Advice on e92 m3 to e93 m3

[anidjare]

What can I expect in terms seat of the pants feel of speed in going from coupe to vert?

I don't track or drag, so I'm not worried about .2 seconds here and there.

In day to day driving is it really noticeable?

Also switching from 6spd to dct. Hoping it will make up for some lost speed.

[SpencerM3]

Keep the E92.

[CATCH_M3]

Any mods on the E92?
E93 w/ intake filter, pulleys, & x-pipe I would imagine would feel at least as fast as a stock E92 M3 if you're just looking for the straight line pull feeling

[Doctor J]

Originally Posted by anidjare

What can I expect in terms seat of the pants feel of speed in going from coupe to vert?

I don't track or drag, so I'm not worried about .2 seconds here and there.

In day to day driving is it really noticeable?

Also switching from 6spd to dct. Hoping it will make up for some lost speed.

People that buy the vert do it for the open air driving experience - not 1/4 mi or street racing.

In day to day driving the M3 is still plenty fast -- you get into illegal speeds fast enough

if you are an M3 purist -- then you will probably view the vert with disdain.

To me -- it's the best of everything

FWIW I personally know 2 E92 owners that wish they got the vert because we all live in Vancouver which is a perfect city for a hardtop convertible like the M3 -- they were willing to sacrifice a little speed for the luxury of top down driving

[smmmurf]

Don't dooooo ittttttttt. It's heavier than an M5!

[calintexas]

Get 2 or three friends whose combined weight adds up to about 441 lbs and drive around with them in your coupe. That will tell you what the convertible will feel like power wise with just you in it. My guess is that it will still be plenty fast. I've driven a 328 convertible. While I didn't think I'd be satisfied with it's power, I thought the chassis was plenty stiff and that it handled fine. If you want a convertible, there are a lot worse choices than an E93 in 335 or M3 trim.

[Gearhead999s]

Dont do it!Its like driving your coupe around with 2 passengers all the time.Remember it is not just your acceleration that suffers but also your handling & braking,not to mention the other comprimises of the Cab to the coupe.

[kaykay]

IMHO, the M3 is a Coupe car. I also don't like the look of the vert when closed (the lines are just all over the place and don't look nice).

Like Doctor J said, if you're an M3 purist, the vert and even the sedan are viewed with disdain. It's still a gorgeous car, but I'd stay with the Coupe.

[richardbb85]

i have talked to a few bmw tech at my local dealer, and they all said the convt have problems all the time.

not sure if it is true or not, but i wouldnt want it break on me after the warranty.

[anidjare]

I will try it with two passengers. I am by no means a purist, but I am addicted to this engine.

As for the chasis, I just need to drive it, I guess.

Thanks.

[kaykay]

My favorite E93...

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=365010

[cap_freez]

cal... your red sedan looks awesome !!! but I already told you that

Originally Posted by calintexas

Get 2 or three friends whose combined weight adds up to about 441 lbs and drive around with them in your coupe. That will tell you what the convertible will feel like power wise with just you in it. My guess is that it will still be plenty fast. I've driven a 328 convertible. While I didn't think I'd be satisfied with it's power, I thought the chassis was plenty stiff and that it handled fine. If you want a convertible, there are a lot worse choices than an E93 in 335 or M3 trim.

[ASU]

Originally Posted by anidjare

What can I expect in terms seat of the pants feel of speed in going from coupe to vert?

I don't track or drag, so I'm not worried about .2 seconds here and there.

In day to day driving is it really noticeable?

Also switching from 6spd to dct. Hoping it will make up for some lost speed.

This question has been asked many times and you get the same answers all the time. If you want a high powered, excellent handling vert and you need more than 2 seats, the question really is what are the alternatives and what do you want out of your vert. For those saying no because it comprimizes the speed and handling of the M3 and compare the weight to the M5. I say so what if you are looking for that vert.

Without a doubt you sacrifice some performance for open road driving. Is it that noticable...certainly not seat of your pants noticable especially if you are pushing the M with the top down.

I have had the 3 series for years and most of the time a vert. The past three years I drove the 335. Great car but I truly missed my vert. You need to make that choice first. If you don't really care that much for a vert (just a cool thought) do not pay the extra money for a vert that will give you less performance, take almost $10K more that could go to mods and little in return with the top down if that isn't your thing. Putting a couple of guys in your car to see the difference is not going to help that much. But if you do that, make sure it is with the top down so you understand what you get from the vert and if it is worth the extra money and comprimize of performance.

As such pick my M3 vert up in 2 weeks. Yes it will not quite match the coupe in 0-60 or the 1/4 mile but I will enjoy the hell of my time with the top down.

I looked at the Audi S5 vert (positive is the rag top and better room in the trunk), the new Merc E Class vert (lots of bells and whitles but not a sports car imo) and even the Lexus (I just don't care for them) but none of them were comparable IMO to the M3. Great performance and overall car and for me second to none in this class. If I had the bucks I would most likely get the M3 coupe and a porsche boxster (fits a set of golf clubs). IMO best of both worlds. Great coupe and very good roadster. I don't so I chose the next best M3.

[cap_freez]

IMO the only real problem with the vert is that they went with the folding hardtop... too much weight and too complicated. I would not want that top malfunctioning after warranty... That car would have been perfect with a soft top

[ASU]

Originally Posted by rockrboy

IMO the only real problem with the vert is that they went with the folding hardtop... too much weight and too complicated. I would not want that top malfunctioning after warranty... That car would have been perfect with a soft top

I couldn't agree more with you. Even you being from Montreal and myself in Toronto with all the snow we get (you more than I), the hardtop would seem to be better but it is not necessary. Adds at least 200 lbs and totally kills the trunk.

I almost went with the S5 for that very reason. Great looking soft top with very good (not great) performance and a few bucks less. However, the performance is noticably not a M3 Vert. If you try to find out the curb weight of the S5 Vert good luck. It is not posted anywhere the the sales people couldn't tell me.

[330CIZHP]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Like Doctor J said, if you're an M3 purist, the vert and even the sedan are viewed with disdain. It's still a gorgeous car, but I'd stay with the Coupe.

Your argument holds some water for the convertible due to softer chassis and the 400 lbs extra weight. Sedan is altogether a different story.

You are talking strictly from an look and "show" perspective. It has nothing to do with "purists" or non "purist". The sedan weighs almost the same and has proven to perform identical or better both in a straight line or around a race track so your "purist" argument almost makes no sense for the sedan considering by definition in a "purist" sense is that the M3 coupe is a "2-door sedan". Not a coupe in the pure sense. It was the same for the E36 M3 sedan as well where the sedan performed better and was more rigid than the coupe due to presence of the B-pillar.

[kaykay]

^ are you saying the E90 performs better in a straight line and around the track than an E92???

And yes, from a "show" perspective, the E92 is the best looking of the bunch. But please elaborate on your "has proven to perform identical or better both in a straight line or around a race track" statement. Not sure where you dug this data up...

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by anidjare

What can I expect in terms seat of the pants feel of speed in going from coupe to vert?

I don't track or drag, so I'm not worried about .2 seconds here and there.

In day to day driving is it really noticeable?

Also switching from 6spd to dct. Hoping it will make up for some lost speed.

You can feel the extra weight of the convertible but it is by no means a slow car. Neither car can be driven at anything close to the limits on public roads and neither car is really suitable for serious track use.
The coupe and sedans are both good occaisional track day cars and most tracks will not allow convertibles. As I have stated before if you can't afford to wreck it you can't afford to track it. If you are concerened with weight no M3 is a good choice. If you are looking for a high performance car that has a lot of luxury features, is a blast to drive, and you can lower the top on the M3 is a perfect choice.



CA

[Blotman]

For day to day driving? It's going to be really difficult to notice the difference. The only difference that counts is how you feel cruising around with the top down. The wind blowing over you with the roar of the engine is a particularly sweet way to experience the M3. I certainly hope I never become one of those "purists".

Get the vert.

[SCtud]

Be prepared for extra rattles/squeaks, possibility of an expensive out of warranty experience, but enjoy the best four seat convertible out there. There's always going to be cars faster than you on the track, so it's not like the extra few tenths of a seconds is going to destroy all your enjoyment despite what all the "purists" say. If I were that much of a track enthusiast, I'd get a dedicated track car that could be modded without being worried about warranty issues (and my car breaking down on the way to work), two seater, fully stripped of extra weight (i.e. lotus exige).

Trunk room is a bit lacking. The hardtop makes a massive difference when the top is up because of the near full size rear window and no B pillar to block your vision. That made a huge difference for me after sitting in the Z4 with zero trunk and inability to see what's going on behind you or in front of you for that matter with the massive front hood.

I feel the same way about DCT. It may be slightly faster, but manual is more fun. A coupe may be faster too, but a convertible is more fun. Conclusion - M3 manual convertible = max fun

[ASU]

Originally Posted by Blotman

For day to day driving? It's going to be really difficult to notice the difference. The only difference that counts is how you feel cruising around with the top down. The wind blowing over you with the roar of the engine is a particularly sweet way to experience the M3. I certainly hope I never become one of those "purists".

Get the vert.

Simple and to the point. Agreed for those that want to feel and hear both the M3 and the world (that is me personally). If you want a quick straight line performance comparision this video is good. If you must have the extra performance do some simple mods.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovHHPHgdVtw

[330CIZHP]

I am a coupe owner and I wholeheartedly believe the sedan with short and wider proportions (3 inches shorter and 1 inch wider) completely dominates the coupe's long-ish proportions and from what looks like to me, the duck-like tail. Again, I own a coupe myself so I have nothing against coupes.

Again, that is completely subjective.

Regarding the data on the sedan performing equally or better than coupe, that is soooo yesterday. Why would I be saying that if there were no real world comparisons that proved it? Yes, there was real world proof on both the drag racing and around a track performance. They both perform identically on the drag race and the sedan edged out the coupe around the race track by a tiny bit margin, which was almost insignificant.

If you really still are not aware of that, you are simply quite behind.

Originally Posted by kaykay

^ are you saying the E90 performs better in a straight line and around the track than an E92???

And yes, from a "show" perspective, the E92 is the best looking of the bunch. But please elaborate on your "has proven to perform identical or better both in a straight line or around a race track" statement. Not sure where you dug this data up...