Not So Hypothetical

Are E46 BMWs not available in the Korean market?

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

They are available but getting one in the under 10k price range would be either an automatic 4cylinder or a high mileage/ratty one.

stanger_mussle (Forum Supporter) said:

Have the early FRS/BRZ twins crossed the $10k threshold yet? I admit I haven't been paying attention to the market on these.

I wish. These things just don't depreciate in Korea. 

bobzilla said:

In reply to DaewooOfDeath :

Depends. The 3.8 A.) sounds so good with the right exhaust. 2.) makes more power bone stock than the 2.0 with tune and iii.) tuned/bolt ons make it a great all arounder. I think the local (Chicago, close enough) tuner has these around 340whp NA. 

Now, if you're putting in a bulletproof bottom end and head work/turbo then the 2.0 can make more power, but the same can be said of the 3.8. I think the 3.8 tuned is just about the perfect sporty Grand Tourer. 

edit: I asked because y'all got some different engines in the Accent and Elantra as well.

I agree, I think I'd enjoy the V6 as a daily driver more for the reasons you mention. They do sound really good, in particular. They're also pretty fast from stock.

That said, I'm going to do a bunch of track days with whatever I end up buying and the V6 has some downsides I'm a little worried about. Mostly, for some reason, the V6 cars weigh a solid 200 pounds more than the turbo fours and have weight distributions in the 56/44 range while the fours are more like 54/46.

When I look under the hood it's pretty obvious why. The four is mounted high and forward, but the V6 is mounted REALLY high and forward. This is honestly, I think, the biggest problem with Gen Coupes. People always say they're heavy, but they're consistently lighter than equivalent Mustangs and Camaros. I really think it's the engine mounting that makes them feel heavy. I've never driven a V6 in anger, but I liked the way a 2.0T with coilovers hustled around the canyons. I'm worried I'd ruin that with the heavier, taller engine. 

As for power, I'm probably going to stop at 270-ish whp with either engine because I want it to be reliable when I beat on it for extended periods. I also just don't think it's worth the money to tune the open deck aluminum Hyundai/Kia stuff, which brings me to a factor in the background here.

I'd like to eventually LS swap the car if I do get a Gen Coupe. The swaps I've seen put the engine WAY lower and WAY farther back. I'm wondering if getting the 2.0 to handle well and then swapping to a V8 might make the chassis side a smoother transition as well since the weight distribution and COG probably wouldn't change much after the swap.