E92 M3 Competition Pack

[RS Grant]

Can't quite believe it, but my car made the front page of Pistonheads and was selected as Readers' Car of the Week.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

...was out for a meal and got a text from my friend saying 'You're famous' ...my obvious reaction was 'Oh no, what have I done?!' but thankfully he went on to explain what he meant!

To be honest I might not have seen it if he hadn't told me or it'd not been mentioned on here; I try hard to stay away from the home page as I've got a habit of meandering over to the Classifieds, which has ended up quite expensive before!!

But given the number of amazing cars and threads on here, it was a surprise to have my thread picked out! I'm very glad it has though and equally as happy to see how well received my mumblings have been too, I'll keep this updated with my journey with the E92 M3; good, bad or ugly.

[RS Grant]

MikeGoodwin said:

Lovely. Which warranty company? The MC I originally wanted was under warranty from warranty wise and after he sold it I messaged to ask his opinion on them. He rated them highly saying he had a fair bit done with no issue.

Actually ignore me you said already. Doh.

Haha no worries Mike.. re: WarrantyWise, I'm sure one of my friends had a policy with them on an E60 M5 Touring and in true E60 M5-fashion, it threw up some fairly hefty bills, all of which I'm sure were covered by his policy; I can check for certain if needs be. Aside from the inspector being called, I cannot fault the warranty that I've got on my car, although I'm unsure what the cost of that was as it came with the car.

Once I come towards the end of this years cover, I'll see how much it will cost to continue with my current provider but I may end up biting the bullet and shelling out for the BMW Insured warranty given that it's a comprehensive, no quibble, in-house job.

1974foggy said:

Lovely car and stunning countryside, hope to trundle up in my e46 m3 someday soon.
Ill be packing my camera as well having seen the inspirational images here!

Thank you, you'll not be disappointed if you make the trip.. I loved taking my old E46 M3 on the same roads.

999090_10151596811948918_655254154_n by RS Grant, on Flickr

apm142001 said:

Lovely car, much cleaner and more elegant than the F80/82 (not to mention a more interesting engine), and looks like you've got one of the best ones about.

Great pictures too, the Forth Bridge ones a particular favourite!

I agree about the F8* cars, they are considerably quicker (in the correct conditions!) due to the turbos and huge increase in mid range ability, but I find them less satisfying to drive quickly than the E9* cars. Looks are a personal thing, I love an F80 mainly due to the comedy rear arches but I'm a bit indifferent about the F82 overall.

FRB pictures are something I've been wanting to do for a long, long time so I'm glad I finally got it out of my system. They're also a favourite of mine, so I'm planning to see if they are good enough quality to 'blow up' so I can get one framed.

[RS Grant]

domtheone said:

Great thread. Enjoyed reading that.

Gorgeous looking car too. One day....

cuda said:

Lovely indeed. A front lip/splitter would make it perfect...

ZX10R NIN said:

Nice car & +1 to the above.

Thanks, unsure about a splitter.. I've always liked the small carbon corners on an E92 M3, so unless they meet a grizzly end then I don't think I'd change them.

SiT said:

Loving reading this and you made PH homepage!! Congratulations!

I am glad the faults have been rectified seamlessly for you, my previous mention of filling my performance gap later on in the year may have been brought forward a touch, thanks in the most part to this thread!!!!

Keep it up.

Si

No point putting these things off Si...

[RS Grant]

Avus Blue said:

This has really been my week on PH! First a 106 Rallye thread (had a black S1 for 4 years and loved every minute of it!) and now a bit of M3 love. I had an E36 3 litre for 10 years, great car but was starting to lose the battle against the rot and I don't have a garage that I could've retired it to as a toy so it had to go. I love E46 M3's but felt they were a bit too similar to what I already had, plus I'd lusted after the E92 M3 since I first saw and heard them. After a bit of man maths I decided I could afford it and took the plunge nearly 3.5 years ago. Bought used from Sytner Newport. Jerez Black with Fox red leather, manual box and non EDC dampers, style 220's and a few other options ticked. I've done a few little bits to it over the past 3 years. As an early 57 plate one the kidney grills were all chrome, surrounds and slats and it made the front look a bit toothy so they were swapped out for a set of genuine BMW gloss black ones. I wanted the side gills to match but BMW wouldn't sell them to me as I don't have the right chassis number! Ended up buying some carbon ones with a weave to match the roof. The carbon is good, but fitting was a bit of an ordeal and took some fettling to get them sitting right. I wanted the bonnet vent surrounds to match but after the experience with the gills I bought some genuine ones unpainted from BMW and had them carbon dipped, cost half as much as aftermarket carbon, fit perfectly and unless you look closely you cant tell they aren't carbon. I had the BMW performance rear spoiler fitted last year and I'm really happy with the improvement. Not cheap but definitely quality. Corner splitters are next and possibly mirror caps, will be going for the BMW ones as the fit and finish is so much better than the aftermarket stuff.

The OP mentions an exhaust upgrade. I've got a Remus "wolf inside" cat back on mine, with gloss black and carbon tips and I love it. Nice tone without being boomy or droning, came in at around £1400 with the tips I chose. The other engine upgrade I've done is a BMC filter and this again makes a lovely noise, much deeper induction noise than standard. The two together have made a noticeable improvement to engine pick up. It gets through the lower part of the rev range so much quicker now. Not really more power, but definitely more response. Another trick I found is in the M settings you can set the throttle response to sport as soon as the key is in. I've then got it set for sport + on the M button. In "normal" I found the throttle response to be a bit mushy. They do lack a little bit of low down torque, but if you're prepared to rev them out it more than makes up for it at the top end. 6K to the redline is epic, and never fails to put a smile on my face.

Interesting post, I assume that BMW wouldn't sell them to you because your car wasn't one of the later LE models that came with gloss black gills? That seems a bit ridiculous, I knew they were a bit precious about genuine E46 CSL parts, but hadn't realised that they were the same way with small E92 bits like that. I was hoping to replace my sides with gloss black gills to match the current front grills, but may have to look somewhere other than OE now.

Also appreciate the info regarding the exhaust, I'd been fairly set on Milltek but Remus may be an option too... will have to spend some more time listening to these on YouTube it seems, what a chore?!

A BMC replacement element will also be getting fitted sometime too, for £50-60 it seems silly not to really.

[RS Grant]

9k rpm said:

Interesting write up and lovely motor. Interesting you managed to find a manual comp pack.

I still miss my DCT one.

Looks good, was that Silverstone? It's a lovely colour if so!

mike150 said:

Ah, I see you went for one of the rare blue MK7R. ...they both look great, Lapiz Blue is a lovely colour on the Golf (which is why it's so popular!) and Melbourne Red is a particular favourite of mine on an E9* shape car. Great taste.

pomp1 said:

Brilliant car, I hope you enjoy.

I had one of these a few years ago, it was technically superb - fast and comfy but sadly it did nothing for me. Came out of it into a W204 C63, a completely different animal that whilst was nowhere near as accomplished did more for me.

Sadly that too has been replaced now. Enjoy these larger engined cars whilst you still can....

Yep they are both great cars. I love the noise of the C63 and they are aggressive looking cars, I find them more like sledgehammers with the M3 being a little more like a regular claw hammer; both capable of destruction but the M3 being able to do it with a little more delicacy.

[RS Grant]

ChawenHalo said:

BMW dealerships are far better than most will give them credit IMO.

Couldn't agree more, I'm sure it varies a little depending on area; but locally we are quite lucky to have one or two dealers who are helpful, polite and don't think they're something special because their cars are worth a little more than the bloke down the street selling/servicing Dacias.

Patrick Bateman said:

You're right in my neck of the woods, I'll have to keep an eye out.

Likewise, what am I keeping an eye out for?

Ho Lee Kau said:

It's a nice car.
"I only live once" - I would then rather go 997 Turbo with race-derived Mezger boxer 3.6L engine with a manual transmission, it is awd, but when you drive it you realize how rear-biased it is, and taking the front shaft out makes it rwd if that is so important.

Porsche 6-speed manual with factory short throw pack is the best gearbox there is. After manual TTRS the gearbox in 997T is a revelation. Manual in Z4 was not good either.

Sure, if money were no object then something more exotic might join the M3.. funny you mention a 997 Turbo actually because growing up I have always wanted a 911 Turbo; 993, 996, 997... but now I'm old enough to appreciate/want more than all out pace, I don't think I'd buy one! I still love 911s, but I think now it'd be a 911 GT3 that I'd be buying rather than a Turbo.

Taking the shafts out of a 997 Turbo is quite a ballsy move too, not something I'd be comfortable doing!!

[RS Grant]

Ursicles said:

I have just bought my M3 after a few Porsches and at the mo still a bit scared of it - which is a good thing.

Don't think that gearbox is that great, and on mine reverse gear is an absolute nightmare sometimes.

But .. it does make a nice noise and once a few niggles are sorted I can't wait to properly get to know it over some nice roads.

I'm not surprised to hear that the gearbox isn't on the same level as something like a Porsche, it's not even as good as the manual gearbox in the VW Golf that I had before. However there are things which you can do to improve it, an F10 M5 gearknob is a common modification but if you need to go further then you can order an AS Short Shift kit which reduces the throw by various difference percentages.

Fingers crossed you get your niggles sorted out though, I think they're great cars to be in and string a few bends together on a flowing back road.

[RS Grant]

Patrick Bateman said:

Keep an eye out for a red Clio Trophy and a silver 7 series.

Will do!

RickAudiRS3 said:

Fantastic write up that I’ve read from start to finish. I made a similar move to yourself, I went from an Audi RS3 to the E92 M3. The Audi was a good car and had some real tricks up it’s sleave that it did well, and in some situations would blow the M3 out of the water. For me though driving is largely down to the experience, and that’s where the M3 is miles ahead. You have to be switched on, assessing, evaluating the road conditions, weather every second when making progress in the M3. It makes you feel alive, have a purpose rather than being a passenger. Every time I get out of the M3 I feel fresher than when I stepped into it. At the age of 30 and having crossed the motoring spectrum in terms of how the power is put onto tarmac, I can quite easily say that nothing is more enjoyable that finding yourself on an empty country road, in a RWD V8. Gorgeous car and I really love the colour (apart from the seats but that’s mainly because I’m a City fan ??). Exhaust mod I would recommend 100%. Contact PCW Exhausts he has done hundreds of these and cost between £200-400 depending on what you require.

Rick

Totally agree with that, including the exhaust mod! There's a guy locally trading in his E92 and he is taking bits off his car beforehand, one of those bits would be the exhaust with 2-pipe mod.. so given that mine is standard then a switch could happen if the planets align and we are able to meet somewhere before his trade in date and have them changed over, not before time either, cannot wait to unlock some V8 burble from it!!

9k rpm said:

RS Grant said:

Looks good, was that Silverstone? It's a lovely colour if so.

Yes it’s Silverstone II metallic. Looks nice in different light. Tempted to get an M4 in the same.

Looks fantastic on an M4, specially if you get a couple of the small carbon M Performance additions like splitter/spoiler.

TheAngryDog said:

Lovely looking car. This is helping me make my mind up between an M3 and an S4...

As a side note, I recognise your user name from passionford days.

Two pretty different beasts, the S4 is the more practical choice and likely to cost less to run I'd assume. However, personally it's just a quick A4 to me, more of a competitor to a 335i/340i with the RS4 being more on the M3 level of occasion and performance... that said, with a few small modifications to a B8 S4 then an E9* M3 probably couldn't live with it in a straight line!! They are very tuneable cars, I had a run against a guy who has a facelift B8 S4 running c450bhp (from memory!) in an F80 M3 and pulled out a few car lengths on him.. but as I've said before, I think an F8* is a faster car than an E9* model so expect that margin to be reversed should I repeat the run in my car.

Yeah I used to frequent PF for hours at a time 'back in the day' however it's a changed place now, I lurk on and off occasionally but there's not much being posted to keep an eye on anymore.. the great Photobucket shafting has also destroyed so many good restoration threads on there too. It's a shame because that forum used to be extremely busy and a good laugh a few years ago.

Avus Blue said:

It was exactly that. I was trying to order online, and they came back saying that my car wasn't fitted with those parts so I couldn't have them. I might have been able to if I'd gone to Sytner Newport or Trainer in Swansea and spoken to the parts guys direct as I know a few of them through the BMW car club but I didn't bother trying after the email I had back. If you get no joy with your local dealer then they are available through Turner Motorsport in the USA, and even with shipping its cheaper than what BMW charge here. I did try and order a set but my bank thought it was a fraudulent payment request and blocked it! So I bought the carbon ones instead. The original ones are a pig to get out of the wings too, I read online that you have to squeeze them a bit, and then rotate the bottom out but it really isn't that easy! I thought the wing was coming off before they were!

As for the exhaust, Miltek stuff is good, my mate with the B6 S4 has one on there. Its quite a bit louder than mine though. One thing I really like about the Remus one is that is does away with the big, ugly transverse box that hangs down under the bumper and has two smaller longitudinal mounted boxes instead which looks a lot neater IMO. I cant remember what the Miltek system is like, I did look at them before I bought the Remus and from memory it was a bit cheaper than the Remus too.

Yeah, the Milltek system is around £1100 on t'internet but have got a friend who is a Milltek supplier doing me a little better than that, so it works out a fair bit different to a Remus and in a completely different league to even a used Akrapovic system, which whenever I've seen them are £2500 or more. ...not sure I could bring myself to pay that for some pipework?!

Can only find 'Remus Race' and 'Remus Sport' clips on YouTube rather than the 'Wolf Inside' systems when I looked, but maybe a little more investigation will turn something up.. this was the official Remus video, which does make it sound pretty good to be fair, although I'd prefer the straight tips like you have since they are more OEM looking compared to the angled tips in the video.

Remus YouTube Video

[RS Grant]

Little update on life with the E92.. still going well after it's trip to the dealer to get the wee issues sorted, still too quiet though!! That led me to impluse buy an x-pipe which was advertised locally then, after much research and scrolling through YouTube, deciding that I wanted to retain my sense of hearing and didn't want to ruin the car for- me, so that won't be getting fitted!!

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

That's the pipe I bought and here is a YouTube video of someone who has fitted what looks like a very similar (identical?!) pipe to his E90...

https://youtu.be/TFkx8LlOm3E

...aaaand that's not for me! It sounds raspy and tinny, which might be to some people's tastes but I'm aiming unlock more of a low down deep V8 burble/rumble on my car.

Also managed to pick up a couple of cosmetic additions for it, a guy locally was selling off his M Performance add-ons in preparation for trading his car in; so I managed to bag a pair of genuine M Performance Carbon Mirror Covers and some M Performance Gloss Black Grills. I know what you're thinking, I've already got black grilles, which I do... however I've not had them off the car so I'm not sure if they are genuine M Performance and I'm a bit of a stickler for OE quality parts so thought I might as well buy these when I was offered them, I can always sell them on again. All parts have only done a couple of thousand miles at the most and are immaculate, so can't wait to get them fitted to the car.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

Had the car out for a good drive yesterday, absolutely loving it, cannot wait to add the little M Performance bits outside and finally make a decision in regards to the exhaust... which should pretty much complete it I think.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

[RS Grant]

MikeGoodwin said:

Very nice.

Halo light upgrade next? Got mine from perfekt over on m3cutters and don't rate them. Get the proper mtec ones from the US.

In two minds about the halos. I like the fact it's as-BMW intended currently and the light is well matched across all the halos, I like the sharper whiter look but don't want to get stung for something which doesn't replicate the OE brightness exactly.

I've seen M3POWERBOY (or something along those lines) selling an upgrade kit, but I've held off on buying those because they seem quite pricey for bulbs; although if that's the going rate for something which I'll be happy with then it is what it is and I'll just have to accept the cost.

How's your MC going Mike? Still enjoying it?

[RS Grant]

cerb4.5lee said:

I agree and that's made it sound like the S54 engine in the E46 M3 which I don't like the sound of either. I'm a big fan of the deep burble/rumble and I loved the noise the 4.8 V8 engine made in my X5(although very quiet).

I did get alongside a E92 M3 once that had a custom made exhaust, and it made a heavenly V8 noise(to me) so I know it can be done.

I always thought the S54 sounded ok, specially induction-wise... but if you've got a V8 then you want it to sound like a red blooded V8, especially since the engine is the focal piece of the E9* M3!! It is definitely possible to get the rumble, so it's just a case of weighing up how much I can justify spending on an exhaust to unlock it... it's a shame the M Performance exhaust is so pricey (and fragile apparently?!) because it would be a good fit with my preference for OE parts and need for a subtle-yet-purposeful increase in volume.

[RS Grant]

MikeGoodwin said:

That's the one. I look at mine from certain angles and the outer rings aren't as bright as they were stock. There was also some initial flickering when I fitted them but that seems to have gone now. I'd spend the money and get some proper mtec bulbs from the states.

Still enjoying it but find it frustrating as I rarely get the chance to let it rev out. When it do it's excellent and the thing howls but often I'll drive to work not getting near the redline or even the speed limit and I've got myself a 17mpg battle tank but then it can be quite relaxing to drive at the same time. Mixed feelings but I knew this would be the case before buying it.

Starting to explore MDM setting now some dry weather has shown up

That's good that you're still enjoying it, I've used mine for a little more mundane stuff recently and can identify that frustration of pottering around getting <20mpg without any of the payoff.. but I can engineer most of my journeys to take the slightly longer way home by diving off a slip road before or after mine for a little stretching of the M3's legs on a B-road before I get home, which is lucky.

Re: the halos, that's a shame.. because he gets good reviews on M3C but then maybe there are others like yourself who haven't wanted to be 'that' guy who speaks up against the voice of the masses and having to deal with all the rubbish from that; so if I decide to change my bulbs then I'll likely suck up the cost and buy the tried and tested ones you mention.

Haha you shouldn't do too much damage in MDM, but remove the TC safety net completely and you'll need to be ready to play!

[RS Grant]

SiT said:

I love this thread it just keeps my interest going, my X5 is now sold and rocking a shed as documented on here so the M3 could well be VERY close........

Keep the updates and pics going, I am going off to 'bump' Mikes thread back up so I have two sources of inspiration!!

Si

I like a bit of 'shedding' myself so I'll go and track that thread down shortly; along with Mikes thread too, which I hadn't realised he had started actually.

Glad it's still being of use and enjoyable enough to follow for people.. even if ultimately it may cost you many, many pound notes by way of an M3 purchase and ownership of your own!

[RS Grant]

Leon R said:

Where abouts are you located grant? I have the primary cat delete on mine if you want to hear how that sounds. I have the eventuri intake too if you were looking at those.

I'm in NE Scotland, so unlikely to be local, but really appreciate the offer and if by some stroke of luck you are in Scotland then I would definitely be keen to hear the difference your modifications have made to a standard M3. I think that the standard induction noise is great, so I would really like to hear an Eventuri intake in person to see how much it improves it, it must really howl at mid-high revs with that fitted?

[RS Grant]

Got the carbon mirrors fitted and noticed a couple of things.. they make a huge difference, but more importantly, the mirror bases are looking a little tired and needing some love! I have thought about getting them painted gloss black, however, they match the matte black trim round the window so not sure I want to create a mismatch there.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

Is there a product that people have used which will bring them back to life and not require constant topping up? I got really bored keeping on top of the bumpers of my Transit Connect and left them to get horrendous while the solvents and silicon crap was washed away, then I bought some Wurth bumper dye which was phenomenal stuff and (at most!) a yearly thing to top up.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

...I could get some more Wurth stuff given I work for them, haha, but it seems a bit overkill on some small trim like this, sooo any recommendations would be much appreciated!

I also took the car through to Edinburgh yesterday to give it a proper run and since I was in the Haymarket area, I stopped off at egg chasing Mecca for a Scottish supporter... since I'm never in a position to drive to this place normally!

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

[RS Grant]

aazer89 said:

Stunning car, lovely colour too. But (and this is just a personal opinion here) why oh why the brown leather interior?

It's not really too brown in real life, but it's on the same level of red as you got in other models in the E92 range. But regardless, I like the fact it's a good contrast from the more common black leather interior you get in these. I've had 3 longer term BMWs:

- 123d in Black with Black Leather
- E46 M3 Coupe in Black with Black Leather
- E91 335i in Black with Black Leather

...so it was important that I changed that cycle this time!!

I've also had an E39 540i Touring which was Aubergine with Cream leather and it was a FAR nicer/brighter place to be than the other cars above, so when I was looking for an E92/E90 I was fairly set on a Fox Red interior. I might have been convinced into a Champagne, Bamboo or Palladium Silver interior providing it had black dashboard/door cards, but I was certain that I didn't want another Black interior.

clowesy said:

RS Grant said:

Is there a product that people have used which will bring them back to life and not require constant topping up?

Have a look a Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer. Whilst it's not truly permenant, it is extremely good and lasts really well. I'm just about to order some for my Z4M wing mirror trims.

The car looks great by the way. I'm forever in a cycle of really wanting one - because I need a V8 in my life - and then convincing myself I don't want one - because it's too big for a weekend car and I want a convertible.

Thanks mate, I've ordered a bottle of C4 restorer. I don't mind the occasional top up, but I'm not into constantly having to touch in patchy areas as per the traditional 'Back 2 Black' type products.

The Z4M switch would be tricky for me to do as well, I loved my E46 M3 and have always liked the look of the Z4MC... what I can say is, the engine in the E9* cars is an absolute peach. I intend to only use mine at weekends/summer evening runs, so I will almost always get the engine spinning to 8,000+ when I use the car and that way picking up the keys and taking it for a drive remains a pretty special experience for me.

Jez m said:

Looks amazing!!

Hopefully picking up my Space Grey M3 tomorrow!

Happy days, what spec did you go for Jez? What car are you moving on from?

[RS Grant]

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!

[RS Grant]

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.

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.

[RS Grant]

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.

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'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

[RS Grant]

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...

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.