E92 M3 Competition Pack
Discussion
e30m3Mark said:
Car's looking great and the carbon mirrors are a nice contrast. I always intended doing the OE silencer mod to mine as always felt it was just a little lacking in the sound dept.
Great cars though and brilliant engine.
Thanks Mark, can't wait to get some sound out of it. Increasingly thinking about doing the OE mod and seeing how I get on with the sound increase, might be sufficient, but it'll certainly take some of the desperation out of my search for an exhaust! Great cars though and brilliant engine.
SiT said:
e30m3Mark said:
Mine was convertible so I'd suggest you go for it if the opportunity should arise. 
You have a ‘Readers Cars’ thread on yours? Not often you see a convertible version, I love a top down experience but not read much from anyone in terms of how it compares? Edited by e30m3Mark on Thursday 29th March 17:58
Si
RS Grant said:
Happy days, what spec did you go for Jez? What car are you moving on from?
Mine looks pretty much identical to your's on the outside apart from the wheels. BMW M sport carbon front and rear spoilers too!Only difference on the inside is the leather colour and transmission. I've come from a manual Z4 3.0L and always had manual car's in the past. This is my first DCT car and so far am loving it!
Few pics of mine on this thread.. after driving it back 300 odd miles in the rain! Needs a good clean!
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I am getting a service done next week then most likely going to book the exhaust mod soon.
I'm not surprised that you won Reader's Car of the Week, you have had a cracking car history after all! 
Loving the M3. The E92 was always the one that stood out to me, with it's V8 engine. Do you find the power-band frustrating at all? There are a few on here that couldn't get on with the way it delivered it's power. I know it all depends on where you live and the roads that you often drive it on, but i'm just keen to hear your thoughts on it.
I find myself preferring turbo-power these days. This is why i find the F80 M3/M4 more and more appealing and even the M-Lites as a cheaper alternative to a proper M-Car. I know there's no comparison, but i find something like an M235i/M240i or even an Golf R being perfect for me with my driving, equipped with the ZF 8-speed 'box/DSG.
Loving the M3. The E92 was always the one that stood out to me, with it's V8 engine. Do you find the power-band frustrating at all? There are a few on here that couldn't get on with the way it delivered it's power. I know it all depends on where you live and the roads that you often drive it on, but i'm just keen to hear your thoughts on it.
I find myself preferring turbo-power these days. This is why i find the F80 M3/M4 more and more appealing and even the M-Lites as a cheaper alternative to a proper M-Car. I know there's no comparison, but i find something like an M235i/M240i or even an Golf R being perfect for me with my driving, equipped with the ZF 8-speed 'box/DSG.
culpz said:
I'm not surprised that you won Reader's Car of the Week, you have had a cracking car history after all!
Loving the M3. The E92 was always the one that stood out to me, with it's V8 engine. Do you find the power-band frustrating at all? There are a few on here that couldn't get on with the way it delivered it's power. I know it all depends on where you live and the roads that you often drive it on, but i'm just keen to hear your thoughts on it.
I find myself preferring turbo-power these days. This is why i find the F80 M3/M4 more and more appealing and even the M-Lites as a cheaper alternative to a proper M-Car. I know there's no comparison, but i find something like an M235i/M240i or even an Golf R being perfect for me with my driving, equipped with the ZF 8-speed 'box/DSG.
Don't own the E92 M3 myself but I am driving my brothers fairly regularly now, he had a M4 before it. His is a competition pack 2012.Loving the M3. The E92 was always the one that stood out to me, with it's V8 engine. Do you find the power-band frustrating at all? There are a few on here that couldn't get on with the way it delivered it's power. I know it all depends on where you live and the roads that you often drive it on, but i'm just keen to hear your thoughts on it.
I find myself preferring turbo-power these days. This is why i find the F80 M3/M4 more and more appealing and even the M-Lites as a cheaper alternative to a proper M-Car. I know there's no comparison, but i find something like an M235i/M240i or even an Golf R being perfect for me with my driving, equipped with the ZF 8-speed 'box/DSG.
I must say when I read the reviews of the V8 M3 of 'low torque' and 'no grunt' I am left confused. This car really get's going and is a pleasure to drive, yes the M4 will bite your head off due to the turbo, but stick the V8 in manual mode and floor it from 4k revs and it is off like a rocket.
Drive a well sorted one, it drove completely different to how I imagined, a very modern feeling car and very fast, I have to doubt it people who say it has no grunt have either never driven one, or don't know how to drive a NA or just stepped out of a RS3.
Edited by EC123 on Wednesday 4th April 12:38
Jez m said:
RS Grant said:
Happy days, what spec did you go for Jez? What car are you moving on from?
Mine looks pretty much identical to your's on the outside apart from the wheels. BMW M sport carbon front and rear spoilers too!Only difference on the inside is the leather colour and transmission. I've come from a manual Z4 3.0L and always had manual car's in the past. This is my first DCT car and so far am loving it!
Few pics of mine on this thread.. after driving it back 300 odd miles in the rain! Needs a good clean!
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I am getting a service done next week then most likely going to book the exhaust mod soon.
Exhaust mod sounds great, if/when I decide to get my finger out and make some time to get it done.. it'll be a 2-pipe mod, which is the right side of acceptable for me and comes with zero drone. If it was a track car or I was a decade younger then I might be tempted to go a bit more fruity with the exhaust, but since I'm in my mid-30s and would like to remain friends with my neighbours, I think a 2-pipe is the limit for me.
Your car looks great, although I may be slightlyyyy biased of course! When combined with the black door cards (I think the grey door cards bring a bit too much grey) I like the Palladium interior and especially since it's extended in yours as well, which I think lifts the interior nicely.
Obviously I won't be taking advantage myself, but like others have mentioned, I'd be sticking on a DCT flash/map to GTS settings which will makes a good difference to the performance of the gearbox.
culpz said:
I'm not surprised that you won Reader's Car of the Week, you have had a cracking car history after all!
Thanks, I've had a wide variety in my past and loads of good memories.. still maintain that the Rover 216GTi and Ford Ka were up there as some of the fondest/shedtastic memories though!! culpz said:
I'm not surprised that you won Reader's Car of the Week, you have had a cracking car history after all! :DLoving the M3. The E92 was always the one that stood out to me, with it's V8 engine. Do you find the power-band frustrating at all? There are a few on here that couldn't get on with the way it delivered it's power. I know it all depends on where you live and the roads that you often drive it on, but i'm just keen to hear your thoughts on it.
I find myself preferring turbo-power these days. This is why i find the F80 M3/M4 more and more appealing and even the M-Lites as a cheaper alternative to a proper M-Car. I know there's no comparison, but i find something like an M235i/M240i or even an Golf R being perfect for me with my driving, equipped with the ZF 8-speed 'box/DSG.
I find myself preferring turbo-power these days. This is why i find the F80 M3/M4 more and more appealing and even the M-Lites as a cheaper alternative to a proper M-Car. I know there's no comparison, but i find something like an M235i/M240i or even an Golf R being perfect for me with my driving, equipped with the ZF 8-speed 'box/DSG.
EC123 said:
Don't own the E92 M3 myself but I am driving my brothers fairly regularly now, he had a M4 before it. His is a competition pack 2012.
I must say when I read the reviews of the V8 M3 of 'low torque' and 'no grunt' I am left confused. This car really get's going and is a pleasure to drive, yes the M4 will bite your head off due to the turbo, but stick the V8 in manual mode and floor it from 4k revs and it is off like a rocket.
Drive a well sorted one, it drove completely different to how I imagined, a very modern feeling car and very fast, I have to doubt it people who say it has no grunt have either never driven one, or don't know how to drive a NA or just stepped out of a RS3.
I love the engine in the M3, but the V8 engine doesn't behave in the way that some may expect a V8 engine to behave; which leads to the 'torque-less' and 'needs screwed to the redline to move' type comments that you see around the internet. I can see why some may think that, but I do think they're rather missing the point of an E9* M3 a little too.. and it clearly isn't a car which will suit them and their driving style.I must say when I read the reviews of the V8 M3 of 'low torque' and 'no grunt' I am left confused. This car really get's going and is a pleasure to drive, yes the M4 will bite your head off due to the turbo, but stick the V8 in manual mode and floor it from 4k revs and it is off like a rocket.
Drive a well sorted one, it drove completely different to how I imagined, a very modern feeling car and very fast, I have to doubt it people who say it has no grunt have either never driven one, or don't know how to drive a NA or just stepped out of a RS3.
I've watched American muscle cars lifting their front wheels as they take off (not just in Fast and Furious either!
) due to a big lump of torque at the bottom of the rev range.. and traditional V8s in lightweight cars like TVRs clearly amplify the low down grunt of a big capacity engine. From memory a friend I used to work with had a Cerbera and I'm sure he said that it weighed ~1100kg, where as the M3 weighs ~1600kg so there's no doubt that a similarly powered TVR with slightly more torque is going to feel a LOT more lively.I also find the M3 very easy to make progress in, I drive quite a bit with the traction control in either M-Dynamic Mode or fully disengaged; but even on Continental tyres (which I don't rate as highly as my preference of Michelins) I can't recall any moments where the car has stepped out unexpectedly on me.. and to be honest, even if it's provoked to slide, it's very easy to control.
In contrast, driving my mums F80 M3 (LCI and manual gearbox) is a different animal completely.. I drive that almost exclusively in M-Dynamic Mode and when the wall of torque hits, if you're not fully in a straight line or the road is even slightly damp, the rear will give a bit of a wiggle and with traction control disengaged it will light the rear tyres very easily indeed. This is something made worse (in my opinion) by the addition of DCT gearbox because a lot of people seem to drive around with the box set on max gearchange ferocity and then moan when the car gets unsettled at higher speeds when they're banging through the gearbox like they're in the DTM.
Another consideration to many is the C63 and while I thought about it briefly before mainly being put off by the gearbox; I was also a bit put off by the lack of traction available, the lack of an LSD (unless you go for a Performance Pack car) and also the image they've got; due to a certain element buying them and driving like absolute idiots/going burnout crazy in Englandshire. However they sound fantastic and provide that low down grunt that some people will find lacking in the M3... so it's horses for courses really.
So while the engine in these muscle cars/TVRs/AMGs are big brutes and pretty much all sound great and V8'y on a level that makes a standard E9* M3 sound like a hairdryer.. they've not got the delicacy of the S65 in the M3. I really, really enjoy winding the M3 up and listening to the induction tone change as the rev counter sweeps up past 3-4-5k until it peaks past 8k rpm. It's genuinely a masterpiece and I don't think it'll ever be repeated again unfortunately; although I really do hope it is and if so, that it would be available with a manual gearbox option too.
In the real world of traffic, roadworks, changing weather, etc.. if I was needing a daily driver, then I would absolutely have an automatic. Crawling along in stop-start traffic with a manual gearbox is absolutely one of the worst things ever, so I'd have a DCT/DSG/ZF-equipped car without any hesitation. Then it would just depend on my annual mileage to dictate whether I could justify the running costs of an M3, but as a year-round proposition that won't cost the earth to run and put a big smile on your face when the opportunity arises, a MK7 Golf R is a very difficult car to equal for me.
Edited by RS Grant on Thursday 5th April 13:31
SiT said:
That was a great little read thanks Grant, although it's not helped me quell my urge to buy one - in talks with an owner already......
Could you let me have you address and phone number so I can pass it to my wife if no sorry when I buy one!!!!!
Si
Can I also have it please Grant since it was your car that also forced me to buy one...Could you let me have you address and phone number so I can pass it to my wife if no sorry when I buy one!!!!!
Si
SiT wait till you hear the v8 scream. Make sure you Get the spec you want. The condition you want. With the mods you want. Could take you a while to find the one you want.
RS Grant said:
The 3.0l engine in the Z4 is a cracker.. moving to the big V8 is a natural progression I suppose.
Exhaust mod sounds great, if/when I decide to get my finger out and make some time to get it done.. it'll be a 2-pipe mod, which is the right side of acceptable for me and comes with zero drone. If it was a track car or I was a decade younger then I might be tempted to go a bit more fruity with the exhaust, but since I'm in my mid-30s and would like to remain friends with my neighbours, I think a 2-pipe is the limit for me.
Your car looks great, although I may be slightlyyyy biased of course! When combined with the black door cards (I think the grey door cards bring a bit too much grey) I like the Palladium interior and especially since it's extended in yours as well, which I think lifts the interior nicely.
Obviously I won't be taking advantage myself, but like others have mentioned, I'd be sticking on a DCT flash/map to GTS settings which will makes a good difference to the performance of the gearbox.
I'm with you on that, also mid 30's and have left my day's of droning exhausts behind me now! Can't be dealing with that noise. I'm looking at the de-cat pipe from Evolve. https://www.evolveautomotive.com/evolve-cat-delete... Seems like a good compromise in terms of releasing power and not creating an over the top noise from the full on X-pipe replacement.Exhaust mod sounds great, if/when I decide to get my finger out and make some time to get it done.. it'll be a 2-pipe mod, which is the right side of acceptable for me and comes with zero drone. If it was a track car or I was a decade younger then I might be tempted to go a bit more fruity with the exhaust, but since I'm in my mid-30s and would like to remain friends with my neighbours, I think a 2-pipe is the limit for me.
Your car looks great, although I may be slightlyyyy biased of course! When combined with the black door cards (I think the grey door cards bring a bit too much grey) I like the Palladium interior and especially since it's extended in yours as well, which I think lifts the interior nicely.
Obviously I won't be taking advantage myself, but like others have mentioned, I'd be sticking on a DCT flash/map to GTS settings which will makes a good difference to the performance of the gearbox.
DCT map is definitely getting done soon, if anything just to improve the Auto mode as on full attack M mode i can't imagine how it could be any faster changing gears!
Need to start a readers car thread on mine, just gave it a clean and wax!
cerb4.5lee said:
That's an excellent sum up Grant 
and I would echo that having had both a Cerbera 4.5 and a manual E92 M3.
This is the Cerbera which my friend had... and I would echo that having had both a Cerbera 4.5 and a manual E92 M3. 
IMG_9697 by Grant Farnan, on Flickr...going for a blast with him was (and still is) one of the most intense car experiences that I've had; the noise, the performance, the whole package was absolutely unreal and totally different to any 'normal' car which I've been in. In contrast to that, my M3 is beyond refined and definitely not as intense, so I can see why you may have felt your M3 was a bit of a let down in comparison if you were looking for a TVR-esque experience.
e30m3Mark said:
I loved the S65 too. Reminded me of an S14 in its character.
Have never had the pleasure of experiencing an S14 myself, but you're not the first to draw a similar parallel between the two.SiT said:
That was a great little read thanks Grant, although it's not helped me quell my urge to buy one - in talks with an owner already......
Could you let me have you address and phone number so I can pass it to my wife if no sorry when I buy one!!!!!
Si
Could you let me have you address and phone number so I can pass it to my wife if no sorry when I buy one!!!!!
Si
MikeGoodwin said:
Can I also have it please Grant since it was your car that also forced me to buy one...
SiT wait till you hear the v8 scream. Make sure you Get the spec you want. The condition you want. With the mods you want. Could take you a while to find the one you want.
Hahaha, I've got big enough shoulders to carry that burden lads. But I'll practice my best 'I'm sorry' face just in case they get past my (now heavily secured!) front door.. which will be tough, given that I'm not sorry at all and love how I'm silently influencing these purchases!! SiT wait till you hear the v8 scream. Make sure you Get the spec you want. The condition you want. With the mods you want. Could take you a while to find the one you want.
Jez m said:
I'm with you on that, also mid 30's and have left my day's of droning exhausts behind me now! Can't be dealing with that noise. I'm looking at the de-cat pipe from Evolve. https://www.evolveautomotive.com/evolve-cat-delete... Seems like a good compromise in terms of releasing power and not creating an over the top noise from the full on X-pipe replacement.
DCT map is definitely getting done soon, if anything just to improve the Auto mode as on full attack M mode i can't imagine how it could be any faster changing gears!
Need to start a readers car thread on mine, just gave it a clean and wax!
Your car looks great Jez, it inspired me to get mine booked into my detailer to clean it up and give me a good base to work with!!DCT map is definitely getting done soon, if anything just to improve the Auto mode as on full attack M mode i can't imagine how it could be any faster changing gears!
Need to start a readers car thread on mine, just gave it a clean and wax!
I've looked at the Evolve Test Pipes as well, although it requires a remap as well so until I start to get a used/bored of the power in the standard car then I don't want to bump things up any further.. that way I'll be able to really appreciate the difference that the test pipes and remap seem make according to the Evolve website and reviews that I've seen on them.
alec.e said:
Spotted today on M74 between Glasgow and Lockerbie, I was in the Transit who gave you a thumbs up.
Looked awesome on the road.
Thanks Alec, I was on my way down to Preston at the time and I had a few waves and flashes over the past few days.. surprising because to many (including my girlfriend!) it's just a grey BMW 3-series! But that's part of the appeal to me, the M3-specific stuff is quite subtle so it'll fly under the radar of those who don't know what they're looking at... but those who know will spot it instantly. Looked awesome on the road.
RS Grant said:
cerb4.5lee said:
That's an excellent sum up Grant and I would echo that having had both a Cerbera 4.5 and a manual E92 M3.
This is the Cerbera which my friend had... and I would echo that having had both a Cerbera 4.5 and a manual E92 M3. IMG_9697 by Grant Farnan, on Flickr...going for a blast with him was (and still is) one of the most intense car experiences that I've had; the noise, the performance, the whole package was absolutely unreal and totally different to any 'normal' car which I've been in. In contrast to that, my M3 is beyond refined and definitely not as intense, so I can see why you may have felt your M3 was a bit of a let down in comparison if you were looking for a TVR-esque experience.
With hindsight it wasn't the M3's fault and I just had far too high expectations of it, and I unfairly compared it to my Cerbera because they both were V8's/Manual/RWD with a LSD.
I've realised now that you can't get much/If anything to match the thrill a Cerbera gives you. Although I did really enjoy the M3 at crazy speeds and it was really good at going sideways!
The M3 just felt so ordinary day to day to me(that's its plus point in fairness), whereas in the Cerbera if you were doing 30 or 130 you still had a smile on your face. It was an event at any speed.
Edited by cerb4.5lee on Monday 23 April 12:40
cerb4.5lee said:
With hindsight it wasn't the M3's fault and I just had far too high expectations of it, and I unfairly compared it to my Cerbera because they both were V8's/Manual/RWD with a LSD.
I've realised now that you can't get much/If anything to match the thrill a Cerbera gives you. Although I did really enjoy the M3 at crazy speeds and it was really good at going sideways!
The M3 just felt so ordinary day to day to me(that's its plus point in fairness), whereas in the Cerbera if you were doing 30 or 130 you still had a smile on your face. It was an event at any speed.
Yeah, on paper they may sound similar.. but they are poles apart in reality.I've realised now that you can't get much/If anything to match the thrill a Cerbera gives you. Although I did really enjoy the M3 at crazy speeds and it was really good at going sideways!
The M3 just felt so ordinary day to day to me(that's its plus point in fairness), whereas in the Cerbera if you were doing 30 or 130 you still had a smile on your face. It was an event at any speed.
I'd LOVE to try a TVR however I'm not sure I have the amount of patience to deal with the wee niggles that come with ownership. My friend with the Cerbera also had a Tuscan at the same time and despite both leading pampered lives, they both threw up niggly little issues for him... in fact, on the drive we had in the countryside the speedo of the Cerbera just stopped working and it didn't phase him at all... 'oh, the speedo's stopped' was all he said?! I'd have pulled over to try and investigate and/or got annoyed that it had broken something and interrupted my countryside drive!!
The M3 is a much easier beast to control when you get the rear sliding, from what I've seen of how twitchy a TVR can be.. another friend had a Tuscan and one day I was following him through town in a 40mph limit, it was damp but not raining, he accelerated off a roundabout at a normal rate but the rear of the car just went and he ended up facing me?!! Don't get me wrong it's great fun reminding him of that, but I'm not sure I have enough spare pairs of boxer shorts to have a car which can do that myself!!
Yes and my Cerbera was an absolute pain in the backside to live with and it was only my toy so I mainly used it at weekends. You just can't rely on them as a daily(full stop!).
I used it occasionally for work and I always remember it being wet once and I only lightly used the throttle and it just stepped out for no reason...it always kept you on your toes!
I loved the chassis on the M3 and I found it predictable and great fun to slide at low speeds(I'm not talented enough at high speeds!).
I really appreciate chatting to you about the two cars and you appreciating both sides. Usually I get absolutely blasted for having a view on the M3. Yours is a total stunner.
I used it occasionally for work and I always remember it being wet once and I only lightly used the throttle and it just stepped out for no reason...it always kept you on your toes!
I loved the chassis on the M3 and I found it predictable and great fun to slide at low speeds(I'm not talented enough at high speeds!).
I really appreciate chatting to you about the two cars and you appreciating both sides. Usually I get absolutely blasted for having a view on the M3. Yours is a total stunner.
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