Test Drive: BMW M3
I know this is way off topic, but I got to drive on of these cars the other day, and as a car nut, I just had to share my impressions.
First, I am one picky guy when it comes to cars. I love powerful torquey engines, so the M3 did not exactly match what I like most in cars. It has plenty of power, but it is all above 4000rpm. Some people love that. If you love to stay between 4k rpm and redline, this car will reward you with incredible throttle response and a good amount of power. But this car is not all about the engine. Frankly, what this car is about is more the sum of all it's parts. What they succeeded in doing was building a solid car, with great brakes and handling, as BMW is famous for.
The car I drove was an M3 convertible with the SMG transmission. This took a little getting used to, and the only real bad thing about it is that you can raise the revs and then engage a gear (at least I couldn't figure out how to do it). Otherwise, I love the rapid gear changes, and the matching reves on downshifts. I felt like an amazing driver, which I am certainly not. You can leave it in automatic mode, which works, but don't expect smooth shifts anything like a regular automatic. I did like that there were a variety of settings to determine how it shifted, so you could choose between harder, faster shifts, and more gentle shifts, and the difference was very noticeble.
This car has a very solid feel to it, even as a convertible. I sensed very little body flex, and felt quite safe in the car. There was very little wind noise from the top even at highway speeds. The seats were solid and comfortable, and the driving position was excellent.
Where this car belongs is in the twistys. On some quiet back roads, I found myself taking corners at silly speeds without coming anywhere near losing traction. And if you leave rpms over 4k, the second you come out of the corner you can nail the throttle and the car surges ahead with no hesitation, and you stay right on course. The steering was typical BMW - accurate with very good feel. And the brakes. Simply awesome.
By only gripe with the car is the lack of torque. When driven gently and low rpms, this car just feels weak. You have to drop gears and get high into the revs before you feel like you are driving a powerful car. Other than that, the car is solid as a rock, comfortable, safe, quiet, with awesome handling and brakes, without the ride being to outrageously stiff. If you're not a power junky, this is one fun car. That said, for pure grin factor, I'll take a Corvette Z06 anyday. But which one is the better car? I gotta give it to the M3 - you could drive this car everyday and not hate it. Two hours in a Z06 and you gotta get out and take a few Tylenol to get rid of your headache.
First, I am one picky guy when it comes to cars. I love powerful torquey engines, so the M3 did not exactly match what I like most in cars. It has plenty of power, but it is all above 4000rpm. Some people love that. If you love to stay between 4k rpm and redline, this car will reward you with incredible throttle response and a good amount of power. But this car is not all about the engine. Frankly, what this car is about is more the sum of all it's parts. What they succeeded in doing was building a solid car, with great brakes and handling, as BMW is famous for.
The car I drove was an M3 convertible with the SMG transmission. This took a little getting used to, and the only real bad thing about it is that you can raise the revs and then engage a gear (at least I couldn't figure out how to do it). Otherwise, I love the rapid gear changes, and the matching reves on downshifts. I felt like an amazing driver, which I am certainly not. You can leave it in automatic mode, which works, but don't expect smooth shifts anything like a regular automatic. I did like that there were a variety of settings to determine how it shifted, so you could choose between harder, faster shifts, and more gentle shifts, and the difference was very noticeble.
This car has a very solid feel to it, even as a convertible. I sensed very little body flex, and felt quite safe in the car. There was very little wind noise from the top even at highway speeds. The seats were solid and comfortable, and the driving position was excellent.
Where this car belongs is in the twistys. On some quiet back roads, I found myself taking corners at silly speeds without coming anywhere near losing traction. And if you leave rpms over 4k, the second you come out of the corner you can nail the throttle and the car surges ahead with no hesitation, and you stay right on course. The steering was typical BMW - accurate with very good feel. And the brakes. Simply awesome.
By only gripe with the car is the lack of torque. When driven gently and low rpms, this car just feels weak. You have to drop gears and get high into the revs before you feel like you are driving a powerful car. Other than that, the car is solid as a rock, comfortable, safe, quiet, with awesome handling and brakes, without the ride being to outrageously stiff. If you're not a power junky, this is one fun car. That said, for pure grin factor, I'll take a Corvette Z06 anyday. But which one is the better car? I gotta give it to the M3 - you could drive this car everyday and not hate it. Two hours in a Z06 and you gotta get out and take a few Tylenol to get rid of your headache.
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