M3 V8 Test drive
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Leeds
M3 V8 Test drive
M3 Test drive
With the recent arrival of this
I could do with 4 seats, BMW has been pushing test drives lately and I thought I’d take them up on their offer to test the 4 litre V8 M3 Coupe with Carbon roof
The looks have grown on me, but I remember being under whelmed when I first saw the car, it pretty good, but a bit too reserved imo.
Jumps in the drives seat and sorts out the mirrors and seat height, first thing I notice is the seat doesn’t go as low as I’d like, but there’s plenty of space and it’s a very comfortable driving position. The interior is rather restrained too, the odd M badge but not much different from the recent 525D I had on loan a few weeks ago. However the quality and feel of the materials is another level up from the old M3 and my Z4, it really does feel like a quality item all-round from the driver’s seat and clearly a step up.
Sets off, the clutch pedal is light, the gear stick still has that slightly notchy feeling of the old M3, the car is very easy to drive though. Traffic’s busy and I’m going with the flow, getting used to the car; it doesn’t feel particular special or sporty doing the boring stuff. The ride is firm but less crashy than the previous M3 and my Z4, much more refined and you wouldn’t really know you where in the latest M3 when you’re driving at normal speeds in traffic, you could certainly do a lot of miles in the car no problem
Traffic clears as I pull on to the motorway slip road and I get the chance to open the engine up a bit, red line 3 rd and the meat of 4th gear. 120 mph shown on the Speedo in no time at all(sales man tightens his grip on the seat belt slightly), it’s a quick car and piles on speed with little drama or engine noise for that matter. The engine isn’t loud inside the car and you’d be hard pushed to tell it’s a V8 under the bonnet at all, fairly disappointing noise; BMW could have done a lot better. High speed stability is good, but no more so than the Z4MC and the 997 Porsches I’ve driven. Also had the chance to fling it round a few round-abouts, the car doesn’t feel heavy and I notice it’s very adjustable on the throttle, a few millimetres of pedal has the back end hanging out and the car feels very movable at the rear with the right foot.
The steering is very light, but numb and offers no feedback or connection with the road; it’s more an act of blind faith when you lean on the front-end in the corners.
Overall I was fairly disappointed, yes its fast, refined and very well built, but the car lacked, for want of a better phrase, the X factor (sorry I hate the X factor). The new M3 feels too refined and grown up, the steering is numb and the car feels quite big overall. I must qualify this by saying I don’t feel I got the full measure of the car, I got to red line a few gears, but never had the chance to drive as if I’d stole it with my pants on fire or really lean on the brakes while turning into a corner. I have read it’s a car of hidden depths, but it was lost on me I’m afraid.
I was glad to jump into the Z4MC and red line first and second gear from stand still out of the BMW complex and on to the main road, it felt like a go-kart compared to the M3 and an older generation of go-kart too.
With the recent arrival of this
I could do with 4 seats, BMW has been pushing test drives lately and I thought I’d take them up on their offer to test the 4 litre V8 M3 Coupe with Carbon roof
The looks have grown on me, but I remember being under whelmed when I first saw the car, it pretty good, but a bit too reserved imo.
Jumps in the drives seat and sorts out the mirrors and seat height, first thing I notice is the seat doesn’t go as low as I’d like, but there’s plenty of space and it’s a very comfortable driving position. The interior is rather restrained too, the odd M badge but not much different from the recent 525D I had on loan a few weeks ago. However the quality and feel of the materials is another level up from the old M3 and my Z4, it really does feel like a quality item all-round from the driver’s seat and clearly a step up.
Sets off, the clutch pedal is light, the gear stick still has that slightly notchy feeling of the old M3, the car is very easy to drive though. Traffic’s busy and I’m going with the flow, getting used to the car; it doesn’t feel particular special or sporty doing the boring stuff. The ride is firm but less crashy than the previous M3 and my Z4, much more refined and you wouldn’t really know you where in the latest M3 when you’re driving at normal speeds in traffic, you could certainly do a lot of miles in the car no problem
Traffic clears as I pull on to the motorway slip road and I get the chance to open the engine up a bit, red line 3 rd and the meat of 4th gear. 120 mph shown on the Speedo in no time at all(sales man tightens his grip on the seat belt slightly), it’s a quick car and piles on speed with little drama or engine noise for that matter. The engine isn’t loud inside the car and you’d be hard pushed to tell it’s a V8 under the bonnet at all, fairly disappointing noise; BMW could have done a lot better. High speed stability is good, but no more so than the Z4MC and the 997 Porsches I’ve driven. Also had the chance to fling it round a few round-abouts, the car doesn’t feel heavy and I notice it’s very adjustable on the throttle, a few millimetres of pedal has the back end hanging out and the car feels very movable at the rear with the right foot.
The steering is very light, but numb and offers no feedback or connection with the road; it’s more an act of blind faith when you lean on the front-end in the corners.
Overall I was fairly disappointed, yes its fast, refined and very well built, but the car lacked, for want of a better phrase, the X factor (sorry I hate the X factor). The new M3 feels too refined and grown up, the steering is numb and the car feels quite big overall. I must qualify this by saying I don’t feel I got the full measure of the car, I got to red line a few gears, but never had the chance to drive as if I’d stole it with my pants on fire or really lean on the brakes while turning into a corner. I have read it’s a car of hidden depths, but it was lost on me I’m afraid.
I was glad to jump into the Z4MC and red line first and second gear from stand still out of the BMW complex and on to the main road, it felt like a go-kart compared to the M3 and an older generation of go-kart too.
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Joined: Jan 2003
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From: omnipresent
Congrats on the new arrival and for not making a big deal of it 
The E90 has grown on me. Was it a 4 door? If not don't bother.
I'm not at all convinced about the E60 M5.
Considered anything else?
The E90 has grown on me. Was it a 4 door? If not don't bother.
I'm not at all convinced about the E60 M5.
Considered anything else?
