Quote Originally Posted by swollix
Well... quick estimate:
Tires $467 mounted and balanced
Wheels $600 to repair if possible
M3 front bumper $600 painted
Rieger front lip $250
total: $1917

assuming no suspension components are bent...
I would bet something is bent.

Quote Originally Posted by OnURleft
E36's will kill newbs. I don't mean to sound cliche or funny but they just DO! Come to the track and just about every single weekend if a car goes into the wall it's going to be an E36. Don't quote me because it's not 100% true but I'd put money down if a group of cars are running and someone has a bo-bo it'll be an e36. I don't mind though, just makes mine more rare for me!
That is over confidence I believe and the old "I am driving an M3!!!"

And there are 80% E36 at track events if it is a BMWCCA event. Not fair!

Quote Originally Posted by swollix
I just think M3's in general are not a car to drive fast your first time out.
I would say the opposite. Car and Driver named the best handling car at any price the E36 M3. Maybe a bit of a stretch but the article says it won because how easy it was to drive fast and it is forgiving.

If you go out, floor it in 2nd and shift at redline mid corner well even the M3 is not going to help you there.