968CS v M3evo ???

[m bannon]

Any views,
I am contemplating purchasing a 968CS, full cage, buckets, belts etc, in other words full club sport spec. its in the region of 15k, top money i know but i know the car , been in it on track and also know for a fact that he has spent alot of money on it over the years and as a result it is probably one of the best examples of a 968cs money can buy.
Now the question, I am lookin for a dedicated track car and what i was lookin at an M3evo, quicker and about half the value, ie.... if i smack it ...Not the end of the world !!. however if i made bits of the 968 i'd be devastated !. (not that i intend to )
the original idea was to buy somethin to drive the livin day lights out of till it broke.. and not give a monkeys
Any words of wisdom / views
Thanks in advance.

 

[944Turbo]

Buy a late 944 turbo tune it, M3 humbling pace easily obtainable, if it bounces of the barriers swap the engine into a lux shell.
Tony
Not biased at all!

 

[m bannon]

By the way, its also a recent coucours winner !
yep a 944 T is / was also in the running.

Also thinkin about future / resale values , but not the main issue

 

[968CSReading]

You may want to post a thread on the 968UK forum because there is a 968 owner on there who has/had a M3 Evo and has used both on the track.

A tough but nice choice to have to make. []

 

[bluebird]

Which car, do you think, is faster and which handles better ?

 

[sawood12]

I recollect a magazine article about 10yrs ago comparing the 968 (not CS) with a Corrado VR6 and the equivalent 3-series (not M3) and the 968 won hands down for handling as straight line speed was very close between the three. Therefore I would assume that the M3 would be faster than the 968 in a straight line but I would be surprised if it handles better despite the M3 suspension tweaks over it's non-M3 siblings. The 944 and 968's have always been known as having supreme handling characteristics and the fact the M3 is a family saloon tweaked to be a sports car implies there has been compromises made compared with a chassis that has been designed to be a sportscar from day 1. I would love to have a go in both to test my theory though!

Mind you, if it's just track day fun you want the car for what about a Caterham or Westfield? They are unbeatable for track day fun and a damn sight cheaper than both a 968 or M3.

 

[968CSReading]

I think Scott is right. Classic Car magazine compared the two and came to the same conlusion. It will also depend on how old the suspension is on this 968. Most serious track users have changed the setup now because the original will be very tired.

Personally I like the M3 and I know it is a cult car but the 968 is sublime and while many hot hatches are faster they would struggle to keep up A-B. The 968 is also very rare and at the end of the day it is a Porsche which is very special.

I dont know the spec of this car but it may be worth buying a cheaper 968CS that is still in good condition and renew all the suspension, fit a CAT By Pass, K&N Filter, Promax Chip etc etc etc and smile all the way round the track

 

[Guest]

Do you mean a E36 M3 Evo or an E30 Evo Sport? I'm guessing the former, in which case you'll probably to expensively mod brakes and suspension to get the level a CS has out of the box. They are not really rated a track car, although some are successfully raced in the BMW Kumho championship.

I have a 968CS and an BMW E30 M3. The CS is much faster, but you drive it with your arms and shoulders. The M3's reputation as a drivers car is well founded. Its a suberbly balanced car, that you drive with your wrists and fingers; more a rapier to the CS's broadsword... E30 M3's are much cheaper (I know of 2 track prepared cars you could buy for £6 - £9k) but they are getting on now, nearly 20 years old for early cars, and r&m is becoming biggers issue.

IMO you should go for what sounds like an extremely well sorted CS and just enjoy it.

Charles

 

[m bannon]

it was an E36 M3 but thi issue is not just which is best . another factor is should i go for the 968 which is by far the more desireable car, but me being me i know i will want to treat it with T.L.C. and tread it like a prised possession whereas the original intention was to purchase something that i wouldnt give a dam about and drive the wheels off.

 

[Yoda]

Hi. I have driven both the E36 and 968CS on track virtually back to back and if I was after a track car I would pick the CS every time. Much better package, more desireable and I think a very good long term buy. The main thing was that everything felt like it was designed for hard driving - power delivery, brakes and handling were absolutely fantastic along with very solid feel. The M3 felt sloppy by comparison and I think would need some work to make it as much fun. Incidentally, I think I was actually quicker in the CS (but that is probably my lack of driving ability). Agree it is a lot more money but I think if you are looking at whether it is good value, you need to consider running costs and depreciation as much as outright purchase price.

I didn't get a 968 CS in the end but only because I wanted a little more grunt and the 911 soundtrack. I would still recommend them to anyone if they were looking for a good track car. If you do want to concentrate on tracking it, good LHD cars can be had for £10k and would be as much fun with less initial outlay. Main thing is to get a car that has money spent on it rather than one that needs it.

Regards

 

[Guest]

Get hold of this months EVO magazine. They are starting a 8min Nurburgring project based on an E36 M3 GT.

Charles

 

[Hilux]

I am lookin for a dedicated track car

If its concours and top dollar then you wont track it or drive it enthusiastically.

A track car is gonna get showered by grit, marbles and stuff and have the pants thrashed off it.

Buy a 944 turbo, (silver rose just gone on e-bay for 4500 with 300 bhp and full history) and tune it to 300 bhp easily, get one with Mo30 suspension and your away for 1/3 the price.

Track cars shouldnt be for `beating` other cars, if you want to do that get a VX XE powered westfield. Min 180 bhp on carbs and it weighs 500 kg (I had one[8D]) and it drove rings around anything but was slow on getting to top end 1/2 price of a catering van too.

 

[dawn lang]

This sounds like the dilemma my husband and I have just been through []

We bought a 968 ClubSport to track and generally have some serious fun in but when we found our car we realised that the condition of it was just too good to have the likes of me putting it into a tyre wall.

Our compromise was to buy a knackered old 944. When I say knackered, the bodywork is fairly crap but the engine is in great condition. The guy who owned it before us was great with engines but rubbish with aesthetics. We've stripped out all the interior and put in 2 Corbeau racing seats with full harnesses and a roll cage.

We've got a couple of little bits left to do but the 944 is approaching the time when we can take it on track and really give it a hammering. And if the worst comes to the worst and I do stuff it, we've lost a few days work and about £700.00. Much better than potentially destroying our 968CS any day of the week.

[]

 

[Dapster]

I think you'll be mad to buy a concourse 986 and track it! Better buy a cheaper 986 and be less concerned about every stone chip and scratch.

I would second (or maybe third now...) the Caterham/Westie route. I had a 1800cc K series Caterham Superlight and there was very little on a track that was faster. In fact, I couldn't care if anything was faster, nothing was more fun - really. It is also such a raw experience that it truly rewards good driving - lines, braking points, balance and smoothness etc so it is so much more rewarding to drive quickly than numb monsters such as the EVO/Scooby brigade, and the big supercars.

So.... either get a cheaper 986 or a Caterham!

 

[Dapster]

Sorry! 986 habits die hard.... Off course I mean 968[]

 

[m bannon]

In negociations on the 968, m3 evo and lookin at a 944 tbo..............will keep you posted

 

[944Turbo]

Worth bearing in mind standard turbo may well be down on the factory figures, worn wastegate springs mean most standard cars no longer produce full power. Relatively easy and cheap to sort and 280BHP+ (weltmeisterHP) is easily and reliably available with a Dual Port wastegate and new chips.
Tony