I've been doing a lot of thinking lately...

[inkatouring]

I like driving my 91 318i just as much as I do my tii. I love the M42 motor in the E30 (91 was the only year the M42 motor came in a E30). It's a poor man's E30 M3.

G-Man

I was going to write that I agreed with Michael generally but that the e36 318ti was the only modern car that came close to driving a 2002 for me.

I think the key is having a (relative to modern cars) underpowered, good handling car. Power levels on "normal" cars has gotten so high and handling advanced (mostly through tires), that all cars have an elevated level of performance. When excites me (in driving a car, that is) is not raw speed, but the handling and use of the power that the car has -- making the car "sweat." If it has too much power, you can't really use it -- the car isn't pushing the envelope.

[scestes]

I remember Shad wrote an article for the NCRC website a few years back describing how sanitary it felt to drive his brothers M3 vs the real feel of the road and throttle he felt when driving his 2002. I currently own 2 street legal cars, and as of late I've been driving my 2002 over my E38. The fact of the matter is though, on really hot days, and when it starts raining, I'm going to be sitting behind the wheel of the E38.

I have a couple of maintenance items I want to deal with on my E38 as well, which is another reason I'm driving the 2002 more, but I never meant to put a bunch of miles on my 2002. I really want to be on the track with it more than I'm on the road.

[Pinepig]

"but it doesnt have any chrome/ stereo/ navigation/ some other useless doodad"

"its ugly/ old/ wierd looking"

"its not even fast!!!!" true, but how much fun is an E36 at 40mph? a camaro? a vette? an S2000?

these are the typical responses.

congratulations my brother, you are a driver.

Funny nobody says that my deuce lacks a stereo, is ugly or slow. :-) And the Boxster continues to sit in the garage.