Originally Posted by TARDCORE

Honestly, your gonna lose money compared to buying an M3. $2K a month is a high estimate. I am 22 years old and I pay $295 every 2 weeks (26 times a year) for my Z and my insurance is only $172.90 a month for 9 months out of the year. Gas is variable but 2K a month is high. I am gonna get the Ford SVT Raptor 6.1 when it comes out and that would barely amount to 2k a month since I'd rarely drive it. So basically here is your plan (and let me know if I am wrong): 1) Apparently from the info you gave, you got your car on a 5 year loan? (mine is on an 80 month loan through a bank for the Border Patrol; which I am an agent; at 5.9%) So unless you put down more money than I did, you have a WAY higher car payment than I do. 2) If your are ONLY going to keep it stock looking and go FI then during the lets say $38K loan you have, your going to spend an additional $12K bringing it up to $50k. And I really doubt, since you seem like a big sports car enthusiast, that you would keep it bone stock. Not too mention one of my co workers bought a 2009 M3 at invoice so they sell for cheap. So lets say we bring the total amount to $56K, which is still a moderate estimate. 3) Once you do go FI, depending on how you drive and monitor your new toy will determine the life of your vehicle, maintenance is expensive and there is ALWAYS something that will go wrong within the first few months, minor or major. 4) Now you are going to get rid of the Z for a more expensive car. Only the car is heavily modded and your gonna have to find the right buyer. Trade ins will no longer work. A lot of people won't buy a car like that for a reasonable price. Too much to risk.

Correct me if I am wrong but based on your plan, I would have waited. The Z is not cheap, its expensive to make more power and maintain that power, and its not practical, as you stated.

If you didn't want to read all that bs up there, bottom line is simple, you are more than likely much wiser than I am so you have your own reasons for buying the Z knowing (I hope you knew) that it doesnt have much to offer in the power department unless you have plenty to offer in the money department. I knew this, in fact, all of my friends told me to take it back the day I bought it and get a 335i or EVO X GSR so I could do what I want safer and cheaper. I completely undertsand what they are getting at but I love the Z. I love how I never see them on the road. I love how when I pull up next to nicer, more expensive cars at stop lights and look around, everyone is looking at me, not the car next to me. I love the respect it gets from my friends who own cars that are faster in straights but they know that its capable if crushing them in the corners. What ever reason you bought it is yours and I really don't care, not in an A hole way, but its none of my business. So I didn't mean to seem like a jack *** in the first post or this one for the record.