E90's at the Arc de Triomphe

[E90M3CDFR]

A shot of the first outing of the "E90 M3 Club de Paris."

[Mahmood07]

Nice pic! but I would hate to park my car on any road next to the arc. I've seen people back up and hit the cars behind them while parking too many times in paris!

[positiveions]

ahhhh Champs-Élysées,mon coeur appartient là
nice photo

[mdosu]

sweet, didn't know you could park off to the side of the circle.

[mdosu]

And how do the French feel when German equipment rolls down the Champs-Élysées?



sorry couldn't stop myself with this comment...

[osteome]

Originally Posted by mdosu

And how do the French feel when German equipment rolls down the Champs-Élysées?

That is the Champs-Élysées has so many trees...the Germans like to march in the shade.

Nice pics though. Will be there in June, but without the M3.

[fastrack]

cool pic

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by osteome

That is the Champs-Élysées has so many trees...the Germans like to march in the shade.

:

Yeah,and they ran back in the shade, not long after.

[jonasaurus]

[DCMETRO22Z]

In france Gas costs $8.5 a gallon, A brand new M3 with some options costs $110,000, and the COPS and all the population HATE powerful cars owners and wich them to die in a painful death.
In france the average car is a 1.2 Petrol or 1.9 Diesel Manual car. When you drive anything more expensive/powerful, you are considered as a criminal

Therefore, France is the last country on Earth for driving a M3.

[GOLFFRR]

awesome pic.

[E90M3CDFR]

Originally Posted by DCMETRO22Z

In france Gas costs $8.5 a gallon, A brand new M3 with some options costs $110,000, and the COPS and all the population HATE powerful cars owners and wich them to die in a painful death.
In france the average car is a 1.2 Petrol or 1.9 Diesel Manual car. When you drive anything more expensive/powerful, you are considered as a criminal

Therefore, France is the last country on Earth for driving a M3.

I disagree about several of your points - I've owned M3s (and RS4/S4) in Germany, France, US and driven them all over Europe and the US.

France isn't quite as much fun for driving these days as it used to be about 15 years ago when there were practically speaking no limits on the highways, but the autoroutes have very little traffic and the true speed limit is around 90mph (factoring in the error most radar units have built in under French law). And once you leave the autoroutes and get on the national roads, they are A+ with amazing scenery. And on the highway, lane discipline is pretty good - on par with Germany these days. Germany still has the unlimited speed stretches but the quality of the roads are better in France. And Germany is just around the corner...for those of us who are 'Ring addicts. Don't forget too that BMW does a lot of its testing in Miramas - France.

Also disagree with the view of the French toward high-perf cars (disclaimer I'm not French and spend most of my professional life disagreeing with them). While I would not park on the street in Paris (nor did I ever do that in NYC); people here are real car aficionados and respect them - as long as your are not obnoxious, ie parking where you block everyone. I have had many gendarmes ask to see the car or hear the engine rev or in some cases wave me on to pass them. At gas stations people walk up to ask about the car - I've walked up to the car sometimes and there's 3-4 guys taking photos and when I show the engine, its like the brotherhood of the M. For that matter, Paris is full of exotics and they park on the street without a problem.

I think the M3, especially debadged, gets a lot of interest here - they are rare. Its a car everyone knows is low profile (compared to the Astons, etc).

Gas prices are higher to be sure, and same goes for car insurance. Service is nowhere near as good as in Germany - but probably on par with many of the US dealers I've deal with.

But drive the Route Napoleon or the French Alps - its worth all the euros.

Watch the video of those three German guys driving the M3s in the Alps. They said it best.

As far as the German jokes go...well I have been to many US war memorials here (to lay wreaths and make official remarks). People outside of Paris remember what the US did for them and in a few weeks, across much of France they will turn out in big crowds in small towns to remember the doughboys and the GIs.

And if you bring a Mustang or a Corvette here, people will fall all over themselves - they love cars in France.

[Glop]

Couldn't have said it better.