[ST1LE]

Originally Posted by JK001

The rod bearings don't bother me much. Oil analysis will be able to tell you the wear. And repair isn't that bad in M standards. If catastrophic failure happens, BMW is fairly likely to replace your engine ( a decent may be).
I'm not looking for the sound alone or the handling alone, the E9X M3 has this superb balanced feel and build quality, the GT350 or 1LE don't have. Anyway, I'm stopping here, I don't work for BMW. I'm keeping the 1LE

Good man, some can get so gripped with fear, they never enjoy the damn car. I am the same as you, but when I got my 1st oil change the filter cap looked like it was sprayed with glitter. She went in for surgery at my local Indy the same week, warranty expired last June.

Keeping the 1LE is the obvious choice IMO. The M3 is such a great car that 9 years later it is still relevant, but worth trading a 1LE for? This Gen 1LE is so good, I refuse to test drive one. That plus trade-in loss and hassle, I just don't this so.