome cars! Waiting for some live pics now!

 

[TechM3]

Keep the cayman - nothing wrong with having both! Love the porsche, its beautiful. The Tesla is more bland in it's styling, but has more tech.

 

[M3_Performante]

Keep the cayman - nothing wrong with having both! Love the porsche, its beautiful. The Tesla is more bland in it's styling, but has more tech.

I'm keeping the Cayman....although it might become a garage queen for a bit while I enjoy the new M3P

 

[pikeman]

hello, first post here....
anyway a few weeks ago I started sniffing around the used market due to the great prices and test drove a Model 3 DM AWD and fell in love with that instant torque and go kart like feel ....then about a week later Tesla announced the price cuts.

So now, I'm contemplating selling my 718 Cayman and getting a new Model 3 Performance.....some say go for it, some say I'm crazy

I have a beautiful GBM 718 with manual transmission and a BMW 4 series that I could consolidate with a M3P...I also have a Rubicon, and a wife who works from home since covid, so the three cars is overkill these days...I'm likely to take a bit of a hit on the 718 just in the sales tax I paid, but should get back close to what I paid for it and with the price cuts and tax credit, it still worth it.

Anybody else ditch a sports car for a M3??? Any regrets or are you still very happy with your choice?

BIG SNIP!

I didn’t really ditch my MX5, I replaced it with a 2017 124 Abarth. The wife got herself a 3LR, and I frequently drive it. Comparing them isn’t at all fair. I like a car that you “strap on”, and the Mazda platform fits that just right. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the M3. I _love_ the car! It’s the fastest 4-wheeler I’ve ever driven, (used to ride a motorcycle) and I love how low-key the car is. I enjoy how it handles, and appreciate the physics that go with a heavy car. The silence is also delightful. I enjoy having the top down on my 124 and the MT6, and the music the engine makes, but appreciate having such a capable road car for interstate trips. So I have the best of both worlds and am sad to think of a future when ICE cars aren’t sold and will hardly be operating.

thanks for any feedback

 

[tm1v2]

@GregD60 @ngng @Candleflame Much love for the ZHP, and 2000s era 3-series in general. My friend had an E46 ZHP. Such a sweet car. Did everything well (okay except snow ). Those seats were especially great, and the quick steering, and it had some of BMW's best factory suspension tuning - sporty fun but not too stiff for real world roads. The ZHP was the best looking E46 too IMO. I only took it for a brief spin but it was one of those cars that just felt satisfying to drive right away.

E46 and E90 together were peak BMW in my opinion. Nice cars with a nice balance of sport and comfort. Not too extreme. The good driving feel was properly baked in, so even the base models were satisfying to drive. BMW really lost their way with the numb, boring F30.

Tesla Model 3 feels like the current era E46. Not literally of course, very different cars, but in terms of bringing sporty fun into a mainstream right-sized sedan with nice smooth powertrains, where even the base models are quite satisfying to drive.

(Note I've never owned a BMW, but they were very popular among driving enthusiasts back then so I've driven a decent number over the years.)

 

[ngng]

I'm keeping the Cayman....although it might become a garage queen for a bit while I enjoy the new M3P

If you have the means, I think you'll be happy you kept the Cayman.

 

[ngng]

@GregD60 @ngng @Candleflame Much love for the ZHP, and 2000s era 3-series in general. My friend had an E46 ZHP. Such a sweet car. Did everything well (okay except snow ). Those seats were especially great, and the quick steering, and it had some of BMW's best factory suspension tuning - sporty fun but not too stiff for real world roads. The ZHP was the best looking E46 too IMO. I only took it for a brief spin but it was one of those cars that just felt satisfying to drive right away.

E46 and E90 together were peak BMW in my opinion. Nice cars with a nice balance of sport and comfort. Not too extreme. The good driving feel was properly baked in, so even the base models were satisfying to drive. BMW really lost their way with the numb, boring F30.

Tesla Model 3 feels like the current era E46. Not literally of course, very different cars, but in terms of bringing sporty fun into a mainstream right-sized sedan with nice smooth powertrains, where even the base models are quite satisfying to drive.

(Note I've never owned a BMW, but they were very popular among driving enthusiasts back then so I've driven a decent number over the years.)

I love how the E9x looks and I love V8s, but it was such a heavy chassis. Maybe I'm getting old, but I think the E30, E36, and E46 were peak BMW. There were a few drivers cars sprinkled in between like the 1M, M2, a few shoes here and there. But they haven't put out anything that I've been excited for.

 

[tm1v2]

The E90 upped the refinement aspect a lot with that extra weight. I thought they handled the extra weight pretty well, but yeah there is a tradeoff there. Especially with the M3's V8 up front. That engine was special though.

E36 I didn't connect with. The one I drove was a well cared for M3 with Dinan engine and suspension upgrades, probably a very good example, yet I just didn't care for it. E36 interior was pretty janky, and from what I recall (a long time ago) the E36 chassis felt a little flexy (compared to newer sporty cars of the day). E46 added more pounds but also improved the chassis rigidity significantly, from what I could feel. E90 went even further in that direction.

I've never driven an E30 but I'd really like to. I have a feeling a good example could be one of my favorite driving BMWs, and I'd like the E30 a lot more than the E36.

 

[tm1v2]

Speaking of weight and rigidity and refinement tradeoffs, I really like where the Model 3 falls on those spectrums. It's not the most rigid feeling EV out there in 2021+ but it's the lightest and that really pays dividends for how fun and tossable it feels. Not to mention its efficiency.

As an example, a Polestar 2 Performance with its factory Öhlins DFV drove very well, and the chassis felt practically carved from granite. The Öhlins dampers were in a different world of chassis control than the mediocre stock M3P damping when the going got fast and rough. Yet the P2 also felt its extra weight. Model 3 has this fun chuckable go-kart feeling that the heavier P2 lacks.

From what I've read the 5000 lbs (for dual motor version) BMW i4 is even further down that road of heavyweight refinement. It wasn't out yet or available to test when we were car shopping and bought our M3P, but I can't really imagine it competing on sheer driving fun.

 

[c00sebookpro]

well, the deed is done.....lucked out on amazing deal on pre owned M3P from Tesla!!!

Sold the BMW and kept the Porsche

Snagged a white on black 2020 M3P with EAP with only 25k miles!!!

Should be ready for pick up early next week hopefully!! Can't wait!!!

View attachment 903128

Can't wait to hear your opinion once you take delivery and again after you've had the M3P for a month.