another m3 first drive...

[Jeff_DML]

another so-so review:eeps:

And the steering never scores more than six out of 10 no matter where or how you drive the car. Nor do the brakes, which suffered from fade on the road and went away badly on the track. Or the fuel consumption, which was regularly down in the mid-teens on roads on which the old car would have hit well over 20mpg.

http://www.autocarmagazine.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/BMW-M3-4.0-V8/226432/

edit:another from car

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_drive.php?sid=841&page=1

edmunds one that was in the other 135ish thread

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/vdp/articleId=121566/pageNumber=1

[JST]

Odd that Car had no problem with the brakes, presumably on the same loop that Autocar and Edmunds used.

The thing with the tires being engineered to produce understeer is just bizarre.

So far, it sounds like the 135 is a much better bet. It's a lot cheaper to fix the LSD problem than to fix what it sounds like is wrong with the M3.

[Jeff_DML]

yep thinking the same thing based on these initial reviews. Probably $20k cheaper. M3 sounds like full on GT car now, not more internet arguments:)

Kind of suprising that they didnt put the 135 brakes on the m3, guess it was too late in the development phase

[Jeff_DML]

another...

http://www.channel4.com/4car/rt/bmw/3-series+coupe/2182/1

[equ]

While I'm experiencing the v8 in the s4, I'm thinking more & more that there is nothing like a good v8. The m3 v8 should be much better - if it at all has the torque of the s4 (which it does but I think the s4 is geared nice'n'low so the torque is truly good) it will be an immense engine and put any 3.0 turbo to rest.

OTOH, this does not bode well (from Car). If they think the e46 is neutral... :eeps:

Understeer was never an issue in the last car – it just dived into a corner with razor-sharp precision. The new M3 has a little more roll on turn-in, and you can feel the loads building on the front tyre as forces increase.

[Jeff_DML]

stuka, looks like they are going to offer a sunroof for you:lol:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=167222

[Jeff_DML]

silver one

[JST]

stuka, looks like they are going to offer a sunroof for you:lol:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=167222

Who wants to bet that the sunroof is standard in the US?

[John V]

Why wouldn't it be standard? Isn't the sunroof standard across the board on all 3-series now?

[Pinecone]

It wasn't on the E46 M3. Let's hope they keep the E92 M3 pure enough to not include it. If for no other reason there isn't enough headroom with the sunroof for me, with a helmet.

[Jeff_DML]

normal e46 had sunroof optional too, e90 it is standard with no delete option. I think it will be optional since the non-sunroof is "cool" carbon fiber:)

[John V]

It wasn't on the E46 M3. Let's hope they keep the E92 M3 pure enough to not include it. If for no other reason there isn't enough headroom with the sunroof for me, with a helmet.

But as mentioned the vanilla E46 cars were available without the roof too.

I'm putting my money on the roof being mandatory. Hell, if you can't get a sunroofless 1er

[Pinecone]

Oh well, in that case it will save me some money. :) I barely fit with helmet without the sunroof.

And the performance specs aren't too impressive if 4.8 0 - 60, one might expect them to b efaster than an E46 given about 170 - 180 pounds more weight and almost an extra 100 HP.

[FT@SGP]

Terry, I think hat 4.8 sec is to 62 mph, not that it becomes more impressive...

[lemming]

maybe it's a lot faster to 100mph, though.

(trying to be optimistic)

[lemming]

NYTimes article on the M3 today cites BMW's official laptime: it's an 8min10sec car.

wonder if that's on stickies or street tires.

in any case, that's slower than the CSL. so i'm gonna guess PS3's.

[Jeff_DML]

another first drive

Once a direct, raw, and frenetic monster, the M3 has morphed into a polished and refined grand tourer.

The original M3 was a track-ready, high-strung performer that made no excuses in its performance. As fun in a 15-mph school zone as it was at ten-tenths on a race track, it dominated everything that came its way. And while it's likely that the new M3 is faster around the Nordschleife than its competitors, it's lost a good bit of the driver involvement that has made previous Ms legends.



http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/coupes/0707_2008_bmw_m3/index1.html

[lemming]

as many others have pointed out, ever since the e36m3, it's always been about being a GT.