Saint_Spinner

Apart from hardcore sports cars (z06, elise, s2000), luxury sports cars are just gonna get heavier. With all the safety equipment and creature comforts, luxury models are just gonna get heavier and heavier...thank god the motors are also getting more powerful, though....

Look what happened when the E46 M3 came out...everyone screamed pig, so BMW came out witht he CLS or whatever...who knows. Maybe they'll have a "hardcore" version

CalBear

Sometimes "M" stands for "money". It's no longer as pure as before when the first M cars came out. I still have my first BMW- an '88 325is. The car came with a simple sticker without any options. It's sold the way BMW intended it to be. These days, BMW options you to death with the sports package, active steering etc. Yes they're probably making more money but they've lost some "soul". The same C&D issue also criticized the 650 vert for being too "un-BMW". When's the last time a BMW lost to both the Jag and a Mercedes in the same comparison test?

Fanman

The 3300 lb weight is test weight, The actual curb weight is 3197 lbs. Not sure what you expected, but this was what they said it would be. The M3 is 3415 lbs curb weight. While the S2000 comes in at 2855 curb weight, it's test weight is about 3,000 lbs. One is minimalist, pure, track car. The other is semi luxo cruiser with GT amenities and comfort.

VTEC_Junkie

so what if bmws have gotten heavier and offer more features and amenities than ever?? so has every other car out there. for example, compare the weight and options available on a 1988 honda civic vs. a 2006 honda civic. a fully loaded honda civic today probably has as much features and amenities as an acura lengend did in 1988, if not more. it is not so much that bmw is diverting from its roots, its just that the car industry as a whole has been evolving and will continue to evolve. consumers are desiring more features and amenities in their cars today than ever. they are also desiring a more powerful car, a better performing car, a more comfortable car, and a safer car. all those desired features add up in weight and that's why 3000-4000lbs cars are the norms today. even the s2000 is a heavier car than it needs to be. if the car was really meant to be a purist's sportscar, then the s2000 would not had come with power soft top, windows, mirrors, and door locks, AC, leather, cruise control, power steering, etc. all those "unnecessary" features and amenities probably makes the s2000 a few hundred pounds heavier, which counters the whole concept of the purist's sportscar. but on the flip side, a car without all those features would not be as desirable to most contemporary sportscar buyers, and the market for a spartan s2000 is very small, probably small to the point where it's not worth manufacturing for honda.

VTEC_Junkie

well, that's just all subjective, cuz for me, it is the z4 that catches my attention and turns my head, and not the z3.

VTEC_Junkie

the e30 m3 body would be considered small in today's standard, it's structure is probably not anywhere close to being as stiff as that of the base e90's structure, the car would probably not pass today's crash tests, and not too many people today would settle for a 200hp 4 cylinder motor in their performance luxury sports sedan/coupe. just by contemporizing the e30 m3 to make it slightly bigger, stiffer, pass all crash tests, and a more powerful motor would make that car at least 3000lbs. 2700lbs luxury performance sports sedans/coupes are nearly impossible these days because consumers have evolved to expect more from luxury, performance, and the dimensions and practicality of sports sedans and coupes. afterall, a car company like bmw needs to offer consumers what they want and not what bmw thinks they should want. i mean, bmw is selling way higher volume of vehicles today than they ever had in the 1980s so they can't be doing something wrong.

rockville

In this case I would say it's fair to compare this car to the Corvette (price, cargo space, configuration). The Vette has lost weight since '84. It's not so much that the car got heavier but 3300lb is getting pretty chunky. That's only 200lb less than an '02 530i.

Poindexter

Have any of you driven the M Coupe or Roadster? If not, then you have no room to talk - you're just going off of numbers on paper

Drive it before you knock it.

rockville

I haven't driven the car. That doesn't mean I can't criticize it for weight. I'm not saying the car is bad. It's likely decent. The coupe even does a good job of saving an otherwise ugly car. Either way, I'm not impressed that BMW couldn't make the car lighter than a Corvette. Perhaps BMW's engineers aren't working as hard
(ducks the inevitable barrage)

Poindexter

I've driven it, and I like it. I enjoy BMW more today than the older ones (I'm on my fourth Bimmer now - have my fifth on order). I like the added weight - it gives it a better feel. Yeah, BMW is not building race cars anymore - they're appealing to their audience.....a smart business practice. I happen to be part of their audience and I like what they're doing. They're building cars that can hang on roads like the Dragon or have a fun time on a track weekend - take the woman out for a nice night on the town (in a tuxedo - I don't do those ) and have some very cool luxury features for a comfortable drive when you don't want your fillings knocked out. BMW is becoming a jack of all trades brand. It is arguable to say they always have been, but it is more apparent today.

The really strange part about BMW to me comes in all these people complaining about weight, engines, and these new Bangle-designs.......but the sales are going up and up