e92 m3...best car ever?

e92 m3...best car ever?

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Discussion

turboman786

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

186 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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I've been very fortunate to have owned a large number of top end performance cars over the years

Currently have an R8 v10 and have owee pretty much the usual range of petrol head cars such as 997, gtr, m5, m3, c63, etc etc

Having owned these cars there is one vat which I conclude is the the best overall car.....the e92 m3 dct.....

Please discuss as I just can't help but want another one despite having had far more expensive and faster machinery....

Chunkychucky

5,932 posts

168 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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200 mile range to a tank? Fairly big sticking point IMO..

northnoble

362 posts

185 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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Chunkychucky said:
200 mile range to a tank? Fairly big sticking point IMO..
Only if round town.....regularly get 285 on my 130 mile dual carriageway commute!

Best car ever though, that's a big title! Depends what you want out of a car. My M3 makes me smile everyday, but my Ariel Atom makes me grin from ear to ear every time I take it out!


Edited by northnoble on Sunday 17th January 18:47

api330

673 posts

199 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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I have a E92 M3 with comp pack and like your self I have had a lot of nice performance cars over the years but I must say a DCT M3 is a very special car, I always look forward to driving it (Its a weekend car only) weather I am nipping up to see local friends or going on a long trip with the lads or a full on blast out, It does every thing superbly well, Which is why I still have it after nearly a year which a nearly record for me, Yes it likes a bit of a drink but if you drive it steady on the motorway it will do 30 mpg, But if your looking for good mpg buy a diesel,

jayemm89

3,990 posts

129 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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I think if you were trying to come up with a car that was most things to most petrolheads, an E92 M3 is pretty high on the list.

I've just got into an E46 M3, partly because I am very partial to the shape, partly because the E92s I liked were out of budget, and partly because I always wanted one, but I have driven the E92 and it's definitely got more "all round" capability.

Obviously you will find more luxurious cars, and more fun cars, but very very few combine them as well as the M3. The engine deserves a special mention of course. I always loved the idea of an M6 but I am really put off by the SMG gearbox and the many tales of expensive woe.

Lefty

16,116 posts

201 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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I appreciate that mine is a minority view but here goes.

I bought an approved used e92 m3 last summer to replace a v10 RS6 and it was just about the most disappointing car I've ever owned. I had possibly built up too much in the way of unrealistic expectation but it felt like a "normal" petrol 3-series 90% of the time and the other 10% (when thrashing it) it felt a bit lardy, a bit dull. The performance, whilst quick by most standards, always felt a bit thin. The real killer for me was that it just never felt special. It always felt overweight and over-refined for a car of sporting intentions.

It made a reasonable fist of most jobs but didn't excel at anything. If you could only have one car it would be ok probably but I'm not keen on the jack-of-all, master-of-none approach.

I chopped it in for an Evoque and a 1999 Elise s1. I'm not a horsepower we, the Elise (all £7500 of it) feels much more of an event on every drive. I don't miss the m3 in the slightest.

jon-

16,492 posts

215 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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Currently shopping for an e92 M3, but am avoiding DCT. Can someone change my mind? Driven them, it's a very good gearbox, but much like PDK I don't love it.

Also, I'd take the v10 R8 all day. So much better than the v8 R8

turboman786

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

186 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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The r8 v10 is a stunning car....absolutely adore mine but it attracts too much attention and is impractical for daily use......as a drivers car it's simply brilliant

jayemm89

3,990 posts

129 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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My overriding memory of driving the E92 M3 on the roads is that the thing is physically very large. It feels similar in size to my E63 6-series, not sure how close it actually is. The roads that I know well and enjoy driving briskly are not very wide and I do wonder if it would hamper my enjoyment of them.

My major criticism of the E92 is that like many BMWs the exhaust note seems somewhat strangled in stock trim.

Slippydiff

14,712 posts

222 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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turboman786 said:
The r8 v10 is a stunning car....absolutely adore mine but it attracts too much attention and is impractical for daily use......as a drivers car it's simply brilliant
Interesting, I spent some time behind the wheel of an R8 V10 plus (biblically quick, but totally lacking in tactility or any kind of engagement) and then an R8 V10 GT Coupe last year, having come from a 964 RS, 993 RS, Mk1 996 GT3, 996 GT3 RS, 996 GT2 and 997 GT3, I was rather underwhelmed by the Audi, nice build quality, great engine, but didn't get into it's stride until well above the NSL (likewise the epic engine/exhaust noise was out of reach most of the time) brakes good, loved the hopeless gearbox (but I loved the SMG 'box in my M3 CSL too), neither car felt particularly wieldy, and as a "drivers" car, it fell waaay short of all the stuff I've listed.

So a genuine question, what are the attributes that you like about your V10 R8, and more specifically, what are the attributes that you feel make it a simply brilliant drivers car ?

Have driven a couple of DCT E90 M3 saloons, for what it's worth, I think the saloon is a far better looking car than the Coupe, especially from the rear where you can see and appreciate the wider rear arches. The M3 left me feeling it was a big heavy barge with a great engine and superb (but dull) gearbox, but a bit like my comments on the Audi above, you needed to well and truly on it to make the chassis feel alive, and the engine performance/noise wasn't really available until you were into licence losing territory, all seemed a bit pointless for commuting duty, and didn't really stack up as a weekend hooning tool. So I went with E90 335D M Sport auto saloon as a daily and a 1M coupe for weekend hoons.

cerb4.5lee

30,042 posts

179 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Lefty said:
I appreciate that mine is a minority view but here goes.

I bought an approved used e92 m3 last summer to replace a v10 RS6 and it was just about the most disappointing car I've ever owned. I had possibly built up too much in the way of unrealistic expectation but it felt like a "normal" petrol 3-series 90% of the time and the other 10% (when thrashing it) it felt a bit lardy, a bit dull. The performance, whilst quick by most standards, always felt a bit thin. The real killer for me was that it just never felt special. It always felt overweight and over-refined for a car of sporting intentions.

It made a reasonable fist of most jobs but didn't excel at anything. If you could only have one car it would be ok probably but I'm not keen on the jack-of-all, master-of-none approach.
I felt exactly the same as you did with mine too and the "E92 M3 best car ever" tag...no not for me, "the most overrated car ever" is far more accurate and closer to the mark.

cerb4.5lee

30,042 posts

179 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
jon- said:
Currently shopping for an e92 M3, but am avoiding DCT. Can someone change my mind? Driven them, it's a very good gearbox, but much like PDK I don't love it.
Mine was a manual and I didn't give the DCT a second thought because I prefer a three pedal set up, the trouble with the manual is its gearing though and in third at 8400rpm is 110mph so that gives you an idea of how difficult it is to enjoy its performance to the full.

Not a lot happens below 6k revs because the engine is torque light so you are cog swapping a lot in the manual to keep the engine on the boil which isn't a bad thing but I would argue that the DCT suits the engines characteristics far more, as you can just flick down gears really quickly with the paddles and if you just floor it it will get the revs nice and high too.

toasty

7,432 posts

219 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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I would certainly like to have a go in the cars mentioned in the OP's history but am happy with my M3 DCT.

At first I found it dull compared to my previous E46 M3 but have since concluded that it's just so much more capable driving around at everyday speeds. Full on they're both good fun but the E92 does feel more lardy.

I guess you can judge how good the E92 is by what you'd need to spend to buy a worthwhile upgrade. For example, a 997.2 PDK of similar age and mileage would be £20k more for more poise and agility but less power and practicality.

Jack of all trades and master of none? Possibly. There are other cars with more power, refinement, agility, excitement, efficiency and better looks but none with it all in the same package.

It may not be the best car ever but it's well up there.

stevenandalex

124 posts

203 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Lefty said:
I appreciate that mine is a minority view but here goes.

I bought an approved used e92 m3 last summer to replace a v10 RS6 and it was just about the most disappointing car I've ever owned. I had possibly built up too much in the way of unrealistic expectation but it felt like a "normal" petrol 3-series 90% of the time and the other 10% (when thrashing it) it felt a bit lardy, a bit dull. The performance, whilst quick by most standards, always felt a bit thin. The real killer for me was that it just never felt special. It always felt overweight and over-refined for a car of sporting intentions.

It made a reasonable fist of most jobs but didn't excel at anything. If you could only have one car it would be ok probably but I'm not keen on the jack-of-all, master-of-none approach.

I chopped it in for an Evoque and a 1999 Elise s1. I'm not a horsepower we, the Elise (all £7500 of it) feels much more of an event on every drive. I don't miss the m3 in the slightest.
I have recently come out of owning an M3 for two years and can agree with most of what you are saying. The thing that disappointed me the most though was the steering rack and how inconsistent it was and had very little feel. As for the heaviness, even with the edc in sport the car felt a bit boat like on roundabouts. I really miss the noise of the V8 though.

bennyboysvuk

3,491 posts

247 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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stevenandalex said:
I have recently come out of owning an M3 for two years and can agree with most of what you are saying. The thing that disappointed me the most though was the steering rack and how inconsistent it was and had very little feel. As for the heaviness, even with the edc in sport the car felt a bit boat like on roundabouts. I really miss the noise of the V8 though.
What did you replace it with? Did you have a shortlist of possible replacements?

I still find that even with all the things that I dislike about the current and recent crop of BMWs, they still fit my wants better than any other manufacturer.

daz05

2,900 posts

194 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
jon- said:
Currently shopping for an e92 M3, but am avoiding DCT. Can someone change my mind? Driven them, it's a very good gearbox, but much like PDK I don't love it.

Also, I'd take the v10 R8 all day. So much better than the v8 R8
Good move Jon, the manual is typical BMW, but really needs the M5 shifter and a small clutch stop to reduce the clutch travel a little.

Best car ever is a big claim OP but I love mine, just does everything well. However, two thingsthat should have come as standard.

- The M performance exhaust or equivalent - noise
- Competition pack suspension - tightens everything up.




Edited by daz05 on Monday 18th January 14:40

daz05

2,900 posts

194 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
Lefty said:
I appreciate that mine is a minority view but here goes.

I bought an approved used e92 m3 last summer to replace a v10 RS6 and it was just about the most disappointing car I've ever owned. I had possibly built up too much in the way of unrealistic expectation but it felt like a "normal" petrol 3-series 90% of the time and the other 10% (when thrashing it) it felt a bit lardy, a bit dull. The performance, whilst quick by most standards, always felt a bit thin. The real killer for me was that it just never felt special. It always felt overweight and over-refined for a car of sporting intentions.

It made a reasonable fist of most jobs but didn't excel at anything. If you could only have one car it would be ok probably but I'm not keen on the jack-of-all, master-of-none approach.

I chopped it in for an Evoque and a 1999 Elise s1. I'm not a horsepower we, the Elise (all £7500 of it) feels much more of an event on every drive. I don't miss the m3 in the slightest.
The M3 shows it's talents at higher speeds. It takes some time to gel with them but there are things you can do to make them feel a bit more special. I've kept mine and bought a facelift S2000 for something a bit more raw, neither is more or less fun they just give it in different ways.

Ideally I want an Exige alongside it next.

JMBMWM5

2,281 posts

197 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
turboman786 said:
The r8 v10 is a stunning car....absolutely adore mine but it attracts too much attention and is impractical for daily use......as a drivers car it's simply brilliant
Yep I found the same thing, everyone including PLOD watched everywhere, it had to go.

Bungle007

18 posts

100 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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I had an e92 M3 as a daily driver and found it quite irritating.
The DCT box was always trying to get into 7th gear, even at 40 mph, then if you put your foot down, it would have to drop 4 gears. This was in spite of being in gearbox mode 5, Ie the most aggressive normal mode. You would normally choose 4th or 5th max at 40.
When you were having fun, it was happy to play, but to get to the power, you needed 7000 rpm +, and then, Even in 2nd gear you'd be doing 90 mph. Response at 3000 rpm was nothing special. If it was just a fun car, I can see the appeal, but as a daily driver for 15,000 miles/annum, 250 miles / tank, and the irritations above made me chop it in after 9 months.

turboman786

Original Poster:

1,049 posts

186 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all


So a genuine question, what are the attributes that you like about your V10 R8, and more specifically, what are the attributes that you feel make it a simply brilliant drivers car?

Ok here goes.
.kwik summary as typing on my phone

- blisteringly quick....and I say that having come from a stage 4.5 gtr

- amazing sounds (albeit I've got a milltek supercup on it)

- visceral driving experience...analogue not digital

- superbly balanced chassis, grippy yet playful

- still looks stunning despite its age

- amazing grip and poise at speed

- lovely steering feel

- quite comfy for a junior supercar

All in all I'd give it 8.5/10