After 20,000 miles, still the best sedan in the world(Insideline)

[OBI_agent]

Originally Posted by catserfp

The best sedan there is...

Originally Posted by Berduderunner

My favorite BMW by far is the e90 M3 w/DCT... been saying it for years. One day I will have one

Originally Posted by Jdebitjr

Love my sedan. Hopefully, BMW is reading these articles and possibly considering making a sedan in the new version--even low production!

Originally Posted by catserfp

The best sedan there is...

+1....You guys dont know how many ppl agree with you. The numbers are huge.
BTW guys, on this thread,vote to make your feelings known. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=365166

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Why do people keep saying there will not be a next gen. M3 sedan?

Originally Posted by TK-421

After reading this, I found myself (again) asking the question... why the f**k won't there be a sedan for the next gen M3?

Because BMW is in the profit making business and they think M3 sedan is not profitable enough. They dont see that the whole world is hit by recession and it's recession thats making people not buy this beast of a sedan.
In my opinion, the m3 sedan buyers category are special. They understand that looks are not all that matters if the car can deliver performance, PRACtIcality and everyday use in one package. Not that it matters but M3 sedan is a handsome car too.
I applaud those people who have realized how special the M3 sedan really is. You are truly a special breed.

[ebeem]

I drove an M3 for a while since my car had to sit at the shop for a week and I really like the DCT,the LSD and that V8 blips when downshifting in MDM mode with S5

With 4 doors,there is little competition to the M3...it`s perfect even though the C63 delivers more torque in the low revs...well who cares

but for single persons(like me) with no need for 4 seats,there are other options that are very attractive : e.g used 997 C2S or a modded Cayman S

I`m a die hard BMW fan but the increasing weight of Bimmers(my car as well) has become a problem imo

[auggiem3]

Originally Posted by ebeem

I drove an M3 for a while since my car had to sit at the shop for a week and I really like the DCT,the LSD and that V8 blips when downshifting in MDM mode with S5

With 4 doors,there is little competition to the M3...it`s perfect even though the C63 delivers more torque in the low revs...well who cares

but for single persons(like me) with no need for 4 seats,there are other options that are very attractive : e.g used 997 C2S or a modded Cayman S

I`m a die hard BMW fan but the increasing weight of Bimmers(my car as well) has become a problem imo

If you're a weight focused guy check out the 1addicts thread - those guys are 100% sure the most recent mules are driving the testing for a 1 series M car - if they're correct, it should be a light and tight product capable of laying into a cayman S.

[keanu1]

I regret i dont have the mpney to buy one now!!!

[MUFCbmwbear]

I would get a E90 M3 over a E92 anyday. This coming from a coupe loving 135i guy. They just look so spectacular when well executed and they are a bit more rare.
Please make a next gen M3 sedan...Please

[OBI_agent]

Originally Posted by MUFCe82

I would get a E90 M3 over a E92 anyday. This coming from a coupe loving 135i guy. They just look so spectacular when well executed and they are a bit more rare.
Please make a next gen M3 sedan...Please

Aymen to that.

And a ''Red Devil'' for life

[bmwboi]

Originally Posted by ebeem

I drove an M3 for a while since my car had to sit at the shop for a week and I really like the DCT,the LSD and that V8 blips when downshifting in MDM mode with S5

With 4 doors,there is little competition to the M3...it`s perfect even though the C63 delivers more torque in the low revs...well who cares

but for single persons(like me) with no need for 4 seats,there are other options that are very attractive : e.g used 997 C2S or a modded Cayman S

I`m a die hard BMW fan but the increasing weight of Bimmers(my car as well) has become a problem imo

If you're only going to have one car though and want something peformance oriented, it's tough to top the M3 coupe or sedan IMO.

In terms of which one I'd buy, I'm pretty much 50/50 on the coupe or sedan. The sedan looks pretty damn badas* especially with the LCI upgrade. Having owned an e46 though, I envision M3's as coupes and the e92 is pretty hot. At least I have several months before I need to decide.

[adc]

Originally Posted by ss134

Many thanks, how would you compare the steering and also does the M 'feel' that much quicker than the 335 ?(seat of the pants)

As far as I know all US-bound M3's come with Servotronic standard, which makes the steering feel extremely light at parking speeds. Way too light, but at least it noticeably firms up at speeds over 30-40mph and even more so at higher speeds, to the point that it's very well judged when you are really going fast.

Turn-in is much better and there is virtually no understeer in normal driving conditions.

To me, the 335i has always had a heavily artificial feel at low speeds, almost like the steering rack was filled with sticky syrup. This also caused it to not have sufficient self-centering (which the M3 does).

I think neither steering is perfect - the last best steering in a BMW car to my mind was in the E46 ZHP which was amazing. But I prefer the M3 steering in all its aspects to the 335i steering.

The M3 does feel quicker in the first 3 gears at any RPM over 2500-3000. There is no lag of course and since there is much less suspension dive/squat, when you press the gas (especially with the EDC on the firmest setting) the car simply shoots forward horizontally, without the slightest loss or hesitation. The 335i by comparison squats a lot on the rear on acceleration, the front lifts up which perhaps magnifies the feeling of acceleration. But the M3 simply streaks forward - it's hard to describe but you will no doubt be able to feel it - and love it.


I don't miss my 335i at all - not even in the slightest aspect.

[adc]

Originally Posted by Kiemyster

20 years from now, and untill the day I die I will drive a petrol car.

I'm pretty sure there were lots of people who rode horses until they died, never even considered driving an automobile even after they became largely available.

Of course I jest, but the truth is that in the not so distant future, social pressure may simply make driving a petrol-powered car completely unacceptable, like wearing seal fur is today. People still do it, but they have skin that is thicker than even the seal fur.

BMW will most likely have an automated system in their uplink servers to always be able to update the iDrive.... to think they would just stop one day is retarded.... computers are smart enough to keep updating and sorting the data.

Retarded? Have you called BMW to get an updated set of NAV CD's for the early E38 navigation? Will they perhaps have an updated set of CD's 10 years from now, so you can keep up with the latest road construction?

They will be using the same satellite technology so i see no reason for the updates to stop.

1. No, they won't. In the near future the next-gen GPS satellite network will come online, and the current generation satellites will start going out of service (because they've reached end of life and nobody will replace them). 20 years from now all GPS-based systems currently in use will no longer function.

2. Software updates stop for other reasons - once a car goes out of production, BMW has absolutely no interest in continuing to develop software for the car (iDrive or not) - when was the last software update for the E46 cars? How about the latest computer update for the E30 cars? Does BMW even make the E30 ECU's any more?

Also, technology changes in other ways too - for instance, it is extremely unlikely that NAV companies will continue to burn CD's or DVD's 20 years from now. Just like nobody cares about cassette tapes these days.

No Petrol - No Life.

Really? What, was there no life before petrol?

Would you not take a fully electric automobile if it weighed less than 3000lbs, had better acceleration than any BMW ever produced, better throttle response than a combustion engine can ever have, and a similar range as today's petrol cars?

If the dynamics of (fast) driving is what you're all about, what possible difference can there be as to what's under the hood?



Sure, perhaps the scenarios I've outlined above may be a little extreme, but they are not by any means unconceivable. To not consider them is frankly... retarded?


Edit: I recently came across an example of the problems created by obsolete technology. Recently, there has been renewed interest in detailed data/pictures regarding the surface of the moon, as several countries and agencies are considering opening permanent bases there.

NASA remembered they had extensively surveyed the moon in the 60s in preparation for their first landing. So they happily dug out the tapes only to realize they didn't have a tape reader anymore. So at great cost and effort, they bought the last 6 remaining tape readers in the world (!!!) and out of the 6 boxes they managed to make one functioning machine to read the darn tapes. Had they waited another 10 years, it's very possible the tapes may have become permanently unreadable - forever.

This is an extreme (and entertaining) example, but which perfectly illustrates the many ways technology becomes obsolete.

[chungdae]

Simply put it.

[ss134]

Originally Posted by adc

As far as I know all US-bound M3's come with Servotronic standard, which makes the steering feel extremely light at parking speeds. Way too light, but at least it noticeably firms up at speeds over 30-40mph and even more so at higher speeds, to the point that it's very well judged when you are really going fast.

Turn-in is much better and there is virtually no understeer in normal driving conditions.

To me, the 335i has always had a heavily artificial feel at low speeds, almost like the steering rack was filled with sticky syrup. This also caused it to not have sufficient self-centering (which the M3 does).

I think neither steering is perfect - the last best steering in a BMW car to my mind was in the E46 ZHP which was amazing. But I prefer the M3 steering in all its aspects to the 335i steering.

The M3 does feel quicker in the first 3 gears at any RPM over 2500-3000. There is no lag of course and since there is much less suspension dive/squat, when you press the gas (especially with the EDC on the firmest setting) the car simply shoots forward horizontally, without the slightest loss or hesitation. The 335i by comparison squats a lot on the rear on acceleration, the front lifts up which perhaps magnifies the feeling of acceleration. But the M3 simply streaks forward - it's hard to describe but you will no doubt be able to feel it - and love it.


I don't miss my 335i at all - not even in the slightest aspect.

Thanks for the response, i really dont like the steering and body roll on my 335i (with M sport suspension) the steering feels loose, like there is some play to it before it gives you any resistance (if that makes sense) The body roll is quite bad for a sporty sedan IMO. These are the reasons i ordered the M3, i hope it will live up to my high expectations!
I have read a lot of threads with people complaining that the torque on the
M3 reduces the feeling of initial acceleration in comparison to the 335 - TBH i am not expecting the car to 'feel' that much faster (although i know it is)
End of July seems a long way off at the moment.

[e46e92love]

Big e92 fan and that is what I am getting, but I will be sorry to see the sedan go, the e90 is gorgeous, and in some ways looks more aggressive from the rear. Great write-up, glad to see the e90 getting its due recognition.

Cheers,
e46e92

[Kiemyster]

Originally Posted by adc

Of course I jest, but the truth is that in the not so distant future, social pressure may simply make driving a petrol-powered car completely unacceptable, like wearing seal fur is today. People still do it, but they have skin that is thicker than even the seal fur.

Retarded? Have you called BMW to get an updated set of NAV CD's for the early E38 navigation? Will they perhaps have an updated set of CD's 10 years from now, so you can keep up with the latest road construction?


1. No, they won't. In the near future the next-gen GPS satellite network will come online, and the current generation satellites will start going out of service (because they've reached end of life and nobody will replace them). 20 years from now all GPS-based systems currently in use will no longer function.

2. Software updates stop for other reasons - once a car goes out of production, BMW has absolutely no interest in continuing to develop software for the car (iDrive or not) - when was the last software update for the E46 cars? How about the latest computer update for the E30 cars? Does BMW even make the E30 ECU's any more?

Also, technology changes in other ways too - for instance, it is extremely unlikely that NAV companies will continue to burn CD's or DVD's 20 years from now. Just like nobody cares about cassette tapes these days.



Really? What, was there no life before petrol?

Would you not take a fully electric automobile if it weighed less than 3000lbs, had better acceleration than any BMW ever produced, better throttle response than a combustion engine can ever have, and a similar range as today's petrol cars?

If the dynamics of (fast) driving is what you're all about, what possible difference can there be as to what's under the hood?

Well, im going to bank on BMW and assume that they will not dissapoint me. Considering the E9X is a much more modern platform i would hope the good fellas at BMW will have figured out solutions to these issues.

I'll always drive petrol. Its not all about going fast. are you kidding me? i drive a 320i that takes me 7 seconds to hit 60 in. But even in my 4 banger, my average speed is higher than most peoples top speeds here on e90post. Its the tradition and heritage that i'll value down the years from now. Its to protect my ideal of what a perfect car is. I didnt ask what society will conform to, I'm just saying what I will continue to do throughout my life. Its protecting my memories of childhood and all these glory days. You see those old guys driving their super classic american cars, and i understand exactly where they come from. Everyone has their icon, and an E90 is the car that captures my soul. Sadly, these cars truly inspire me, and my AW E90 has my heart.

You have made and proven your point, and thats awesome. I, however, remain to live in ignorance.

Its all about E90 Love.


"in the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught"

[IbanezGod]

After driving the E9x M3, I can't stand the feel on my E46. It's just too rough, steering wheel feels bigger, more effort for turning etc. The new M3 is just magical.

[jaehshim]

The M3 isn't an overpriced 3 Series; it's a discounted supercar

Wow, this shit was deep...

[sikoskul]

Originally Posted by ss134

Ordered my E90 M3 2 weeks ago - this has just made me want it even more - i cannot wait for this car Anyone who has gone from 335i to M3 ....your opinions on what you have found the biggest differences to be would be appreciated!

Let me chime in real quick. I had to unlearn some bad shifting habits thanks to the 335's cdv. I even had a zeck cdv in its bag that never got installed, but driving the m, I was shifting like a granny for a week or two. The other thing is that I had to remember to shift higher. I had always shifted the 335 at or around 5800k, which is soooo not what you want to do in the m.

Other than that, well, you know the rest

[Imola.ZHP]

^ hollowed out CDV was the first mod on my ZHP...

/OT