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11-08-2008, 07:56 AM | #1 |
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E93 Convertible Fans - 2 Reviews
For those of us who own or are ordering/considering the 'vert (and who are tired of getting kicked around by the so-called purists - I say that to incite some friendly but spirited debate for those who are inclined to flame away), here are a couple of reviews that give some good performance data (these are a little old, but I haven't seen them posted on this site yet). These numbers seem pretty darn good to me considering the extra weight and diminished rigidity. 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, quarter in 13.0-13.1 at 107.9 to 109 mph, skidpad 0.86-0.92g... I don't think too many people would have predicted such good figures for a 2-ton M3 (ouch! - I have to admit - that really hurt saying that - and yes, a "2-ton" M3 admittedly does not seem too consistent with the "M" philosophy)
I've owned my E93 for about 4 months now, and notwithstanding some of the less than flattering comments in the reviews, this is by far the most fun car I've ever owned (I think everyone else who already has one would also rate it very high on their own short-list for fun factor - but for those who are considering one but are not sure whether to get the coupe/sedan, my experience with having the drop top option more than makes up for the performance penalty which you're not really going to notice unless you're at the track). I recently had a full-throttle acceleration opportunity against a Maserati Gran Turismo from about 15-50 mph, with the Maserati about 1 carlenth in front of me - by 50mph (when we both came off the gas), I had actually pulled on him by about 1/2 carlength). So whilie the vert certainly does not embody the "M" philosophy like the coupe/sedan, being able to pull on a Maserati despite a +400lb weight penalty is not too shabby in my opinion...neither is a 0.92 skidpad result (which is better than almost any non-convertible, more structurally-rigid car you're going to see out on the road)... Bottom line - I'm glad BMW has given us 'vert fans an opportunity to have arguably the best 4-seat convertible one can buy (at least short of $100k, whether you include the CLK63 AMG vert or not)... and certainly the closest thing a 4-seat convertible can come (at least at present) to what "M" stands for (don't get me wrong though, it would be fantastic if the next-gen M3 'vert sheds a few hundred pounds combined with even more than 414hp - I can't even imagine how fun that thing would be with the top down).. Anyway, here are the reviews: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...ticleId=129086 |
11-08-2008, 08:32 AM | #2 |
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0-60 in 4.6s, nice. That's right about what I would have guessed. Same for quarter mile.
I didn't know the CLK63 cab was that fast, btw. About as fast as an M3 coupe, and almost as fast as a C63. |
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11-08-2008, 09:45 AM | #3 | |
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http://www.autozeitung.de/online/ren...?render=127406 3 way comparison adding RS4 convertible: http://sportscarforums.com/f11/cabri...k63-26555.html |
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11-08-2008, 04:33 PM | #4 |
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Great thread! Especially for those of us still undecided.
Big question, are the numbers you sited, based on the DCT or manual? One of the primary hold backs for me on the E93 is squeaks over time. They are the bane of my existance. With my current Lex, they fix them if ever they appear, never dealt with BMW service before, not sure how tolerant the repairs may be in that regard. Oh yeah, please post some pics! BTW, no overlooking that extra weight but clearly they don't have as much fun in the sun! Last edited by IS350; 11-08-2008 at 05:31 PM.. |
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11-08-2008, 04:48 PM | #5 | |
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11-08-2008, 04:51 PM | #6 |
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I believe the first two I posted (Edmunds and Car & Driver) were DCT. Not sure about the last two comparing to CLK63 or RS4 (didn't read those articles in detail). My E93 is MDCT - just had the software upgraded at my dealer about 2 weeks ago - tried launch control in S6 mode last weekend - holy crap - it accelerated like a bat out of hell - nice, hard shifts at 8,400 redline, up to 80 mph in no time (tried it on dry, straight and flat rural road that had zero traffic on it) - just a little bit of wheelspin and tail-sliding in 1st/2nd gear but not enough to appreciably diminish the time.
Unfortunately, with the weather conditions here in northern Illinois right now, probably will not get to do launch control again until Spring... Although I will say that even with stock performance tires, traction is great even on wet roads - the 295 ft/lbs and gearing allow you to really put the pedal down without the loss of time you would get from excessive wheel spin, or from too little throttle (and too little horsepower) in order to avoid tire spin). My guess is that even though the CLK63 vert has a hell of a lot more torque and faster acceleration times, you would need a perfect launch to beat the E93 - too much gas and you'll spin the tires (allowing the E93 to pull ahead), too little gas and you won't be able to take advantage of the CLK63's greater torque or horsepower - this is why even though the CLK accelerates better on paper and under ideal conditions - it is still going to be a drivers race short of perfect conditions and the CLK's driver making an ideal launch... |
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11-09-2008, 02:50 AM | #7 |
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"Our M3 convertible doesn't lose much ground through the quarter-mile, which it dispatches in 13.0 seconds compared to 12.9 in the sedan and 12.7 in the coupe. The convertible's 107.9-mph quarter-mile speed is much slower, though, as the M3 sedan hits 111 mph while the coupe is at 112 mph. Were this hypothetical drag race to continue beyond the quarter-mile, the M3 convertible would eventually fall farther behind. Even less flattering is the realization that we've timed a BMW 335i coupe with an automatic transmission at 13.3 seconds at 105.9 mph."
Hmm, these numbers are a bit worse than expected. And interesting to see they didn't get any better times with the DCT vs. the manual? Of course I still can't get over how great the E93 looks, as mentioned speed and handling isn't all it's cracked up to be when you've got the air and sun in your face! |
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11-09-2008, 03:01 AM | #8 |
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Hmm to each his own really... The E93 looks like a great convertible on the road... However, if you are more about pure performance and care about weight then don't even consider the E93! The E93 weighs WAY more than the E92 and the E46 Convertible!
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11-10-2008, 02:18 AM | #10 |
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People who buy verts are not worried about power to weight ratio. The damn thing is scary enough for me. Put a race exhaust on it, chip it, makes up most the difference any way. Its more the fact that you can get a M3 vert that makes it unique. You don't see one everyday, you do see a coupe though.
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11-10-2008, 08:41 AM | #11 |
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Yes the E92 M3 is faster but to the general public (myself included) a few tenths of a second doesnt make a difference. The feeling of dropping the top on a warm summer day and hearing that v8 roar is something you won't get in a coupe or sedan.
So if you want to track the car, a E93 M3 isn't for you. If you want the beautiful sound of the engine resonating in your ears with the wind in your hair while ripping it on the highway then a E93 M3 is for you. |
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11-10-2008, 09:01 AM | #12 |
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For those that still think the E93 M3 can't handle the track the following is the top 50 times tested on the Autozietung track...... the full list (of which the E93 M3 is 27th out of 446) is here: http://www.fastestlaps.com/track24.html
Take a look at some of the cars that are slower..... and as far as I can see the only faster 4 seat convertible is the 997 Turbo 1. Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 1:33.6 ´07 530 / 1520 Autozeitung 2. Porsche 997 GT3 RS 1:35.0 ´06 415 / 1375 Autozeitung 3. Lamborghini Gallardo 1:35.6 ´03 500 / 1613 Autozeitung 4. Porsche 997 GT2 1:37.0 ´07 537 / 1440 Autozeitung 5. Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 1:37.1 ´06 640 / 1805 Autozeitung 6. Porsche 997 Turbo Cabriolet 1:38.0 ´07 480 / 1655 Autozeitung 7. Porsche 997 Turbo 1:38.1 ´06 480 / 1585 Autozeitung 8. Ferrari F430 1:38.1 ´05 489 / 1450 Autozeitung 9. Porsche 996 Turbo S 1:38.5 ´04 450 / 1540 Autozeitung 10. BMW M3 Sedan (E90) 1:38.7 ´07 420 / 1646 Autozeitung 11. Ferrari 575 Maranello 1:38.8 ´02 540 / 1730 Autozeitung 12. Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder 1:39.0 ´06 520 / 1748 Autozeitung 13. Porsche 997 Carrera S (2008 facelift) 1:39.1 ´08 385 / 1425 Autozeitung 14. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 1:39.4 ´05 513 / 1437.3 Autozeitung 15. Mercedes SL 55 AMG 1:39.6 ´06 517 / 1960 autozeitung 16. Porsche 997 Carrera S 1:39.8 ´04 355 / 1420 Autozeitung 17. Audi R8 1:39.8 ´06 420 / 1560 Autozeitung 18. Dodge Viper SRT-10 1:39.9 ´05 506 / 1600 Autozeitung 19. BMW M6 1:40.0 ´05 507 / 1710 Autozeitung 20. Mercedes C 63 AMG 1:40.0 ´07 457 / 1772 Autozeitung 21. BMW M3 (E92) 1:40.1 ´07 420 / 1619 Autozeitung 22. Mercedes SLK 55 AMG Black Series 1:40.6 ´06 400 / 1506 Autozeitung 23. Porsche 997 Carrera 1:40.8 ´04 325 / 1395 Autozeitung 24. Wiesmann GT MF4 1:40.9 ´05 367 / 1240 Autozeitung 25. Porsche Cayman S 1:41.2 ´05 295 / 1416 Autozeitung 26. Audi RS4 (B7) 1:41.3 ´05 420 / 1720 Autozeitung 27. BMW M3 Cabrio (E93) 1:41.9 ´08 420 / 1885 Autozeitung 28. Porsche 996 Carrera 320hp 1:42.2 ´01 320 / 1345 Autozeitung 29. Porsche 987 Boxster S (276bhp) 1:42.3 ´05 280 / 1345 Autozeitung 30. Maserati GranTurismo S 1:42.3 ´08 439 / 1880 Autozeitung 31. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster 1:42.4 ´07 385 / 1726 Autozeitung 32. Mercedes SLK 55 AMG 1:42.7 ´06 360 / 1495 Autozeitung 33. BMW Z4 M Roadster 1:42.8 ´06 343 / 1444 Autozeitung 34. Bentley Continental GT 1:42.8 ´03 559 / 2350 Autozeitung 35. Mercedes CL 65 AMG 1:42.8 ´04 612 / 2055 Autozeitung 36. Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (MkII) 1:42.8 ´08 550 / 2355 Autozeitung 37. Maserati Coupe GranSport 1:43.1 ´04 400 / 1680 Autozeitung 38. Jaguar XKR 1:43.1 ´06 420 / 1776 Autozeitung 39. BMW M5 (E60) 1:43.2 ´05 507 / 1848 Autozeitung 40. BMW M6 Cabrio 1:43.3 ´07 507 / 1930 Autozeitung 41. Aston Martin V8 Vantage (420bhp) 1:43.3 ´08 426 / 1630 Autozeitung 42. Porsche 997 Carrera 4S 1:43.5 ´07 355 / 1550 Autozeitung 43. Mercedes SL 63 AMG 1:43.5 ´08 525 / 1895 Autozeitung 44. Maserati GranTurismo 1:43.6 ´07 405 / 1880 Autozeitung 45. Aston Martin DBS 1:43.6 ´07 517 / 1695 Autozeitung 46. BMW 645ci Coupe 1:43.8 ´04 333 / 1707 Autozeitung 47. Jaguar XKR convertible 1:43.8 ´ 416 / 1710 Autozeitung 48. BMW Z4 3.0si Coupe 1:43.9 ´06 265 / 1408 Autozeitung 49. Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Cabriolet 1:43.9 ´07 481 / 1800 Autozeitung 50. Mercedes CL 600 1:43.9 ´ 517 / 2110 autozeitung
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11-10-2008, 09:57 AM | #13 |
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Don't forget this one too Wads. Not in the top 50, but worth noting:
72. BMW 335i Coupe 1:45.8 ´06 306 / 1610 Autozeitung That's the one I point out when people say that an M3 cab is a waste of money and a 335i cab would be just as fast. M3 cab kills the 335i coupe so we don't even need to look at the 335i cab numbers - no comparison really. In fact, the M3 cab is faster than the 335i coupe by a lot more than the M3 coupe is faster than the M3 cab. In other words, if you take an E92 M3 and are wondering which will make the car slowest - chopping off the roof and adding 500 lbs, or replacing the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, etc. with 335i components, well here's your definitive answer. |
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11-11-2008, 08:32 PM | #14 | |
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11-11-2008, 09:35 PM | #15 | |
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Well said
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11-11-2008, 10:01 PM | #16 |
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10. BMW M3 Sedan (E90) 1:38.7 ´07 420 / 1646 Autozeitung
21. BMW M3 (E92) 1:40.1 ´07 420 / 1619 Autozeitung I didnt know the Sedan can handle better on the track than a coupe |
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11-11-2008, 11:38 PM | #18 |
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re the coupe vs sedan... different drivers possibly... cause the coupe is lighter, carbon fiber roof gives it lower center of gravity... it has to be faster everything else being equal. Nice to see the M3s blow away the Maserati GT-S... makes my decision to save 50% all the sweeter.
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11-12-2008, 01:25 AM | #19 |
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11-12-2008, 10:01 AM | #20 |
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I had my E93 M3 on track today and managed to measure some figures..... and I am gobsmacked by the results.
0-60mph in 4.3sec 0-62mph in 4.6sec 0-100mph in 10.7sec 30-70mph in 4.0sec Admittedly this is with a 1ft rollout but thats how many of the US magazines do their tests so who am I to agrue! Also it proves to me that me driving a DCT Vert would be quicker than me driving a manual coupe as the best results I managed to get out of the E92 M3 I tested was 0-62mph in 4.9sec.
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11-12-2008, 10:09 AM | #21 |
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Nice job Wads. It's no easy task to match magazine results in 0-60 run. What did you measure with?
What I'd really love to see: a four way test with E92 M-DCT, E92 6MT, E93 M-DCT and E93 6MT. This would give a great picture of how the body style (weight) and transmission both effect the acceleration. Of course track times would also be part of such a test, and provided the track has sufficient turns, there I would fully suspect the E92 to be the clear winner regardless of which transmission is equipped. |
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11-12-2008, 10:35 AM | #22 |
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+2 - I could care less about a couple of 1/10's - much rather have the Cab
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