Should I keep my e92 that barely gets driven?

[CSI]

Looking for an enthusiast take which will probably differ from my significant other's take. My 09 e92 saw approximately 400 miles of the road in 2017. This is after only about 2k miles in 2016. 6 months out of the year it hibernates in the garage during the northeast extended winter. I love driving it, but I feel like I need to preserve it as this car will never be made again. The roads up here are also absolute crap, so I actually map out the road in my head when going places and if I know the road sucks, the M3 stays home. So I let it sit. Is it worth keeping? Should I let someone else enjoy it? The wife certainly thinks so, but she drives a Tacoma so what does she know.
It should be known that I am a manual trans snob and will not purchase a performance car without one. Other than a 911 which is out of my price range for the one I would want, I see nothing else that I would be happy driving. But then that would also probably sit for the same reasons.
Just a Sunday morning rant. Merry Christmas everyone.

[Scharbag]

Keep it if you have the means to. These are pretty nice cars and it is hard to find alternatives that have the same happy factor. Especially with manual gearboxes.

[Foggins]

I’d keep it if you can...but for the right reasons. If you love it and think you’ll regret selling I would keep it. If you’re doing it for investment purposes I’d move on. It will not be a good investment vs other investment choices especially when you add in insurance, maintenance etc...

[ItsGary]

Someone out there will take it off your hands, but it’s not worth keeping if bad roads are keeping you from driving it. Especially with extended winters.

Unless you had plans on moving somewhere better within the next year or so then keep it

[buddalun]

Keep it.

[Dlpfcb]

I would keep it. When it's stored for winter that is the time to get modifications done. At the end of the day you buy a car to enjoy it. 6 months out of the year is still enjoyment. Car probably isnt going to gain value ...maybe it does we just don't know what the future holds for out beloved V8. Bad roads or not go out and enjoy it as it's only losing money in a garage.

[oolas3]

Sounds like you're afraid to really drive it so I would sell it.

Also, if you put A/S3+ tires on the car, it easily becomes a 3 season car.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by CSI

Looking for an enthusiast take which will probably differ from my significant other's take. My 09 e92 saw approximately 400 miles of the road in 2017. This is after only about 2k miles in 2016. 6 months out of the year it hibernates in the garage during the northeast extended winter. I love driving it, but I feel like I need to preserve it as this car will never be made again. The roads up here are also absolute crap, so I actually map out the road in my head when going places and if I know the road sucks, the M3 stays home. So I let it sit. Is it worth keeping? Should I let someone else enjoy it? The wife certainly thinks so, but she drives a Tacoma so what does she know.
It should be known that I am a manual trans snob and will not purchase a performance car without one. Other than a 911 which is out of my price range for the one I would want, I see nothing else that I would be happy driving. But then that would also probably sit for the same reasons.
Just a Sunday morning rant. Merry Christmas everyone.

I'm in the same situation by my work and lack of time , if you still love her => *KEEP HER* !
Unless ...You see or find something better..
Actually it's like with women !

[pbonsalb]

Where do you live? I drive year round in NH — freezing weather, snow, rain, whatever. Hopefully you have another car that is even more fun to drive that you are driving instead. I’d like to get a 991.1TT in the next year or two and will drive that year round as well.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by CSI

Looking for an enthusiast take which will probably differ from my significant other's take. My 09 e92 saw approximately 400 miles of the road in 2017. This is after only about 2k miles in 2016. 6 months out of the year it hibernates in the garage during the northeast extended winter. I love driving it, but I feel like I need to preserve it as this car will never be made again. The roads up here are also absolute crap, so I actually map out the road in my head when going places and if I know the road sucks, the M3 stays home. So I let it sit. Is it worth keeping? Should I let someone else enjoy it? The wife certainly thinks so, but she drives a Tacoma so what does she know.
It should be known that I am a manual trans snob and will not purchase a performance car without one. Other than a 911 which is out of my price range for the one I would want, I see nothing else that I would be happy driving. But then that would also probably sit for the same reasons.
Just a Sunday morning rant. Merry Christmas everyone.

If you are manual trans snob, then I guess I'm one too. That is a really tough call because cars deteriorate just sitting around too. Unlike American Iron of the 60s and 70s that were made of steel that could be welded, sanded, etc. Our cars contain so much plastic that cannot be repaired and in the future, plastic parts will become harder to find, especially for M cars that were made in smaller quantities. I also feel your discomfort. My car sits in the garage for two or three weeks at a time and I feel the same way. Sometimes I ask myself the same question. However, I love just seeing it every day. Just knowing it's there makes me smile. Like you, the roads are crap here in San Diego but the only solace is that I can take mine out year round if I feel like it.

So here are my thoughts for you. I am assuming that money is not the primary concern. If you could use the money for something else then sell it. But if money is not the main issue and the car is in fact a manual, then I would say keep it.

The future is bleak for car guys and cars of the future will all be automatic and they will be hybrid or electric. Nothing will sound as good or be as engaging as a normally aspirated V8 manual. Nothing!

I go to Cars and Coffee almost every Saturday for the last 15 years and the most common phrase I hear every single weekend is: "Dang, I had one, why did I sell it????" Every single weekend I hear this phrase. If you love the car still, and it's a manual keep it.

If it's automatic, sell it. It's not snobbery. Yes, the V8 sound is amazing but there are plenty of V8s out there in automatics but few options in a manual.

They will be the most desired in the future. No offense intended to the automatic lovers, just a fact based on supply and demand. You see it in E46 M3 market, Ferrari market, etc. Many kids now are growing up with the fast and furious movies where you still see manuals and they will grow up wanting to try one too. My son wants to learn manual. My best friends 19 year old daughter just last week asked if he could teach her to drive manual. He only had one one manual car, so he had to teach her in his Ferrari Mondial.

There is a great quote that I thought was Demming but I might be wrong, it goes something like: A fish can be dead but not smell yet, but it's still a dead fish. Automatic M3s are a dead fish that is just not smelling yet. For years, no self-respecting car guy would be caught dead with an automatic. Manuals were lighter, faster, more reliable and it took skill to make them go fast. Then paddles came out in F1 cars and in street cars and the car sales world began the greatest snow job before the current political snow job we live in. Every salesman would start calling automatics manuals and every guy that wanted an automatic now had justification to get an automatic because all the salesmen were calling them manuals because you could shift. It was brilliant!

Then the automatics became faster on the track or with launch control, although launch control was awful, but still, if you were at a light and the guy in the manual would be willing to wait for 3 minutes for you to configure launch control, then it was faster. So now it was game over. Automatics were faster shifting and they could beat you by .2 seconds to 60 mph.

Well guess what, just about every electric car of the future will simply devastate our automatic M3.

The .2 seconds advantage and $3.95 will get you a Soy Decaf Latte at Starbucks. You have given up the engagement and pleasurable sound of a manual shifting M3 for the not as pleasant staccatto shifting one for .2 seconds when an 71 year old in a Tesla will beat you by 2 seconds.

So gas burners can no longer compete on speed with the future. We can only compete on engagement and fun and unique experience. Shifting a high strung normally aspirated V8 will be a unique experience in the future and many will want to have that when they are surround by boring, semi-autonomous cars.

So I hope that helps you somewhat, it's not an easy choice but if you can afford to keep it, and you still love it, then that is the better option in my humble opinion.

I would hate to run into you at cars and coffee looking at manual NA V8 M3 in 5 years saying....."man, why did I sell it."

[Helmsman]

If roads simply are too bad to drive the M, sell it to someone who can enjoy it and put the money into a SUV bro.

[GT3fan]

I would sell it and buy something you can drive and enjoy more often. Like they say, life's too short to not drive something fun everyday. Then again I put a combined 1500 miles on my e90m and 911 this year. But, 1500 very enjoyable miles.

[Sephiroth]

This car is an amazing DD. Screw preservation. Get out there, drive it as often as possible, and enjoy!! I DD mine and don't regret it for one second.

[swhat]

sell it and let someone else enjoy it.

[nydog]

Keep it if you can afford to.

[rdoctor]

If you still enjoy owning it and can afford to do so...Keep it. Buy a trailer, hook it up to the wife's Tacoma, take the M3 to the nearest track a few times a year and then do what you normally do with the car in the summer.

[Mvy]

My advice would be to sell it while its still low miles. These cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed, not babied like a Ferrari and wiped down with a diaper locked in a garage. Though I do like mine a lot, they just are not that special or rare such that you should be afraid to drive it and feel it must be preserved. Doesn't sound like the right car for where you live or how you drive. Hope you find something that works for you with the right balance.

[MattM3SVT]

I had the same dilemma just a couple weeks ago. Drove less than 1k miles this year. I posted the M3 for sale, and after the first person came to look at it, I couldn't bear to sell it. So I sold my daily (VW MK6) instead and now dailying the M3. Best decision I've ever made and excited to rack up more glorious miles

[MaximusB]

Keep it as a weekend toy car. At least enjoy it before you do sell it. Other wise you are just taking care of the car for the next owner. That is like dating a hot model and not have sex with her.

[last1left]

Keep it and drive it when you can, unlike some I believe they will be sought after in the future first NA 8 and last

[CSI]

Wow, didn’t expect so many responses. I appreciate all the feedback.

The money is not the concern here. And I don’t see it as an investment, although I personally feel we are close to hitting the bottom of the curve on this car. I understand there were a ton of them made, but they’ve reached the point where many have been destroyed through accidents, high mileage, and though budget baller mods. I feel this car is leaps and bounds better than the e46 (only my opinion, you are free to have yours), and if that car is starting to appreciate, the e9x cannot be far behind it.

I should also share that I have put about $12k in maintenance and mods in this car over the past two years, and that’s with me performing the majority of the labor, the exception being the rod bearing replacement I didn’t feel comfortable doing myself. I know I would never get that money back so to me, a sale seems illogical. But to many non-car people in my life, a car that doesn’t get driven is even more illogical.

I have a high mileage e39 I daily drive and a truck for the really bad weather days. I just can’t see subjecting the e92 to the weather if I don’t need to.

I’ll likely end up keeping it as I don’t know what I would even replace it with. No BMW with an F or G designation even remotely interests me. AMG does not make manuals unfortunately. Audi is front wheel drive based. Japanese cars are generally vomit inducing both inside and outside. The CTS-V wagon and F type are out of my price range. First world problems I guess.

The car gives me perma-grin every time I drive it, and the sound it makes with the primary cats removed and the Corsa exhaust will be very hard to replicate for shorter money than I am into this one for.

Anyway, was just looking for others takes on it as I’m sure there are many people on this board in similar situations. Thanks for your input.

[STooK]

The only thing preventing the car from getting driven isn’t the bad roads or the bad weather, it’s the owner. 400 miles in the past year?? Cmon, unless you live on a mountain with only dirt roads there’s no excuse.

If the car is paid off and you don’t need to sell it financially I would keep it. It will cost you more to sell and buy something else and you’re gona end up doing the same thing again. The m3 can be driven comfortably all season. Whatever you may replace it with may not. Just go out and drive it more because it’s true, you regret not driving it as much when you sell it.