They are very driveable as a daily. I have 50k on mine with original clutch and no major problems other than a fuel pump replaced under warranty. I think you'll find more people on the forum who have switched from M3's to GT500's than the other way around.
As far as snow driving I wouldn't recommend it (owners manual says no also-based on tires) however with snow tires and some weight in the trunk it can be done with some very talented skill. But then again its the other people on the road you usually have to worry about.

 

I've worn both hats (i.e. up-market vs. amped-up Mustang). I bought a 2005 Carrera S new and drove it daily for a couple years before relieving it of daily-grind (I still have it).

The Carrera S, performance-wise, would be extremely similar to your proposed M3, so I'll use it to draw the comparison.

That said, my 2011 SVTPP Shelby, from a fun-to-drive and raw-performance standpoint, is on a completely different level. No matter how nifty the M3 steers and handles, there is just NO REPLACING the fun-factor of stomping on 550+ h.p. (I put in the "+" sign, because extra horsepower can be had so cheap and easy).

Fit and finish is very nice on my car, everything in the interior fits well, and is rattle-free, and ergonomically-friendly (except the cup-holders). The stereos aren't very good. Turning into a rattle-trap is no more of a worry with the Shelby than it is with the Bimmer, it is a VERY solid platform and sturdy. Those days are gone with Ford, and the public's worries are just remnants from years in the past. It takes decades to shake stigmas it seems, but I bet the Shelby would hold up BETTER than the M3.

YES, it's a Mustang, but that has it's up-sides as well... Used as a daily-driver, you don't STRESS so much about the darned thing. All the parts are easily-replaceable and relatively cheap compared to the Bimmer.

Handling is great with the SVTPP. Winter, you'll need all-season tires. But that goes for the M3 as well, so there's no disadvantage.

All-in-all, I'm DONE with German cars as daily-drivers... They're expensive as hell (unless you buy used), and then once I spend that kind of money, it drives me nuts piling the miles on and watching it turn into a used car and depreciate like a rock...

My Shelby is relatively affordable, it runs with the Germans on the track, and walks away from them on the straights, it's durable, extremely easy and comfortable to live with, and simply-put it's the perfect DD. I can afford more car, but I find that my "quality of life" is at its best in the Shelby, I've never had so much damn fun driving a car every day, day after day. The Carrera S has just been sitting... If you owned both a '12 Shelby and a 08-09 M3, at the same time, I gauran-damn-tee you that the M3 would SIT.

And that's really the bottom-line.

 

Great post I am currently having the same dillema. Had a M3 then M5 and traded it in for a 11' GT Premium. Love the stang, much more raw fun to drive. Now trying to decide on a 2012 GT500 or not.

 

I was going to get an '09 M3 (better Nav than '08), but went with the GT500.

-Waaay more power
-20 MPG on the highway (I commute 50mi a day)
-I can work on it myself and source parts (BMW are not DIY friendly)
-BMW options are sooo pricy

-BMW would have nicer driver's touches like adjustability in seats/steering wheel, creature comforts, etc
-The 4 door option is nice with kids

In the end, I wanted to the ability to change my own oil, do my brakes, have more than 550HP, and get the musclecar experience.

 

Can't comment on the M3, but I will say that the most surprising thing about my GT500 was the day-to-day drivability.

I come from an era where hot cars were high strung beasts that required all your attention to drive, a weightlifters left leg to work the clutch, and a top mechanics skill to keep running right. I was expecting my GT500 to have a similar DNA, but nothing could be further from the truth. This car is a true "sleeper" in every sense of the word. If you want something that you can drive to the store to pick up milk & eggs, the GT500 will do it as smoothly as if you were driving a honda minivan. It's only when you get into the boost does the GT500 start to show it's really a blisteringly fast supercar.

 

I've owned both cars: an '08 M3 and now a '12 GT500. Personally, while the M3 is outstanding, I really enjoy driving the Shelby more. By comparison, the M3 has practically zero torque and you really have to wind the engine up to get power out of it, while the Shelby's torque is a like force of nature.

The lines of the M3 are very sexy, but the Shelby is also a striking car that gets plenty of attention. The aftermarket for the M3 is extremely expensive (for example, a company called Amuse makes an exhaust system that's upwards of $6000, and Eisenmann makes a muffler (yes, a muffler) for $2800+.)

My M3 was in the shop for a few things: One of the headlights burned out, some issue in the front suspension caused noise in the steering column while turning, rear taillight out (the part the light mounted into was the issue), and the suspension had a clunk while turning. All covered under warranty, but all within the first year of owning the car. I'm not sure I would want to own a BMW after the factory warranty expires.

 

Would you care to compare the handling between the two. Composure, handling limits, stability. Since the M3 seems to have this following with its handling prowness.

Personally, I wasn't impressed with my M3, that was coming out of a C5 Z06. You are so right about the lack of torque. Yes it may rev to 8400 rpm, but you better be at 6K or greater to feel anything.

 

GT500:
* more reliable
* better acceleration
* easier to maintain
* cheaper to maintain
* better on gas (23MPG highway compared with 19MPG for the M3)
* holds value much much better
* less than half of the number of M3s in North America alone. In other words, if you count the world wide number of M3s, it will be many many times more than GT500s.
* cheap and easy to mod (tons and tons of mod options)

M3:
* more "refined" feeling interior
* sharper feeling handling ("feeling" only - the GT500 beats the M3 in actual handling tests)

 

unless your winters are very, very mild why not go with any 3 series BMW with all-wheel.

 

I would assume that the reason he's pondering either a GT500 or an M3 for daily driving, is because he'd sooner move in with his mother-in-law, or work at a cat fertility clinic, than drive some normal/boring/slow/practical grocery-getter every day.

Obviously I live in the south... But.... His candidates for DD indicate to me that he could care diddly-squat about AWD, and will make RWD "work".

 

I have just gone from an M3 to a GT500 myself. Albeit mine was an E46 M3 (2005), but still the same overall car as the E90 series. I loved my M3, no doubt, but it was way too damn expensive to upgrade (I can't leave anything stock) and wasn't any more comfortable then my GT500. The GT500 stock suspension isn't very great over bumpy roads, but it can EASILY be fixed with very little money. I am so glad I made the choice of a GT500 and would likely never again consider a German car again.

 

Personally I couldn't live with the GT500 as my only car for daily driving. Although I know people who do, and the newer models do offer relatively smooth rides (I have 2010, no SVT pack), there are too many limiting factors for me. Lack of rear passenger space, poor handling in rain/snow are just some of the obvious. I also don't think the overall drivability is nearly as nice as some of the all wheel drive performance cars out of Germany or even Subaru WRX/STI at a much lower price point.

So really depends on your lifestyle and needs. But for me, if I was forced to have only one car I would have to give up the Shelby for practical reasons.

 

Agreed. I have a '11 and i would not like to drive on a daily basis.

 

I drive my 2011 daily and have 20K miles on it. 69bossnine has covered this pretty well, but this German thingy I am not so sure about. Its more about money vs fun. I live near the mountains here where alot of folks don't. Driving aggressively in twisties with the SVT package is pretty darn good. Its not Porsche good. I am guessing the M3 would be in the middle. Thats not daily driving I know. I use a VW TDI for rain and distance. If I could only have 1 car I would keep the VW. I would not put trash in the Porsche or a M3. I put trash in the GT500, but I can't take friends out in it. So if you are buying for just you and the wife and she has a grocery gitter buy the GT 500. Unless you live where there are real twisties everything else is a waist.

 

I just went through this process and picked a 2012 GT5 with SVT over a couple of used M3s. The M3 is a great car, but the maintenance on a used one is crazy expensive. I was also wary of the reliability. I have tons of friends and co-workers with all sorts of BMWs and they all love them. However, they all have had horror show experiences. I asked the dealer about certifying the car to give me piece of mind, but that would cost about $4,500 which made the 08 with 42,000 miles more expensive than the Shelby. Additionally, the certified warranty did not cover most of the electronic items which are the achilles heal of German cars.

I loved the driving experience of the M3, but the Shelby to me was on a different level. Power anytime you need it and handling that was as good or better. Love the M3, but the Shelby was right for me.

 

I would pick the GT500 for reasons stated earlier, I have a soured view of BMW due to a earlier experience. I walk past an M3 while walking my dog and always say it is a sharp looking car but it is a shame it's a BMW. My DD is a Ford Escape, I agree with Fred the Escape would be my choice if I could only have 1 car. Other than that I enjoy the GT500 more than any car I have owned.
Eric

 

I agree with you Cobrafred, and the Porsche IS better, but only for certain purposes that I rarely have the opportunity for.

The GT500 nails the fun-and-practical-and-carefree balance better for my daily routine. It's a dream to drive every day, a friggin' Caddy... Maybe it's because I own some classic muscle cars, that I perceive the modern-day Shelby to drive like a highly-refined luxo-cruiser that coddles me on a daily basis.

I'm simply not wired in a way that would allow me to drive something "practical" on a daily basis. I love driving too much, and with each successive "faster" car I buy, the next one has to be yet-better, or I'm hugely disappointed. I've always sought to step-forward with each purchase.

So to drive an Escape, you'd have to medicate me.... Heavily....

 

I think we are brothers from another mother! I have gone in consecutive succession of performance. Hell, even my WIFE'S vehicle is a performance car (the SRT8 Jeep in sig). I am not even sure what could come after the GT500 though... Viper? Z06? All WAY more expensive...

 

Picking up materials for work, taking surf boards to the beach, driving up to Blue Mountain to go snow boarding, and measuring jobs on construction sites is why the GT500 would not work for me every day. I am actually happy with the Escape for the above. Other than the duties listed above I prefer the Gt500 hands down. If I worked in an office I would drive it to work every day.
Eric

 

No, I totally understand that people need certain vehicles for their daily-needs. I've got the opposite situation, I drive my enthusiast car every day, and then when I need to do something big/dirty/heavy, I grab the keys to a shop truck on an as-needed basis.

 

Thanks for all the feedback - all good and valid points. I'm still undecided, but am hoping a test drive in each will help me make up my mind. I'm hoping to get that done this week.

One question did cross my mind... should I try and hold off until the 2013 GT500 is released? 5.8L and a TVS sounds very tasty! Anyone have an idea when the 2013's are going to start showing up at dealers?

 

Late spring 2012. The 5.8L block w/TVS is still just a rumor at this point.

 

I daily drive my '10 and love every minute of it. I have contemplated another daily, but Im afraid it would just sit in the garage! I cant get enough of this car! The HP and TQ are rediculous! There is just something fun about stomping on the gas pedal in pretty much any gear any RPM and laying down rubber.

Muscle at its finest. The stories from people who stop you that rode on one in high school, or had a family member own one, or friend...some kind of story. Its amazing

 

Let us know how it goes with the test drives! My E46 M3 didn't even compare to my GT500, but I have yet to drive an E92 with the V8 and interested to know how you felt they compared. I very much think the GT500 will win your heart, though.

 

I have a 2012 as a DD and also have owned "refined" cars in the past. None of them put a smile on my face every time I started them like the GT500 does. Even my wife has accepted it and now refers to it as "The date car." We have taken two trips over 1,000 miles each in it already, one in constant pouring rain, and been happy both times. I do live in Texas, so winter is really not a problem. If you need more speed, the mods are inexpensive and this forum will help guide you to whatever level you want. These folks are the best. Go for it and don't look back.

 

I was in a similiar situation, picked the GT500 over the M3 obv. The GT500 was a MUCH more fun car to drive. I felt very detached in the M3. Not only that, I was taking into consideration the maintenance. I work on ALOT of BWM's here at my shop (all the way up to 06's, and not to mention alot of audi's, vw's, benz's) and even though BMW's, in my opinion were the most reliable of the German cars, they are very expensive to fix. There's also alot of things that annoy me about the newer beemers, like how they don't have a dipstick and you have to wait sometimes 10 minutes to get an oil level reading on the computer.

The GT500 is more CAR and less fancy stuff. I've always said to myself that i would never buy American, but I have to admit, Ford did a GREAT job with this one (as with all their newer cars that've came out). And I'm not biased either, I do own a German car, its an 05' Mercedes CL65 AMG, and yes, it is a FAST car, but not nearly as fun to drive as my GT500. My CL65 only has 14k miles on it, but i've already replaced (under warranty) the intercooler waterpump, a couple powersteering hoses & an ignition coil & ignition module. (thank god they were under warranty, I wouldn't be able to afford the GT500 if it weren't haha). All in all, im very pleased with my GT500 and yes, I do drive it daily. Not the best car to drive in the rain (haven't tried, and probably wont, driven in the snow), but as a daily its really comfortable & fun

 

Funny so many have made the same comparison that I was before deciding on purchasing the GT500. While I am a real big fan of German engineering comparing the M3 to a GT500 is like a scalpel to a sledge hammer! The GT500 gets the nod with both fun factor and ease to mod. Wife drives a '12 X5 50i...twin turbo V8 that I probably will play with tuning. Great SUV. Now the rumored tri turbo 2015 M3 I may just have to sign up for that. Probably won't get rid of the GT500 though. I have owned probably 20+ cars in my life so far and never a Ford before my '11 F250. In my opinion Ford has really stepped it up while not taking a government bailout.:clap:

 

I was alos up in the air between the M3 and GT500. GT500 won me over hands down, the way it sounds, the performance, not to mention the freakin look of this thing. It looks like its gonna eat every other car on the road. The way I see it, alot of people buy the M3 for the badge, People buy Shelbys because of the heritage.