Quote:
Originally Posted by fueledbymetal
I'm certain I'll notice the difference, but the trade-off is worth it to me. Before anybody says I'm not harde-core enough to drive an M3, will you be stripping your car of all sound insulation, back seats, door panels, etc? No? I thought not.
As I've said before, this car is about the balance between luxery & performance. A sun roof is part of that balance to me.
And no, I won't consider the 335i w/ proceed because there's no way it will offer the same throttle response as a naturally aspirated v8 w/ITB. I'd get the M3 vert, but that will defintely be out of my price range.
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I will admit to being a bit biased against sunroofs, since they cut into my badly-needed headroom (I am 6'3"),they make noise, can leak, and add wieght. I usually keep it closed with the shade covering it anyways.
Some people love them, I know.
In a performance oriented car like an M3 I do not want to handicap it with extra weight when it could be that much better without it. I do track my cars, and thus I'd always feel it could be better with the lower center of gravity and less weight of the CF roof. The same goes for the new 7-speed DSG. Although I LOVE rowing my own gears, the performance advantage of a smooth-shifting DSG 7-speed over a 6-speed manual, especially in a high revving, peaky engine like this V8, is enough to make the DSG a no-brainer for me.
My grand plan is to use the M3 as a street car for many years, but to ultimately (and over time) convert it to primarily a track-car (as I have done with my E36 M3). So I guess I might be extreme enough . . .
I know I am a bit more extreme than most M3 owners, and I understand most will drive it for reasons other than its pure performance potential mixed with a good degree of practicality. I do, also, feel that some folks WOULD be just as happy, if not happier, with a torquier 335i that costs a lot less because they really don't drive the M3 like it can be driven and thus never gain the benefits their extra $15K in M engineering gains them. I just instructed an M3 owner at Thunderhill raceway, and the highest he ever revved the car was 7K RPM. The car makes about 270 HP at 7k rpm -- he might as well get a 330i. I instructed a kid in a civic with a Integra Type R engine swap ($5K + for the engine alone) and he shifted at 6K RPM - just before he actually hit Vtec! These folks never even use the technology that they paid for. And as I see it, designing an M3 with a CF roof is part of the entry fee.
I know a lot of people drive an M3 because of the M branding. They drive a car that has incredible pedigree and potential. I just don't get why they don't ever try and actually use the potential
But that may be just me.