Wierd!

[croyde]

So I have had an interest in M3s eversince I bought an E36 323 back in 1998 and was bowled over when I finally saw the new M3 in the flesh at my local dealer, a couple of weeks ago.

I can't justify the cost yet I am going for a testdrive anyway but then I got a call to go and film some cars at Bruntingthorpe and today I find out that its a shoot out between the new Lexus, the AMG Mercedes and the new M3.

It turns out that the producer is an old associate of mine and of course I can have a go.

Must be fate, so where can I get my hands on a spare £50K.

[ASBO]

If it's the same Lexus that appeared at Brunters the other week then I should think the opposition will get a lesson in humility.

[GameOverMan!]

Sounds like you're in for one top time with plenty of rubber being burnt! You're a lucky chap.

I would loved to have driven the C63AMG to compare against the E92 M3 before buying mine, but the dealer's demo hadn't arrived. Not sure on the Lexus, propbably a damn fine car but doesn't do it for me for some reason.

The cars in this segment all pretty similar these days with personal styling/driving/dealership experience making the final decision. If you wanted out and out power then you'd probably stretch to the Nissan GT-R. I would have bought one if they were available now.

Enjoy yourself and make sure you use the full reve range on the M3. You need to grab it by the scruff of the neck and push the revs to get the best out of it.

PS - sorry can't help on the £50K front.

Edited by GameOverMan! on Tuesday 1st April 20:20

[croyde]

ASBO said:

If it's the same Lexus that appeared at Brunters the other week then I should think the opposition will get a lesson in humility.

Sounds interesting.

[Ayrton4ever]

croyde said:

Must be fate, so where can I get my hands on a spare £50K.

e92 M3 in classifieds are now down to £46K

of course you can buy a Ferrari 355 Spider for £37K!...just a thought
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/303293.htm

[Mroad]

Ayrton4ever said:

croyde said:

Must be fate, so where can I get my hands on a spare £50K.

e92 M3 in classifieds are now down to £46K

of course you can buy a Ferrari 355 Spider for £37K!...just a thought
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/303293.htm

F355 are nice until you look at servicing costs. Engine out to change the cambelt, that'll be £6k sir.

[croyde]

[croyde]

As is the way with these things, there was far too much to do so the only driving I did was to move the Lexus and the M3 about and into position for my cameras. Never got into the Merc tho'.

The 2 journos from Car magazine really put them thru their paces and would bring them back with the brakes seemingly on fire, loads of smoke. Filming them from the back of the tracking car was an experience and I still hurt from bracing myself.

Filming onboard the cars whilst the drivers were really going for it was awesome. On one of the takes, when the driver has stopped, it all goes silent then you hear me breath out "Fvckin' Hell!"

Not sure that bit will make the edit. :lol:

At one point the driver mentioned 130mph, when filming in the BMW and we presumed that he meant on the straight, but he was talking about one of the corners.

The Lexus feels a brute when you start it up but then purrs along at low speed on automatic and the BMW feels completely docile, more so than my E36 323. The gearbox did not feel notchy at all, a common complaint, but then maybe I'm used to BMWs or as this one was a well thrashed press car, it must of been well run in.

It was a 4 door and far more spacious in the back than my 3-series saloon. A proper 5 seater.

All 3 cars sound fantastic when on full bore.

Well as we were packing up for the day I asked one of the journos if I could take the M3 for a spin. I was expecting that there would be a problem with insurance or the fact that I was not a professional driver but he just said "Don't stack it".

As I said before, the car does not have that feeling of wanting to go, unlike the 997S that I had on a 24 hour testdrive, it is so easy to drive, so docile but then I nailed it and we flew, up to about 130 mph along a straight and not wanting to stack it I braked early on the approach to the big hairpin and suddenly I was too slow into the corner, the speed had completely and with no fuss been scrubbed off. The brakes are excellent.

Along the main straight, which is the runway, I was up at 140 mph when I noticed the Assistant Producer in the Lexus ISF behind me, so it kind of turned into a race

The BMW is limited to 155 mph so with 160 showing on the clock the Lexus came past me but then with the corner coming up, he braked far to early so I got ahead again. I know I was not cornering anywhere near the limits of the car but the way my body was being pushed against the door then back the other way whilst not breaking traction was amazing.

Well hopefully that taster will stop me being silly and raiding the mortgage for another performance car which I will hardly have time to drive and certainly would not have swallowed the kit like my E36 did thanks to its folding seats.

I actually was quite happy to get into mine at the end of the day and shoot along the country lanes to the M1 and then hold a steady mph all the way to the roadworks just outside the M25 and not worry about depreciation, parking knocks and vandalism as well as service costs and boy! did the M3 get through petrol.

Maybe a 335d, Doh!.

The M3 was the journos favourite, the Lexus feeling more like a very fast Uber-Barge whilst the C63, although sounding the best, apparently does not allow you to fettle with suspension and all the other bits that the M-car can. Saying that tho' surely there is less to go wrong.

All in all, a very good day and I got paid to be there. Not bad eh!