Originally Posted by Bullseye
The e36 M3 is a least now 7 years old and still out performs the Crossfire.
X'ed I'm sorry the E36 m3 out handles and out brakes the Crossfire. Crossfire is not in the same league. Putting that kind of money into a crossfire is a waste. Crossfire at invoice with incentives= 28k Supercharger IHI kit(Everything Needed) 12k Suspension 3k and Limited slip(3.69) 3500 Misc Performance parts 2k est. So just say 50k all said and done, and not to mention you just voided your warranty. Or you can go option 2 buy a used 02 E46 M3 for around 32k. Just saved yourself 18k and will perform with the modded XF. Or buy a e36 for around 15k drop 15k into it. NOw you have a 350whp e36 that would be unstoppable.
There is a reason why you see alot of M3's there. It is because it is there home.
FWIW -- I think your numbers are a bit high -- I would no doubt start with a used XF -- but I wasn't asking if it was the cheapest route -- I was asking if anyone had begun experimenting with the car on the track.
The E36 M3 is actually 10 years old now.. and it still holds up very well against most modern cars -- fact is though the car weighs 3400 lbs and only has 240 hp/210 tourque. There is no reason an Xf couldn't be built up to outrun it. An E46 M3 is even heavier, but has 333hp/270 torque. They are decidedly faster around the track, but beating them is stil an attainable goal.