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Originally Posted by matsarge
Right and on top of that I still keep thinking about a comment I made earlier....
"The current M pulls 0-60 in 4.6-4.8 (depending on which mag you read) which is only .1-.2 slower than the new M5 and M6 both of which have 500HP. Do you think BMW will allow the M3 to outrun the M flagship cars that run 20-30K more? I'm not so sure. If that's the case, the old M may be closer to the new M in terms of performance then we think."
Do I really want to wait for a car that will be 10-15K more than this one and could end up being only a tenth or 2 faster?  |
You do realize the E46 M3 was faster (in a straight line!) than the E39 M5 under the right conditions (let alone the track)? That should nullify that concern.
I have a lot of seat time in the E60 M5. It has slight issues with traction through the first two gears - and you'd expect that, with 500 hp. Slightly iffy traction and 4000 lb curb weight hurt the M5's 0-60 performance a bit. However, even if the M3 runs neck and neck with it to 60, the M5
will pull away at the higher speeds, where that extra 80-100 hp will show itself in full - the M5 doesn't really get into stride until the needle passes 80 mph. Also, the (lighter) M6 is faster than the M5, which goes without saying.
As anybody will tell you, the M cars aren't about raw straight line performance. BMW
will handicap the 335i so that it's not a particularly appealing alternative to the M3. The engine is one thing, but speed isn't everything. The M3 will have an LSD, a much better suspension, and it will probably weigh less. All of this adds to the driving experience just as much as power does, perhaps more so. If you want the E46 M3, buy it - that one is perfectly well equipped. All of the new ones I'm finding around the local dealerships here are stickering at over 70k.