RE: BMW M3 farewell diary
Discussion
Tony B2 said:
Like several posters in this thread, I did not at first "get" the E92 M3.
But the real problem is that you cannot fully appreciate it if you only drive on public roads, at sensible-ish speeds. Only when you take it onto a challenging track - the Nurburgring for example - can you really extend it and savour the brilliant chassis. So benign and confidence inspiring but such a hoot if you turn of the TC and let the back end do some of the steering.
Who cares about 20 - 24mpg. Its worth it.
For me it's been one of the most impressive cars I have owned at 100mph plus as it just keeps pulling & I loved how playful it was with the TC off & it's very controllable to slide & I respect it for that loads. But the real problem is that you cannot fully appreciate it if you only drive on public roads, at sensible-ish speeds. Only when you take it onto a challenging track - the Nurburgring for example - can you really extend it and savour the brilliant chassis. So benign and confidence inspiring but such a hoot if you turn of the TC and let the back end do some of the steering.
Who cares about 20 - 24mpg. Its worth it.
The problem for me was within 4 weeks of owning it as my daily I started to dislike it & I only hated it more as the months went on as it was very hard to exploit its potential on the road & I did try hard & I genuinely touched 120 everyday that I owned it, but on a track I think it would be at home for certain if you enjoy taking a car that weighs around 1600kg on a track but for me I would find more reward in something lighter.
If you get 20 - 24 mpg out of it then fair play...I never got anywhere near that.
Mermaid said:
& that's an issue too in this environment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yo...
That's why i am pleased in many ways that I have sold it now & I don't have have to worry about stuff like that anymore as my 330i hasn't enough power to pull the skin off a rice pudding & I am happy to realise that my fun days are finally over, i have gone steady at last...but it was fun while it lasted. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yo...
I am now more interested in chasing the best mpg figures I can get...I will hand my PH card in on my way out! even the mrs said to me today why are you driving so slow & I said I drive for economy now so it just shows we all get sensible with age sadly!...just don't expect me to put up with a 4 pot diesel anytime soon though!
Patrick Bateman said:
cerb4.5lee said:
That's why i am pleased in many ways that I have sold it now & I don't have have to worry about stuff like that anymore as my 330i hasn't enough power to pull the skin off a rice pudding & I am happy to realise that my fun days are finally over, i have gone steady at last...but it was fun while it lasted.
I am now more interested in chasing the best mpg figures I can get...I will hand my PH card in on my way out! even the mrs said to me today why are you driving so slow & I said I drive for economy now so it just shows we all get sensible with age sadly!...just don't expect me to put up with a 4 pot diesel anytime soon though!
Granted it's in a totally different league to the M3 but that's quite far removed from reality. I am now more interested in chasing the best mpg figures I can get...I will hand my PH card in on my way out! even the mrs said to me today why are you driving so slow & I said I drive for economy now so it just shows we all get sensible with age sadly!...just don't expect me to put up with a 4 pot diesel anytime soon though!
I just enjoy the comfy drive now & at least if I need to overtake there is some power there just in case but I bought it knowing full well its an old mans steady motor & I like the way it drives very much but I just wished it didn't look quite so uninspiring.
Enjoyed watching the vid at Bedford & I bet it is nice to enjoy the M3 in that environment...rather than people giving me funny looks when I had mine sliding it out of junctions!
I really wanted mine with a manual but I do agree totally that its suits the DCT far better & it did look great fun on that track!
I really wanted mine with a manual but I do agree totally that its suits the DCT far better & it did look great fun on that track!
Enjoyed reading the individual write ups of the owners & as expected the DCT box dominated the group with only one with the three pedal set up.
I bet all the owners are chuffed to get their cars featured I know if I still had mine I would have really liked to be involved in something like this.
Great work Dan!
I bet all the owners are chuffed to get their cars featured I know if I still had mine I would have really liked to be involved in something like this.
Great work Dan!
djtex said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Enjoyed reading the individual write ups of the owners & as expected the DCT box dominated the group with only one with the three pedal set up.
I bet all the owners are chuffed to get their cars featured I know if I still had mine I would have really liked to be involved in something like this.
Great work Dan!
I can't speak for the others, but I certainly was. I bet all the owners are chuffed to get their cars featured I know if I still had mine I would have really liked to be involved in something like this.
Great work Dan!
I agonised over the Manual vs DCT thing when I ordered mine, and originally went with the Manual. But after driving a DCT I was hooked, it's very subjective of course. However, I just felt it suited the car and the manic engine better, by having manic gearshifts to match.
djtex said:
A point I would make on the so called lack of torque is this, (although as mentioned previously 295 ft/lbs is hardly a small amount). The car has more than enough for daily driving and not having to change gear all the time and picks up nicely. It does mean however, that if you really want to make progress you have to use all the revs to get at the power at the top end. And as a result you get the incredible noise and the whole process feels so rewarding.
I considered its biggest and best rival the C63 at great length before making the decision, and that is truly a great car as well,however it's gearbox shortcomings aside, it was the fact that it had huge amounts of torque and you rarely needed to change gear that actually put me off. Of course the 6.2 is another great engine, but somehow I just didn't feel as involved and excited by the way it delivered its power.
For me it was sure proof that bigger power and torque figures don't always deliver the best result. I think ultimately it's the difference between the torque and HP figures on the M3 that make the engine such a masterpiece.
All in my opinion of course, but this was the thought process and the way I reasoned my decision when purchasing.
I think the DCT helps it feel peppy pretty much all of the time but with the manual you do get occasions when you are in a certain gear & you plant your foot & not much happens, the engine is a masterpiece without a shadow of a doubt but I know the C63 would have been a better proposition for me personally as a daily driver.I considered its biggest and best rival the C63 at great length before making the decision, and that is truly a great car as well,however it's gearbox shortcomings aside, it was the fact that it had huge amounts of torque and you rarely needed to change gear that actually put me off. Of course the 6.2 is another great engine, but somehow I just didn't feel as involved and excited by the way it delivered its power.
For me it was sure proof that bigger power and torque figures don't always deliver the best result. I think ultimately it's the difference between the torque and HP figures on the M3 that make the engine such a masterpiece.
All in my opinion of course, but this was the thought process and the way I reasoned my decision when purchasing.
I have realised since owning one that for the odd occasion you get to enjoy 6k to 8400k rpm on the road I would appreciate that 6.2 AMG engine for more of the time & for me it sounds better anyway but that's obviously subjective.
Both are exciting & thrilling motors & you pick which one suits you better & I picked the wrong one though for what characteristics I like from a car, the M3 is a sharp tool & I seem to prefer a blunt instrument hence the C63 would have been better for me.
Wills2 said:
Range whilst enjoying the car is around 250-300 on a mixed run, whilst sat at 70 getting frustrated you can nudge 375-400 miles in the DCT.
I think this is similar to what I used to get, It did once say on the computer on one brimmed tank that I had 378 miles on the range which I was impressed with but the temptation to stretch its legs is strong & they never deliver that type of range in reality I found. arkenphel said:
It's amazing that no one has mentioned the throttle actuator problem yet. It's a major weakness of the V8, amazing though it is.
You do read a few stories on M3Cutters about the throttle actuator`s failing but it doesn't worry many owners though as they just get them sorted under warranty, it might be an issue in a few years time though I suppose when all the cars are out of warranty.Other than that issue I believe the engine is as solid as a rock.
ratty6464 said:
scoobyPPP said:
I have a Manual E92 and after reading all these comments about the DCT I really wish I had bought one, hopefully it wont be too difficult to shift it when I come to sell it.
I've got a few similar pangs today! Have a comp pack manual car which I love, but wonder what it would be like to have a DCT car. I completely ruled out DCT without even driving it first. Since then, I've had a test drive where it didn't bowl me over - although it was probably only 15 miles. I'd like one for a longer time to compare. ghibbett said:
As you can tell, I love mine. As a daily proposition, it was far more suitable than an M3, although I have no doubt an M3 would show it up on a track.
I haven't driven a C63 but I would imagine its make a really good daily & I stand by the fact that I would have enjoyed a C63 more than I did my M3 in daily use. You lot have brain washed me now & I am just going to accept that my M3 picked up like a rocket at 2k revs in 6th gear & was faster than anything else on the road. 
Ross if you haven't already owned a E92 M3 you need to get one purchased soon as the love you have for its engine is unmatched that's for sure.
Ross if you haven't already owned a E92 M3 you need to get one purchased soon as the love you have for its engine is unmatched that's for sure.
E65Ross said:
cerb4.5lee said:
You lot have brain washed me now & I am just going to accept that my M3 picked up like a rocket at 2k revs in 6th gear & was faster than anything else on the road.
Ross if you haven't already owned a E92 M3 you need to get one purchased soon as the love you have for its engine is unmatched that's for sure.
You've missed my point again Ross if you haven't already owned a E92 M3 you need to get one purchased soon as the love you have for its engine is unmatched that's for sure.
I just don't understand the love you have for the S65 when the engine under the bonnet of your car has more in common with my old X5 & I found the engine in that far more rewarding for more of the time than the S65 was.
Mr Whippy said:
cerb4.5lee said:
You lot have brain washed me now & I am just going to accept that my M3 picked up like a rocket at 2k revs in 6th gear & was faster than anything else on the road.
It did pick up like a rocket.In fairness the M3 wasn't for me as I have found out I prefer activity lower down some prefer the epic top end but that was wasted on me but the majority love it...only they don't because BMW don't make high revving engines anymore!
Wills2 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Trust me it doesn't!!
In fairness the M3 wasn't for me as I have found out I prefer activity lower down some prefer the epic top end but that was wasted on me but the majority love it...only they don't because BMW don't make high revving engines anymore!
And more's the pity, Porsche/Ferrari and lambo still do though, pity I'm not rich! In fairness the M3 wasn't for me as I have found out I prefer activity lower down some prefer the epic top end but that was wasted on me but the majority love it...only they don't because BMW don't make high revving engines anymore!
cheddar said:
Wills2 said:
You'd use the cars power band be that 2.5-6.5k or /4-8k I think the point some are making is they prefer the 2.5-6.5k power band like the C63?
All achieve the same result but at differing rpm.
Pretty much this. Although the Merc's 'useable' powerband is more like 1500 to 6800, and between those RPM's it will pull harder than the M3.All achieve the same result but at differing rpm.
Still prefer the M3's screamer motor though, the C63 is almost too quick too easily.....
findtomdotcom said:
Not wishing to start a firestorm, but in my experience the M3 will get its power down much better than a C63. Yes the engine in the Mercedes is outstanding, but it is a one trick pony. I'm not sure I ever got the C63 to set off a line cleanly, at least not on a typical UK wet weather day.....
As cars to live with day to day the BMW is a much better car, (and the tech works, try getting the command online to work with iPhone)!
I agree the chassis & grip are excellent on the M3 & it gives the driver massive confidence but on the flip side it can be very predictable whereas on the other hand the C63 would be more exciting as its more of a challenge to drive.As cars to live with day to day the BMW is a much better car, (and the tech works, try getting the command online to work with iPhone)!
The M3 would wipe the floor with my old Cerbera around tricky corners & the like but I would know for a fact the Cerbera would raise far bigger smiles as you would have to work really hard to keep it on the road...some like a car that's a challenge & some like a car that flatters the drivers ability...you go with the car that suits your requirements best but both cars bring plenty to the table.
I think it's hard to say what's best the C63 or E92 M3 as its all down to individual preference.
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