I'm not much for street racing - but occasionally if someone messes with me I'll mess back.

I was cruising home yesterday and a very nice new BMW M3 was near me. Neither of us was driving aggressively - but obviously we'd noticed each others cars.

We came up to a stoplight with me directly behind him. I thought about pulling over into the empty lane next to him - but that would have been an obvious call-out to race and I didn't really want to do that.

Anyway - the light turned green and I kept it in first gear a bit longer than usual thinking that he might be inclined to show off... and I was right. At about 15mph he punched it and as soon as I saw him starting to pull away I did the same. We ran up to about 70mph - just barely into 3rd gear - and I decided that was enough and I backed off.

I couldn't definitively say that I was catching up to him - but he was DEFINITELY flooring it and he was DEFINITELY NOT pulling an inch away from me once we got going.

I was very impressed... proof enough for me that an M3 is no faster than an S2k ('01 - stock except for an AEM V2 intake)

 

I wouldn't say that was proof enough that an M3 is not faster. Get out your flame suit dude, because I think the fire is coming.

 

I bet you wish you would have pulled into that empty lane now.

 

E36 or E46?

 

If its an E36 they should be very close together. The E46 would leave him right?

 

No flames here but that wasn't proof. Tailing someone like that means nothing.

 

E36 i agree, but E46....

 

In the meantime, a dude is posting a thread titled, "S2000 - Even -When I short shift my M3 at 5000rpm."

 

Eh - I dunno about the other driver's skill etc - but there is no way he was accelerating that fast without giving it all he had.

If it had been a 'vette or something that is truly in a different league from the S I could believe that he was basically pacing me by watching in his mirror.

Anyway - I don't care if you're convinced... I am

I just thought ya might like to hear about it

ETA: I think it was an E46 - it definitely had those little vents behind the front tires

 

I found an article where they reviewed (and gave stats on) one HERE.

It looks to be pretty comparable to the S2k power-wise... maybe sliiiightly faster.

It has 330hp at 3781 pounds (the hard top I raced might have been heavier) compared to the S2000's 240hp at 2800lbs.

So it is 0.088hp/lb compared to my 0.086 hp/lb... that's a 1.82% difference... which is insignificant when you consider factors like driver skill etc.

ETA: Turns out the hard top is actually about 400 lbs lighter - which brings the hp/weight difference to 12.7%. That's much more significant but still explains the encounter within reason.