EVO Mag Group Test: BMW M3 vs RS5 vs C63 AMG vs Boss 302 Mustang

[Sauce]

Originally Posted by RudyP

I happen to own a 2011 E92 M3 and a 2011 Mustang GT. I bought the GT first since it seemed like 90% of the performance and value of the M3 at half the price. I already have a nice German sports car (997 C2S) and my DD has to live outside and be a year round commuter - including in the salty, snow mess of a winter that Ohio gets. So the mustang seemed like a good deal - cheap, fast, fun, but not a car that I get too worried about getting dings, salt, rock chips, etc... Well it turns it is all that but it just isn't an M3 either - it has a great motor and is very fast in a straight line, but it's also big, floaty, soft, has (much improved from previous generations) but still rental car quality interior. In short, it wasn't for me. So I ended up buying what I should have in the first place - the M3 and taking a bath on the resale of my practically new mustang. Oh well, live and learn. And now I do worry a bit about street parking and so on, but I'll deal with it.

Lastly, my father in law, who is a Ford guy is intending to bring his Boss Laguna SECA and Ford GT to mid Ohio some time next year - will be fun to see how the mustang does. I'll be in the Porsche so won't do a direct head to head but looking forward to turning some laps. We are both HPDE instructors so can get a pretty good read of a car.

I agree with you on the big floaty feeling. It is slightly wobbly from the factory and could use a little help, but there is a lot in the car, it is just not as comfortable to extract as the M3. I drove a boss briefly, it feels planted, but still very large at first. Definitely a car that needs a little adjusting to.

[aussiem3]

Originally Posted by -=Hot|Ice=-

Both the 7 series and 5 series have placed 3/3 in their segment because those same magazines no longer think they're "connected". Their main downfall seems to be the electric steering.

I have to agree with this. I recently bought the X3 3.0d for my wife which has electromechanical power steering. I optioned it with dynamic damper control which has normal, sports and sports+. I hate driving in the normal mode because you don't feel connected with the car and the drive at all. So each time I jump in I switch on the sports mode which changes the damping, engine response, gear change and the steering feel.

Female drivers will love the electromechanical feel of the steering, but anyone driving an /// car will feel totally out of place in a series production BMW these days. It's a good thing DDC and DPC are offered as an option so you can choose the setting you like. I can see what BMW are doing - making the car easier to drive - which will suite the cashed-up Executives and school-run mums, but not the purists and enthusiasts.

Then again how often will an /// driver trade-in his /// car for a series production BMW. Once an /// driver always an /// driver. You will not go back to a series production BMW or any other car. If you can't afford a new /// car you will stick to your beloved /// doesn't matter how old it is. That's what you call a real "marriage made in heaven". This is my 2c.

[kindafast]

I wonder if they forgot to take the E Brake off when drag racing the C63

[krnnerdboy]

Holy old thread revival...anyways here's some old news posted by non American editors

The purpose is not for comparison sake but to show the driver variance. And when performance is so close it really doesn't amount to much in terms of performance to an average hpde driver.

[Number23]

I'm just going to leave this here...
Skip to 2.38 if you want to go straight to the bad news.

[u2b]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SdR0qTzbUUU#![/u2b]

I'll also add that the Boss 302 LS lapped VIR in C&D's lightning lap faster than any BMW (including the M3) they've tested.

MT got the Boss 302 to Lap LS faster than an M3.

So there's that...

well the YouTube tags aren't embedding the players, so please follow the link.

[Mybeema]

Nothing comes close to the M!

[duk]

<3 M

[M3KW]

This is a good result, but as the author said, the M3 and C63 are evenly matched and it comes down to preference. I get the opportunity to drive either the C63 or M3 on any given day and they are two amazing feats of engineering. That roar of the C and the scream of the M engines are wonderful.

[Nang Vann]

woo hoo go BMW!

Love the M3....

[Donibm]

I don't think the Boss should be in this lineup. I'd have prefered that thier beast was in it - the GT500.

[NoM3ForMe]

The M3 - in my eyes - has always been the best 'drivers car' out there.