As some of you may recall, I have really enjoyed taking my C55 to the track. You can read about that here:
http://www.germancarzone.com/pit-gen...ime-track.html (My second time at a track)

In fact, I'm taking the car to the track again in June.... . The C55 has truly impressed me with its ability to cruise effortlessly like a Cadillac and mix it up with E46 M43's on a track. Having said that, I cannot ignore the fact that every automotive journalist says the same thing: that cars like the M3 and Porsche offer a superior driving experience when taking the car to their limits on a track. I can see myself becoming more and more interested in tracking, so the thought of getting another car which is more track oriented has been creeping into my mind. Now the earliest I would consider something like this is 2009-2010, but it is still interesting to think about the options now, especially when we know what cars are coming out in the next few years.

What makes the C55 great for me is the fact that it is my dailiy driver, it can be a track car, it can carry my family with relative luxury, and my wife can drive it too with the automatic transmission. If I replace the C55 with another car, it has to do all those things. In my mind, the upcoming M3 sedan with the DSG type gearbox would be perfect. It can do all the everyday things, but it will likely be a superior track machine than the upcoming C63. I accept the likelihood that I will lose a bit of comfort on everday roads compared to my C55 now. The DSG gearbox will allow my wife to drive it in automatic mode, while the lightning quick shifts will be great on a track. The new M3 will likely cost around $80000 (at least) in Canada, which means close to $100000 (if not more) with options and tax. If I trade in a 4-5 year old C55, I will likely get $30-40000 (at most), which means I will have to spend $60-70000 to get the M3.

But here is another thought. I absolutely love my C55 now, and I may not want to part with it for a long time. Another option is to get another car altogether for fun and track duty. If funds were unlimited, I would be thinking about the M Roadster, M Coupe, Boxter S, and Cayman S. But cars like those would be quite expensive without trading in my C55, and I don't want to spend THAT much money. Then came news of the upcoming Mitsubishi Evo X. It will have a 2.0L I4 with a big turbo making AT LEAST 300HP. It will have an advanced AWD system with active torque and brake management system. It will have a DSG type of gearbox. It will likely be lighter and much cheaper than the M3 sedan. And if history repeats itself, it will likely handle VERY well, possibly even better than the M3. The previous Evo's were not sold in Canada, but the previous WRX Sti sold for about $50000. The Evo X will come to Canada, so I guess that the price will start around $50000 (maybe a bit higher), which means $60-70000 with options and tax included.

So the 2 options I've thought about will likely cost me the same amount of money approximately. Trade the C55 in for a M3 sedan, or keep the C55 and get the Evo X? I fully realize that the Evo X will be less luxurious than the M3, but it will likely be a more raw track car. One added bonus of the AWD Evo X is it will be a very good winter car too.

What do you guys think?

An interesting comparsion.

Being GCZ I doubt have any doubts more than most will think you should choose the M3, however I don't think the EVO should be counted out as a potentional purchase.

Now firstly, I really dislike the EVO. Honestly I always thought they carried a "boy racer" stigma , but of course that does not detract from the fact that the EVO is a great car (always has been). As you pointed out, the EVO has some significant advantages.

Firstly It's going to cheaper and when I mean cheaper I mean it in more ways than one. You can bet maintenance, fuel usage and insurance costs are all going to be more wallet friendly and of course, the Mitsubishi has the added advantage of an all weather drive train (good for us Canadians )

And it's not like it's going to give up much to the M3 in way of performance/driving experience either. I don't think it'll be as fast as the M3, but you know it'll be fast enough (if this is a big concern to you or not - I am not sure)

Having said that, I think the biggest disadvantage of the Mitsubishi will be (as it always has been) the interior quality. I imagine it will be a few notches behind the M3 - but perhaps just good enough.

One question, what will become of your A4? Keeping it?

Have you considered other options such as the upcoming W204 C63 AMG or perhaps the Lexus IS-F? Not your style?

I driven EVO 9, awesome car. For the track I would actually pick the Evo. EVo's are more hardcore IMO. For everyday-use easily the new M3.
M3 is more like your C55, better allround veichle.

EVOs are more like the CSLs from BMW. Unless the M3 sedan comes in a CSL version I doubt they're direct competitors.

Boy racer is not a stigma, it's medal of honor. If there's any problem it's the driver's fault, not the car's.

EVO:
Like Bruce mentioned it scream Boy-Racer and I'm not sure you want to associate yourself with adolescent youngsters who drive around trying to race everything on four wheels with 4 pipes. Further more the EVO as a very bare interior which feels as up scale as a Honda Civic Type-R. Lastly the car is powered by a heavily turbo charged engine which means that it has more frequent service intervals than an average car.
On the other hand the car will offer lots of fun. It's very brutal.

M3
The M3 is really better than the EVO in every way if you're looking for an upscale sports car. If resale value is important to you the M3 is not only easier to sell but has a higher resale value.

Keeping both the C55 and the EVO X would be quite expensive but is a good choice if you a "Benz" person i.e likes comfort and smooth rides. The M3 and EVO are very serious sports car which suspension adjusted for serious performance. It all really depends on the roads around where you live, your preference/tolerance. Why not go an test drive an E46 M3 and a EVO to see what you're in for.

The A4 is my wife's car and it has been completely trouble free for the last 3.5 years. We will probably keep that car long term, unless major problems arise.

The C55 has also been completely trouble free for the last 2 years and I've been very happy with it. That's why I may not want to part with it later on (assuming it remains relatively trouble free).

The only reason I would consider something like the Evo X is because I may want to keep my C55. And I am very aware of the possible "boy racer" image that car may project. But if I keep my C55 as my daily driver, having a "boy racer" car with a cheap interior for the track may be OK.......maybe......

So it all depends how much I want to keep my C55 in the long term (meaning > 5 years). If I don't, the M3 sedan would be a natural choice to replace it if I wanted a bit more emphasis on "sport" for the occasional track day.

I have thought about other cars too. The C63 will be faster than my C55, likely handle better than my C55, but it will likely offer the same type of driving experience overall. Furthermore, I'm still not too keen on its large front grill star type of look. The Lexus IS-F? Not a chance, as I think it looks ugly and I doubt it will be a better track car than my current C55. The next RS4? Don't know much about it yet, but the currrent RS4 is just too expensive, starting at $94000 BEFORE options and tax.

Of course, there is the CHEAPEST option, and that is just keep my C55 for daily driving AND track duty for the long term, assuming it doesn't break down too often from the abuse. Remember, the only reason I'm comtemplating these options is because of my growing fondness of driving my car on the track. The M3 sedan and Evo would likely offer a more thrilling driving experience than my C55, even though the C55 is already VERY CAPABLE on the track.

Ahh I see. It looks as if even you aren't sure what you're going do.

I understand though. It'll be interesting to see what others think.

Now this is a very interesting topic and of course it needs a lot of debate. But first i have to point out that the final decision is yours. You have to listen to your mind and heart above us all! But i'm sure you know it, so i'll get straight into topic.

The first question is whether you should change the C55 with a more track-oriented car or keep and and get another one: I think that if this car will be your daily drive, stick to a car that is comfortable enough, with quality materials and that suits your everyday needs. So we come up against your very first question, replacing the C55 with the new M3 or getting an EVO.

EVO: Boyracer's car? I don't think so. The driver makes the car, so... Anyway, the EVO will be much more hardcore. This car is made for hard driving and track use, which means that it is what you need when going to a track, but it is not what you need in your everyday life. It's less comfortable than a C55/M3, far more worse quality materials, minimal design. Though, since it's a Mitsubishi and it will not used much in your everyday routine, i don't think that the maintainence costs will be that high.

M3. This car is a league of its own. The point is that with the same money you have two choises. Stick to one or two cars, which ends up being the most important question! The point is, you will spend from 50 to 60k. So with that money, you can get the above car with its pros and cons, or replace your current one.

This way, you can either have one excellent car for everyday life and cruising and one for track use. On the other hand you can have both in one. This is buy getting a M3, which has a great image as the C55, but also will cost a lot more and won't be the total king of the track, like the EVO, since it's an all-arounder.

To sum up with, you either have to choose on getting a car only for track use, or replacing your current one with one, which is also an all-arounder but more sporty. Both for almost the same money.

Now, if i were you, i would get the EVO. Reasons.
1. Why have one car when you can have two for almost the same money.
2. You have many needs (family car and track car) which can NOT be fulfiled with only one car. No car is perfect and no car has above futures successfully combined.
3. The C55 is almost new, but if you try to sell it you loose much money from it's starting price. So it does make sence keeping it for another three or more years.
4. You can lease an EVO for two years, without having to spend 50k to buy it. This way fun will cost less.
5. Great or no great, the EVOs are meant for track use, and not for everyday life. Also you will get far worse quality than in your C, and this is a major issue. Going from an AMG to a Mitshubish is a huge step back!

Hope i helpes. I will think more on this the next days, and i'll see what i'll come up with. Good luck.