You FI guys seem like the right ones to ask this. What should my next car/project be? I am considering

1) E36 M3 Turbo project
2) One of them there 500 hp R32 vw's
3) How much HP do you think we could get out of a 4wd Audi A3?
4) Mitsubishi Evo


I am leaning toward option 1 because I like BMW's, I have two at the moment (not counting my wife's) and it just sounds like fun. I am assuming that most here would prefer the BMW. Any other ideas? Looking for a mid size car (I'm 6'2" so the Lotus Elise is out). I'd like to end up with about 500 rwhp and have something fairly drivable. This is going to be a tuning issue no matter what I do. Thoughs? :D

stick with the e36 turbo M. im sure if you come across a problem you have several turbo experts on these boards to help you out.

stick with the e36 turbo M. im sure if you come across a problem you have several turbo experts on these boards to help you out.

That is actually one of my motivations to do an e36 M3. On the other hand I keep missing cars I want to buy and the last one got me considering other options.

whichever route you take im sure you will enjoy it after its all said and done.

whichever route you take im sure you will enjoy it after its all said and done.

;) Yeah, It's not really a bad problem to have!

I disagree. The BMW FI community is so small, its hard to find good people. I'd stick to the Evo crowd since there are so many different companies offering products for it. I'm not a VW/Audi fan, so thats out of the picture.

Evo, great aftermarket, and reasonable prices to make a quick car. Realiable too.

Go for either the M3 or the evo. You can never deny the love for an M3 and they are just great cars all around. If not go the for the evo. It is fast, handles great and is cheap, while being very reliable. I drive my friends Evo at autoX when my M3 was out of commision for suspension upgrades or something and it was alot of fun and a great car to track.

I'd say be original and do a TS e36 m3.
Or even a T Trim Centri.
A R32 sounds pretty sweet too though.
I'd figure it's got the displacement and you're gonna have to build the motor anyway for the power you're looking for so... Just don't be doing 4 wheel burnouts or launches wit it.
Personally after driving a BMW M3, I wouldn't go with any other car on that list as far as the overall feel. Even stock, the e36 is so freekin sweet.

A R32 sounds pretty sweet too though.
I'd figure it's got the displacement and you're gonna have to build the motor anyway for the power you're looking for so... Just don't be doing 4 wheel burnouts or launches wit it.

Why else would I consider the R32? :devillook

Is there any reason to not get a 4 door M3?

E36 M3 turbos can be very streetable and you still get that lovely feeling of driving a BMW!

You are probably better off going with the evo. The car is a really nice package from the factory, and AWD is a blast. You can definately have a 100% streetable car at that power level with bolt ons and a pump gas/meth tune.

500hp recipe:
AEM
tube header
GT35
injectors
fpr
pump
3" exhaust
meth injection
clutch
bigger FMIC

Get in touch with Sean Ivey: www.iveytune.com (http://www.iveytune.com)
His white evo is the basis for my list above.

Don't get me wrong, I love my newly turbo'd M. I have my reasons that I am not driving an evo. I don't have the cash at the moment to be one of the "big dog" evos(race cars), and 450+ hp street cars are getting pretty common in that market. I did some high hp 4 cylinders in the past 2 years, and wanted to do something a little different. Pushing the limits of a M3 with bolt on mods and tuning is my current plan of attack. I see myself blulding an awd car in a couple years.

I'm not sure how big a factor economy is, but the a mild turbo M3 will be probably the cheapest of all the options listed.

- Well cared for 70k M3 w/ basic maintence and some mods ~$13 + $8k for a TTS2 kit = happyness.
- The evo will run ~$20k and the list above will be well into the $8k range
- Audi A3 is ~$30k and god knows how much APR/GIAC/ETC will charge for a 'big' turbo kit. I'd assume in the 8-10k range. Say goodbye to your warranty.
- R32 - Um I have idea.


I can't say I'm too big on the Evo (I have issues with the reliability and looks), the A3 is just funky looking since we got the lame 4door....so I guess the R32 would be my 2nd choice. It looks really good, it's fast and durable, it sounds great, and the interior is quite plush for the price.

Part of my consideration is how happy would I be with the stock car for a while. I think I'm ok with any of these, but I have to admit I would never buy an Evo with no intention of modding it. The A3 is funky looking but it kind of apeals to me. The r32 wouldn't be a bad car, but it's kind of like the Evo for me, I'd never have one if I was not going to mod it. This leaves the M3. It seems like a wonderful car to drive stock or lightly modded or very modified. We used to have an e46 M3 and liked it, but I've already had one of those. (Terrible attitude I know, I know.) So I really appreciate all the comments. Any alternate suggestions?

Since you obviously have a decent budget, also consider a MKIV Supra, or a Lexus with a Supra powerplant. I was considering the following before I picked the M3:

IS300 with a supra drivetrain
Turbo E36 M3
Turbo E30 with E36 drivetrain
Evo
Turbo R32
Turbo 92 Mustang notch
Turbo 65 Mustang
Another FWD turbo dodge(omni/horizon) to be competitive in NHRA sport FWD.

I'm a boost junky. I have a problem.

You may also want to look into LS1 powered FD RX7's..

Why else would I consider the R32? :devillook

Well, maybe you have a fetish for tiny cute cars.

It's considered "cool" to have a small car that's fast.

Who, knows.

Anyway, R32's are tight. My friend has a 600Hp crank one and it's quite fast.

Also, don't get a 4 door e36. They don't nearly looks as good as the coupe IMO.

Lastly, I've said this before and I'll say it again. BE ORIGINAL!!! You are lucky enough to have the chance to start from scratch. Chasis/motor swap idea is the way to go!