M3 rivalling VW GOLF !!!!!

[Irb Digital]

For the price that VW would charge for a R45, I'd be hard-pressed not to take a 335i, or an Evo. And I'm not the 335i's biggest defender (ask Driver72 )

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by aznbenz07

I don't know wether to agree or be insulted.

You guys are harsh.

Man, I LOVE the Mitsubishi EVO6789X, supercars.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by Irb Digital

For the price that VW would charge for a R45, I'd be hard-pressed not to take a 335i, or an Evo. And I'm not the 335i's biggest defender (ask Driver72 )

Personally if this R45 was priced at $45k and was 360-390 hp as they are stating, I'd take it over the 335i.
If it's transmission is an upgraded version of the DSG too and could take extra power, that R45 would be a tune away from 450+ crank hp and would be a total blast.

[Socale92]

Originally Posted by Robin Hood

I really understand what you mean, footie.


I have a feeling like this, for example:

I put a supercharger on my M3 and tune it to >550BHP. Nice for what it is worth(I 'll never do that irl)

Then at a trackday or just in traffic I'm having a nice dogfight with for example a Ferrari F430, Porsche 997 GT3 or maybe a 997Turbo for that matter. I win that battle for some reason(let's say by 'sufficient' horsepower)....

But at the end of the day I still have a M3, and not a F430/997GT3/997Turbo.

Just an example, no worries.

[audioMeth]

wow you guys are pretty harsh i own a R32 (MK4) with HPA turbo setup and i honestly think it will hold its own no problems against an M3 e46 0r e9x. yes its
still just a golf, but in the same respect the M3 is just a 3 series.

[TwoSaints]

just wanted to chime in. I owned an '04 R32 and it was one of my favorite cars! It had character and a soul, kinda like the M3.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by TwoSaints

just wanted to chime in. I owned an '04 R32 and it was one of my favorite cars! It had character and a soul, kinda like the M3.

No doubt both of my GTI's had soul even. They are fun cars.
Sadly there are quite a few brand queens/snobs around here though.

[footie]

What's this, we have a lot of people praising the Golf and in so doing the VAG brand but none of the regular BMW fanboy complaining, this only happens when I make such comments.

[kmarei]

Originally Posted by Driver72

No doubt both of my GTI's had soul even. They are fun cars.
Sadly there are quite a few brand queens/snobs around here though.

in that case
i have a lovely dodge neon SRT4 for you

[Voltigeur]

Originally Posted by kmarei

at the end of the day, you're still driving a golf

Agreed. Fun car but not special and too many boy racers.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by kmarei

in that case
i have a lovely dodge neon SRT4 for you

Not my cup of tea. Surprising you have a Neon when you've been bagging on the Golf platform.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by Voltigeur

Agreed. Fun car but not special and too many boy racers.

I think you are confusing GTI owners with the SRT4 owners.

[kmarei]

Originally Posted by Driver72

Not my cup of tea. Surprising you have a Neon when you've been bagging on the Golf platform.

i don't
i was implying if you are not a brand fan you would think its a great car

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by kmarei

i don't
i was implying if you are not a brand fan you would think its a great car

Ahh.
For what it was ($20-22k car) it was a beast at the time.
But even when it came out I think the Neon platform was already like 8 years old. Surely wasn't bad, per se, just not my cup of tea. Had I been 18-22 when it came out, and was in the market for a car in that price range, I'd of probably got one.

[Irb Digital]

Originally Posted by Driver72

Ahh.
For what it was ($20-22k car) it was a beast at the time.
But even when it came out I think the Neon platform was already like 8 years old. Surely wasn't bad, per se, just not my cup of tea. Had I been 18-22 when it came out, and was in the market for a car in that price range, I'd of probably got one.

I owned an SRT-4 as well as a GTI 1.8T (APR chipped ). The GTI felt a lot more luxury. The materials and switchgear were of much better quality and design. But when it came to performance and reliability the SRT-4 was the better car. The GTI had problems with 2nd gear synchro within 3k miles, and by 6k miles the transmission went kaboom. VW replaced it, but it just wasn't built to withstand the abuse of an occasional autoX or drag strip day. Which is harder to swallow when you consider the cost of fixing stuff, or going aftermarket for a VW (it aint cheap). Even if I could ignore the reliability issues, the SRT-4 was just way more fun to drive, and had more of a race car feel to it. Both cars were animals to steer at low speeds under power, and the SRT-4 had terrible shifter feel, but I enjoyed the years I owned that car much more so than my GTI. And to my surprise, when I sold the SRT-4, it held it's value extremely well.

[bruce.augenstein@comcast.]

Originally Posted by Irb Digital

I owned an SRT-4 as well as a GTI 1.8T (APR chipped ). The GTI felt a lot more luxury. The materials and switchgear were of much better quality and design. But when it came to performance and reliability the SRT-4 was the better car. The GTI had problems with 2nd gear synchro within 3k miles, and by 6k miles the transmission went kaboom. VW replaced it, but it just wasn't built to withstand the abuse of an occasional autoX or drag strip day. Which is harder to swallow when you consider the cost of fixing stuff, or going aftermarket for a VW (it aint cheap). Even if I could ignore the reliability issues, the SRT-4 was just way more fun to drive, and had more of a race car feel to it. Both cars were animals to steer at low speeds under power, and the SRT-4 had terrible shifter feel, but I enjoyed the years I owned that car much more so than my GTI. And to my surprise, when I sold the SRT-4, it held it's value extremely well.

Ditto here, except I never had a shifter problem in the SRT4. The VW had the window lifts replaced along with the coils (standard stuff), and went through a turbo, but definitely a solid, fun drive.

The GTI was pretty close to hopeless on track until I had Dick Shine Racing bolt in their "Real Street" suspension package. The car looked weird with the front end raised about an inch and a half* and the rear down a half (like a dog begging for food), but it went around corners like a slot car. With APR chip and some Florida outfit's three inch turbo-back with 400-count cat, I'd run with E36 M3s all day long, cutting consistent 1:25s at NHMS (using both north and south chicanes). Shine advised me to disconnect the front antiroll bar for track work, and that, along with TWO antiroll bars in the rear (stock one left untouched plus a fatter one installed) meant I could get the car to rotate fairly easily.

With 100 octane at Lime Rock, those same E36s would have trouble staying with the little red hatchback. With all four roaring (yet economical) cylinders firing, I could stay with them on the straights and pull away in the twisties.

The weak point was the brakes. Even with cryo front rotors and Hawk Blues, the car was outrunning it's ability to stop. Looking at the $6K required to upgrade (brakes plus three sets of wheels and tires), I opted for a trade on the SRT4.

With just pads and sneakers, that car would consistently lap NHMS in the 1:23s (again using both chicanes), and never needed a thing. Fun and fast - especially off the corners, when that blast of torque would get you going with real gusto.

Bruce

*The problem with those cars was that the unusual front end geometry would drop the roll center below ground level if you lowered the car, thus requiring very stiff springs to counteract excessive body roll. The car might look tough, but bad news for the ride vs handling trade off. Shine's solution didn't look elegant, but got the job done.

[lucid]

Click on the link Radiation Joe posted in this thread (top of page 2) to see a worked up R32 chasing a GT3:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...ht=golf&page=2

[aznbenz07]

Come on guys let's not get to crazy, the r32 is definitely a special car. I believe that it's predecessor will be one as well but I would love to see a six speed manual option instead of just dsg.

[NoSubstitute]

Finally the M3 met it's match.....a Folksvagen.

[AWDFTMFW]

Originally Posted by URBAN LEGEND

It will never be an M.

Thank God... by the way you guys act.

[Jaypod]

M3 contender or not, I am sure it will be a blast to drive!

I guess it just wont come with a BMW fanboy jacket which might be a deal breaker for some

[spearfisher]

Originally Posted by AWDFTMFW

Thank God... by the way you guys act.

I agree, I like cars that perform very well, but, certian things appeal to different people.

1. certain driving characteristics of a car
2. design
3. power delivery
4. price
5. luxury
6. power and luxury
7. pure performance.
8. just due to the name

just to name a few reasons whey people drive or buy what they have.