For the price of an M3, what else could you buy?

I've decided to conduct a little experiment. It goes along the lines of having £40k and decidng what sportscar I'd buy with that cash. My initial thought was to make the BMW M3 the benchmark, as it is a very popular and admired sports vehicle with lineage any royal would even be envious of. What better candidate is there?

So, if I was in the position to buy a nearly new BMW M3, but wanted to know my options before handing over the cash, what else could I get for £40k?

Using Autotrader.co.uk search facility, I am carrying out an experiment to see what metal I could get for my money. By using the following controls, I'd like to see what else I could get instead of the M3's typical competitors; Audi's RS4 and Mercedes C-Class AMG.

This is the standard that the alternatives have to compete with:

2010 BMW M3 Coupe
8,000
All the bells and whistles
= £39,994.00

The constants in this experiement are as follows:  ≤ £40,000, ≤ 2010 and 3.2litre engine ≥ 

So what have we got?

For the same price:

1) 2004 Bentley Continental

6.0Litre Automatic

30,000miles

Full service history

&

Every conceivable extra

= £40,000


Not as sporty as the M3 but has bucket-loads of power, style and an extremely luxurious car with a very rich reputation. Both vehicles share the same tax band and insurance groups. Expenses for either vehicle would not be dissimilar.

A track day beast...

2) 1999 Porsche 911 GT3 3.6litre 

48, 000 miles & FSH

Club Sport Package including...

Roll Cage, Fire Proof Seats & 6-point harnesses

CD/ I-Pod connection/ Air-con

=£39, 950

As much as I love the M3, this car would give it a run for its money around the Nurburgring that it would never forget. Throw away the cosy leather seats in the M3 for bucket seats and harnesses instead of seatbelts in the Porsche, a car that exudes timeless styling and a contender for the purest vehicle lineage award, against the M3.

The Japanese Super Car

3) 2008 Nissan GT-R 

3.8 litre Auto 

Keyless entry, push button start 

BOSE Sound system 

23,000miles

= £36,989

Nissan's most powerful and revered car - the GT-R is admired by Ferrari lovers and street-racers, due to its off-the-mark acceleration, remarkable brake horse power and mean, mean styling. Unlike the M3 which is rear wheel drive, the GT-R is all wheel drive. Perhaps a deal-breaker for folks deciding between the two cars.

The sensible relative

4) 2009 BMW 550i M Sport 

4.8Litre Auto 

Fully Loaded

Uber Comfortable

For a bargain price...

£29, 995

The 550i offers unbelievable value for money. It has a more powerful V8 engine than the M3, four doors, large boot space, functions as an all round family car but with more bhp and faster 0-60mph than any other member of the 5-series family other than the M5. Arguably a more comfortable car than an M5 also.

Or Rosso Corsa....

5) 1999 Ferrari 360 Modena

3.6 litre manual 

36,000miles 

Ferrari Challenge Grill & Suspension

Carbon Fibre rear spoiler 

= £38,950

Meanwhile, the Ferrari 360 has been a classic since its inception and always will be. Many people would choose this car over the M3 without a second thought, purely for that prancing pony on the bonnet. Ultimately, the choice between these two cars boils down to how cool you want to be. The M3 is cool, but using the phrase that Jeremy Clarkson coined, this car is 'sub-zero'.

This search has definitely thrown up some surprising results! Not to say least, the 911 GT3 which would set you back £128,000 plus if you were to buy a 2011 model. With a full service history and an average of only 4,000 miles driven per year, the GT3 in this search is a brilliant buy for a track car enthusiast. 

The alterntives above show that an M3 buyer has more choice of super cars than they may think. Or a sumptious Bentley with enough power under the bonnet to compete easily with either of the super cars in this experiment. Meanwhile, the GT-R has got serious street-cred and a worthy competitor of the M3. 

However, if I had to decide upon an M3 and one of the above five, it would be a tough choice between the Ferrari and 5-series. I know that they have zero similarities however, the Ferrari is simply astonishing value for money and oozes style, coolness and the dream-come-true factor. But, on the other hand the 5-series is equipped with an amazing V8 engine, so comfortable that I could probably drive it all day just for the seats... and is ten times more practical than a Ferrari ever could be.

What one would you choose?