Originally Posted by
PhilipK
I have an E93 M3 and an E85 Z4M. Have also had E34 M5 and E39 M5 in the past.
The V8 M3 is a nice car - good engine noise and, as mentioned, the DCT is an extremely good auto box (with the option to change gears manually with paddles if you wish). I'm also not that convinced by the EDC - there's not a huge difference between the 3 settings, although to be fair I haven't really pushed the car yet.
Servicing for ///M cars is significantly more expensive than most other BMWs, and repairs can be dear, so the conventional wisdom is to have an extended warranty where possible (I've had it on most of mine), although there aren't too many problems with the E9x other than throttle actuators.
Don't forget that the cost of parts, tyres, maintenance, insurance, etc will reflect the original selling price of these cars rather than the current second-hand prices.