RE: BMW M3: UK Review

[ZX10R NIN]

original guvnor said:

How many people commenting have ever driven the damn thing? More to the point how many of the naysayers are actually serious potential purchasers new? Some will be, most won't.

Most cars in this sector are having "enhanced sound" now because turbo engines aren't renowned for sounding great. I don't hear people whinging about the Golf R's enhanced engine noise. No, because that's the current darling of the journos. A new M3 these days gives the journos a chance to rehash a story they trot out each time a new one comes out - slag it off and everyone jumps on the bandwagon and then lo and behold it will probably be Evo COTY in a few years. BMW are damned if they do and damned if they don't. I thought it was a pretty amazing thing when I borrowed one. I'd hazard a guess it will comprehensively beat the competition in sales too.

I have an M3 it's been with me since the end of November, I have made my observations on the car throughout this thread when comparing it to the girlfriends C63 brothers E92(with an Akro exhaust)CLK63 & now the D3, I found it to be a good car just not a great car & doesn't feel special enough at low speed, the cabin doesn't stand out enough & is a bit noisy compared to the D3, the C63 feels much more special (no enhancement) the new C63 will have no noise enhancement so if car makers are adding speakers to make noise it's because they decided to take the cheaper route rather than engineer the noise into the car.

After looking at the M3 my girlfriend opted for the D3 to replace her C63 with, her reasoning was it had a nicer interior rode better sounded ok was still quick & had that little something that the M3 won't rarity. How long before the M3 appears on a super lease deal.
As I have said the M3 is a very good car I like the shape, the arches look better on the M3 than they do on the M4, the M3 car stands in the best part of 66k including the exhaust at which point I would have bought the M5 if it had to be a BMW(I'd have kept the C63).

I'm not saying not to buy one as everyone on here will want different things from their car but after nearly two months the M3 hasn't won me over, in comparison the C63 had won me over in the first mile, I'll miss looking at it when it goes at the end of the month but not the car itself, the D3 I think is better more of the time(but we've only had it two weeks)I'd like to try a B3.

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Friday 16th January 07:57

[kambites]

original guvnor said:

I don't hear people whinging about the Golf R's enhanced engine noise.

You will if you read the right threads on here.

As long as it's done well, I don't really see the problem with it; it's a reasonable way of making the engine sound loud to the driver without being annoyingly load to other road users. I suspect he huge majority of buyers wont even know it's happening. BMW know what they're doing, and what they're doing isn't really selling cars to enthusiasts (or rather if they do sell cars to enthusiasts it's an added bonus rather than their primary aim).

Edited by kambites on Friday 16th January 08:20

[s m]

original guvnor said:

How many people commenting have ever driven the damn thing? More to the point how many of the naysayers are actually serious potential purchasers new? Some will be, most won't.

Most cars in this sector are having "enhanced sound" now because turbo engines aren't renowned for sounding great. I don't hear people whinging about the Golf R's enhanced engine noise. No, because that's the current darling of the journos. A new M3 these days gives the journos a chance to rehash a story they trot out each time a new one comes out - slag it off and everyone jumps on the bandwagon and then lo and behold it will probably be Evo COTY in a few years. BMW are damned if they do and damned if they don't. I thought it was a pretty amazing thing when I borrowed one. I'd hazard a guess it will comprehensively beat the competition in sales too.

The new M3 has never been quite as good as the version that went before........

http://www.originalm3.info/bmw-e36-m3-vs-e30-m3/

........for some at least

Will ever be so

[bigtime]

As stated above, everybody has different tastes. Before I bought my E92 M3 I drove the c63 AMG and didn't get on with the handling/traction or gear box so went for the M3. I love the new M3/4 and the only problem to me is I can't afford one. The V8 in my M3 does sound decent but not a patch on the C63.I thought the E46 sounded horrendous but hey ho.

[ZX10R NIN]

Now this would make everyone happy: lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNh3jK9uQ8

[original guvnor]

It's no use comparing it to the old C63 because that's been consigned to the history books as well now.

I hope the new one sounds better than the AMG GT does. I was pretty disappointed in that, especially after all the fuss Merc have made about the engine.

[MAYASJ]

I have now owned an M4 for 3 months, coming from a 2010 c63 amg . Yes the M4 doesn't have the muscle car sound or the instant gratification of the c63, but do I regret buying the M4 absolutely not. The M4 is stonkingly fast and is definitely the faster car , the c63 would not see which way an M4 went especially if their are some twists and bends involved. The M4 has some real depth to its personality and I'm enjoying getting to know it, overtime and I have had some real enjoyable drives in the car and with sport+ engaged it sounds good as well. I use the car as my daily , and in non m mode proves to be a comfortable and relaxing car to drive , and with mixed driving is returning 28.5 mpg which I would say is quite good considering the performance on tap and is miles better then the 16 mpg the c63 was returning. The M4 is a real Jekyll and Hyde sort of car. The C63 I owned was a good car , but I think the m3/m4 have definitely moved the game on, but on the same token am looking forward to seeing what the new c63 and c63s bring to the party.