Am I crazy?

[ukcats12]

I've had my Blackwing for almost two years now and it's the best all around car I've ever had. But I don't think it's the most fun car I've ever had. The tall gearing and instant speed makes it difficult to really enjoy it on the street. I don't really have the time (or quite frankly the skill) to spend any real time tracking the thing. I'm kind of struggling with the idea of this car being so perfect vs. the reality of not really getting to enjoy that idea to the fullest 99% of the time.

Is it crazy that I'm thinking of selling it and getting or importing a euro spec E36 M3 and really leaning into the "slow car fast" type of fun. I had a US spec E36 M3 and I still think it was the most fun I've had in a car on a public road. Steering and handling were a dream and going around a bend at just 30mph was fun.

 

[Super Saloon]

Is a 2 car solution an option? You can picked up a used Miata in great shape for relatively cheap. I have a Miata and the Blackwing and it’s the perfect 2 car combo for me. I think if I got rid of the Miata, I would miss the fun-ness of it (plus the open top and fuel economy), and if I got rid of the Blackwing I would miss the power, speed and comfort. I think you might miss your Blackwing if you got rid of it. If 2 cars are an option consider adding something cheap and fun.

 

[ukcats12]

Is a 2 car solution an option? You can picked up a used Miata in great shape for relatively cheap. I have a Miata and the Blackwing and it’s the perfect 2 car combo for me. I think if I got rid of the Miata, I would miss the fun-ness of it (plus the open top and fuel economy), and if I got rid of the Blackwing I would miss the power, speed and comfort. I think you might miss your Blackwing if you got rid of it. If 2 cars are an option consider adding something cheap and fun.

The Blackwing is already my second car. I daily a GTI, and because I put like 40,000 miles on my car each year for work and do tons of driving in NYC, I didn't want the Blackwing to be my daily.

 

[CBH]

The Miata suggestion was good.

Perhaps you need a bigger garage ?

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

Is a 2 car solution an option? You can picked up a used Miata in great shape for relatively cheap. I have a Miata and the Blackwing and it’s the perfect 2 car combo for me. I think if I got rid of the Miata, I would miss the fun-ness of it (plus the open top and fuel economy), and if I got rid of the Blackwing I would miss the power, speed and comfort. I think you might miss your Blackwing if you got rid of it. If 2 cars are an option consider adding something cheap and fun.

I can relate to the original post and to this suggestion, my own zip around town car being a lightly-modded MR2 Turbo, with the BW assigned to highway driving and touring duties (“power, speed and comfort”).

 

[beamon]

As fun as the older bmws can be, just make sure you’re ok going back to an older car like e36 M3…sometimes old memories are different than reality of driving a 30 year old car. Having said that, I do love that car especially the LTW variant.

 

[dribs15]

The solution is simple: I think you just need to drive it harder to enjoy it more

 

[Savethemanuals]

Importing a euro E36 with the proper motor would be great fun, or, pick up an E36 here and swap the motor with an S54.

 

[BlackDiamondCT5VBW]

Have you tried the C8?

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

The solution is simple: I think you just need to drive it harder to enjoy it more

I don't know anything about the OP, but at least in my case, when I learned to trust the MR dampers this car got a lot more fun on tight and technical backroads at quite legal speeds.

Some reviewers like DWA claimed the 5BW was a 'sweepers car' where you can't get into a good rhythm on a tight backroad. That was definitely the first impression for me initially - feeling the length, weight, relative lack of feedback through the steering wheel, and the body roll (especially in the Tour setting, needed on our lumpy NorCal backroads).

What I've learned to appreciate is that even in Tour (maybe especially so for road driving) the dampers are pretty magic - on initial turn-in it'll feel like the car is much too soft, but boy does it firm up fast as you put more G-load into the car. Throw it into a corner and it adjusts, grips like hell and pivots out beautifully, with the added benefit of glorious V8 noises and savage acceleration on the way out. Is it mostly artificial magic done by computers, yes, but still pretty fun.

That being said, the BW wouldn't be my choice as a 'one and only' track/canyon/fun car unless it was my "one car solution". It seems like the BW could be a great all-rounder for someone who, for example, lives in a City condo with only one parking space (as long as that city does not get cold in the winter, see WINTER TIRES threads, ugh). It's also most definitely a great choice for a multi-car garage where you need a 'Grand Tourer' that can also add a bit of variety to canyon and track shenanigans, alongside another sports car and a regular daily driver. However if I was going for a 2 car garage with one slot that must be filled with a daily driver and only one fun car slot, I can definitely see where the OP is coming from.

 

[seattlecubes]

Hagerty made a video about the s50 vs S50us and found that the U.S. M3 didn’t really give up much compared to the Euro one:

 

[ArgentWing]

I don't think you're crazy. I fully understand why you feel the Blackwing isn't the most fun car you've ever driven. You said it though. It's a car that does just about everything well. It is still a sedan however. A sport sedan will never be as fun to drive as a well balanced sports car. In my case I had too many cars that can only transport two people. I needed something a bit more practical that's still a blast to drive.
I still have the 997 though for those times when I want a truly spirited driving experience!

 

[jbawden]

I guess the only part I can disagree with is the premise that one needs to explore the limits to enjoy a car, especially if you're not a naturally talented/trained wheelman. Even though Miata isn't always the answer, it's highly capable of completely irresponsible speeds on public roads.

Not calling the 4BW slow by any means, but maybe more scalpel and less sledgehammer is your jam?

I know I'm speaking to a niche here, but racing and track days (on sport bikes) has completely cured my desire for any street shenanigans in cars and bikes. We have some great roads around here I'll certainly go speeds that put me in jeopardy of a ticket, but not of being arrested or completely irresponsible to others.

 

[CT5VBW]

I've had my Blackwing for almost two years now and it's the best all around car I've ever had. But I don't think it's the most fun car I've ever had. The tall gearing and instant speed makes it difficult to really enjoy it on the street. I don't really have the time (or quite frankly the skill) to spend any real time tracking the thing. I'm kind of struggling with the idea of this car being so perfect vs. the reality of not really getting to enjoy that idea to the fullest 99% of the time.

Is it crazy that I'm thinking of selling it and getting or importing a euro spec E36 M3 and really leaning into the "slow car fast" type of fun. I had a US spec E36 M3 and I still think it was the most fun I've had in a car on a public road. Steering and handling were a dream and going around a bend at just 30mph was fun.

IMO and respectfully, I think yer "kinda" crazy (because of the idea of full replacement). e36 M3 was a great car. not sure i would replace a blackwing with it, but i have many times thought about getting an addition if techno-violet with low miles and stick ever comes up on BaT.

 

[ukcats12]

Hagerty made a video about the s50 vs S50us and found that the U.S. M3 didn’t really give up much compared to the Euro one:

I had a US spec '95 M3 for a few years before I got the Blackwing. I think this time I'd want to get the completely full fat version if possible. There’s something about the novelty of having a Euro spec in the US that I like.

 

[ajamils]

I've had my Blackwing for almost two years now and it's the best all around car I've ever had. But I don't think it's the most fun car I've ever had. The tall gearing and instant speed makes it difficult to really enjoy it on the street. I don't really have the time (or quite frankly the skill) to spend any real time tracking the thing. I'm kind of struggling with the idea of this car being so perfect vs. the reality of not really getting to enjoy that idea to the fullest 99% of the time.

Is it crazy that I'm thinking of selling it and getting or importing a euro spec E36 M3 and really leaning into the "slow car fast" type of fun. I had a US spec E36 M3 and I still think it was the most fun I've had in a car on a public road. Steering and handling were a dream and going around a bend at just 30mph was fun.

I totally agree with you. Felt the same with Durango Hellcat, TRX and CT5-BW (the short time I owned it). I currently drive Integra Type-S. Definitely not as fast as last three vehicles but a lot of fun. Personally, I'm enjoying it more than I thought I did and I will go as far as saying that it is more fun to drive than CT4-BW that I owned few years ago. Manual transmission in Honda vehicle is just a touch above everything else in the market.

 

[ukcats12]

I totally agree with you. Felt the same with Durango Hellcat, TRX and CT5-BW (the short time I owned it). I currently drive Integra Type-S. Definitely not as fast as last three vehicles but a lot of fun. Personally, I'm enjoying it more than I thought I did and I will go as far as saying that it is more fun to drive than CT4-BW that I owned few years ago. Manual transmission in Honda vehicle is just a touch above everything else in the market.

I was thinking about getting a Honda manual as a daily too. Right now I have a GTI that needed to be automatic at the time because my wife needed to drive it. I'm kind of considering selling both my GTI and BW and getting an E36 M3 for the weekends and maybe a Civic Si as a daily.

 

[CT5VBW]

I had a US spec '95 M3 for a few years before I got the Blackwing. I think this time I'd want to get the completely full fat version if possible. There’s something about the novelty of having a Euro spec in the US that I like.

had a 98 E36 M3 with the S52, it was fantastic.

 

[hawk02]

Wow! I must be living in an alternate universe. I have more fun driving my 5BW than any car I've ever owned. I love the tall gears.

I also have a C8 Stingray hard top convertible. Yes, this car corners better than my BW but it is no comparison when it comes to driving pleasure. My BW wins hands down. I hate the DCT transmission in the C8. The gearing is way too short. It's great for old farts that want to cruise at 55 mph. The only time I find the C8 engaging to drive is when the weather allows the top to go down. And that's for maybe two months max in Ohio.

 

[griffmac12]

Not to start any 4v5 beefing here but that is the reason I ultimately went with the 4BW over the 5BW.