vic32amg

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/03/...-bmw-m3-spied/

i think it looks good. not as good as this though.

jtc55

from the pics, the new M3 doesn't look bad.

i will definately get one if it looks good in person and performs well.

sdsilverm3

Hmm I don't see the fender grille. Like someone said on that site, it could be the 335i. It doesn't look bad. Wonder what it'd look like in Alpine White...

DirkAMGDiggler

Ok

TopGun32

m3 with v8 will no doubt be a super nice car, but the bi-turbo 3.0 is really more appealing to me.

think about it: 3l bi turbo with SMGII, coupe.

However the turbo tuning probably will take a few months before we actually start seeing some decent gains.

cntlaw

My present dream car for upgrade from my C55 is 997 Turbo but Ireally can't let myself to pay 2.2 million HK$ for the Porsche and end up in poverty . If the price of CLK63 AMG is same as E55 AMG, 1.3 million, then it is a possible candidate, except some considerations about current generation of CLK is fading out in 2 years. If the price of the CLK63 AMG is as much as the CLS55 AMG , 1.7m, then I would think 997 Turbo is a better candidate. Since I already have a 330i E90, it does not seem to be very excited to get the M3 E90. Anyhow, E90 is a solid car, bigger than E46 and as comfortable as the W203! Honestly, I think I am more addicted / used to with the Mercedes designs, so, I would probably wait for the W204 new C-Class and see what have they got. If the rumour about a W204 C-class Coupe called CLE with 2 suicide doors were true, that will be worth waiting. Whether the W204 AMG is gonna be a C55 or C63, I guess it does not really matter. 420hp is still a significant upgrade from our 367hp yet with same fuel economy. How soon I will migrate to a W204 depends on what S-Class technology they will bring to the W204. There are two options I want them in my next Benz, one is Night Vision and another one is Comfort Access(Keyless Go). If one day, I ever found myself what a roadster badly, I could just replace my C55 with CaymanS , 1.1 million instead of SLK55 AMG. But again, if the SLK63 AMG is laucnhed, that will be another story.

mick1

Can you lease your dream car in HK, or is leasing not available over there ?

cntlaw

Yes if I am 10 years younger

2.2 million HK$ with a 5 yr lease of 5% interest rate is 2.75m which is ~USD352K. With this money, I can buy a pretty nice apartment in HK and rent it out to feed me the days when I m retired.
Usually, people doing a lease for million dollars exotic cars are people who usually dont keep a car for very long but just to enjoy it for a year something. If I am keeping the car longer, I will make sure I have enough cash to pay at least 70% of it.
This is why owning Porsche Turbo and SL AMG are representing top society status symbol here.
Anyhow, 2+ million for a 3.7s 997 Turbo is really not that bad a price. However, because its value, every on going costs such as insurance, maintenance and fuel will grow exponentially. You probably heard about how ridiculus the car insurance premium is here.
And that is why, we in Asia always admire USA residence who can enjoy these exotic cars even they are normal salary takers.

clkal

if you are "leasing" a car, it is called a MONEY FACTOR....not interest rate.

if you purchase the car, finance it, and make the monthly payments, then the INTEREST RATE applies.

what do you mean by "normal salary takers?"

reggid

he means people who don't earn much relatively speaking can buy expensive cars in the US compared to people in other countries on the same relative salary.

cntlaw

we have automobile financing namely 'leasing' and 'hire purchase'; althought the names are different, basically, they are just a loan. In both cases, the buyer keeps the car forever so long he pays off the loan.
The formula is simply. Say, I make a loan of HK$1,000,000, annual fixed interest rate 5%, pay back in 5 years. Then the monthly amount I will pay is :- (1,000,000+(5 yrs interests) )/60.
i.e. (1,000,000+250,000)/60=HK$20,833 per month.
So, the car is 1 million and actually 1.25 million.
Normal salary taker - e.g those people who live on fixed amount of monthly salary with job equivalent to professional/manager.
A 30 yr old manager here makes about usd40-45K per year.
Here, usd350K for a 997TT, not many managers here can save up this amount of money (excl. investment) even they work 10 years.

All Above I said, are 'normal'.
I just saw this baby yesterday parked in a shopping arcade.
And the owner is not 'normal'. DB9 costs at least 3.5 million here ~usd450k

mick1

Leasing is different in the US as we don't keep the car forever. We would return the car back to the dealer at the end of the term so the monthly payment is less than what you guys would pay over there.

here's a $1.3 million HKD car. The monthly payment for it is $15,313 HKD a month. $5,520 HKD a month less than your monthly payment on the $1.0 million HKD car

clkal

I think the "normal" salaries in HK are a lot lower than the basic salaries here in the states. A 30 year old manager makes only 40-45K a year, when assistant managers at Starbucks make that already.

My point is that there is nobody that has a 40-45K salary job in the US that is driving around in a brand new Porsche Turbo, unless 1, he's slanging some ****, or 2, he's taking money from his parents.

And also, if one's salary is even in the 100K range, and he has a mortgage payment and normal bills, a $1000-1500 lease payment for a Turbo would be a tight fit.


Anyways......that DB9 is a SICK car!!!!!!

cntlaw

thx. so as I thought this is USA
The worst part is, your HK$1 million (usd 125K) car can be a SL55 AMG or even a SL65 AMG. Our HK$1 million car is just a fully loaded E500 or a C55 AMG. !
( I just saw a SL65AMG sitting in the dealer yesterday priced at 3 million HK$ )

cntlaw

Here, 40-50K is about what a 30 yr old professional/manager can make.
Correct, with this annual income with family to look after, he can't even afford to run a car here.

I quoted a bad example. As 'normal salary' and can afford Porsche/Benz should be in the 100K range.

You are right, with 100K income and a mortgage, a 1500 car lease is tight; and it will be ~3000 for us. That only buys a CaymanS, not a 997TT.

HK salary salary is among highest in Asia except Japan. Our luxury car tax is max. at 100%, still cheaper than most other Asian countries.

vraa

Those look like BBS rims. HOT!

LowCaliTi

^^^

it has 2 different wheels as well LM's maybe in the front and HP in the rear???? looks nice tho!