new toy (M3 to S3)

[whp1983]

FTBM said:

Hi whp1983,

Did you go for the magnetic ride option? I've pretty much specced my car now but can't decide whether to add this option. My test drive was with the standard setup which seemed like a good compromise, especially for the pot holed roads around here.

Would be slightly peeved to order then realise I should have added the option. Likewise, don't want a white elephant option either!

Thanks

Hi

I didn't no, my test car had it and it didn't appear to add much (May have been the roads) without out it felt the same! Always difficult to tell on test drive maybe if you live with it it's excellent, however it was £995 I didn't think needed spending. The suspension seems superb as is.

Only other options I didn't add were the panoramic/slide sun roof job, was lovely to have the light through it but it seemed to make the cabin noisier, I picked manual gearbox (as I always do!) my M3 was manual as well. I didn't pick super sports seats although they were tempting. I didn't bother with full LED headlights either.

Other than that I picked pretty much everything else. My favourite option is the B&O stereo which is so good and the tech pack which has some great features with the nav and connectivity etc.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I like mine!

[gaz1234]

Brave or stupid?

[CraigV6]

Got one of these.
Dull.

[cerb4.5lee]

whp1983 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

This was pretty much exactly how I felt about my E92 M3 and I didn't like it as a daily and it isn't really special enough just as a weekender and I enjoyed driving my Mrs's TTS more because of its usability and more accessible performance so I totally get where you are coming from.

If I am honest neither me or the mrs liked the TTS much at first being used to BMW`s but after just over two years and 60k miles we cant say enough good things about it now, I am positive you wont miss the M3 much(if) at all because they are one of the most frustrating daily drivers I think you can buy and I wish you all the best with the S3.

Cheers!

You are so right, you have to own an M3 to really know them (as obvious as that sounds!) my mates think I'm nuts as all they've done is have the odd passenger ride in my M3 which always felt just immense to them. Like its a cut price supercar.

On a track I'm under no illusion I would miss the M3, however, contrary to what most manufacturers think I don't spend my Monday to Friday caning around the nurburgring. Mostly, disappointingly I'm sat on the A1 and doing at most 80mph in commuter traffic. Therefore I appreciate other stuff too (good interior, stereo etc). On the odd occasion I am on a country road or get a drive on a Sunday the S3 is equally as good as the M3 and I find just as enjoyable.

I would love a weekend special but they key word there is special (Ferrari, Aston etc) I don't think the M3 is that. I had my M3 for two years, it warmed to me, then I loved it, then I grew to resent it. It didn't give me enough enjoyment to warrant its costs.

The S3 feels even bit as fast on normal everyday roads and just as special but with a nicer interior and stereo! It just doesn't have the V8 noise, but then you can't have everything!

Its nice to know I am not the only one to understand the M3`s short comings in the daily environment and you sum up the ownership experience very well,there is something nice about the way the V8 sounds when compared to a 4 pot Turbo granted(although the 4 pot Turbo does sound good imo) but that is still not enough to outweigh the rest of the package as far as I am concerned.

You made me smile mentioning the nurburgring because lets be fair very few of us actually go there and in reality it doesn't make much of a difference because if you actually wanted to take a car on a track the M3 would be pretty much the last on the list due to its weight and size and surely you would want something far lighter and nimble and with decent brakes...well I would anyway.

I have said before usually in life you get what you pay for but for some reason the V8 M3 fails to deliver on that front sadly.

[FTBM]

whp1983 said:

Hi

I didn't no, my test car had it and it didn't appear to add much (May have been the roads) without out it felt the same! Always difficult to tell on test drive maybe if you live with it it's excellent, however it was £995 I didn't think needed spending. The suspension seems superb as is.

Only other options I didn't add were the panoramic/slide sun roof job, was lovely to have the light through it but it seemed to make the cabin noisier, I picked manual gearbox (as I always do!) my M3 was manual as well. I didn't pick super sports seats although they were tempting. I didn't bother with full LED headlights either.

Other than that I picked pretty much everything else. My favourite option is the B&O stereo which is so good and the tech pack which has some great features with the nav and connectivity etc.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I like mine!

Thanks for that. Just seeing if I can jump the queue a bit by picking one already in the build schedule so could be a while before it arrives!