[swamp2]

Originally Posted by sdiver68

Against a 600HP CTS-V a few mods away from the 700HP the same engine will put out in the Z07??
Against a 480HP GT-R a chip away from 550+?
Against the 580HP from the Audi RS5/6?

Are you even aware of what is coming down the pipe from anyone BUT M?

Did you know the official BMW Nordshliefe time (8:13) is 4 seconds slower than an RS4 with R-comps, and way slower than that of the GT-R (promised to be faster than a 911 TT)?

• 8:12 (not 8:13) was an UNOFFICIAL time posted on forums and posted on BMW of Canada, since removed.
  
• RS4 time of 8:09 was basically with race tires. This will give you about a 15 second advantage with this single upgrade from top end street legal tires. I'd be willing to bet we see a better time than 8:12 officially from BMW or Sport Auto magazine. Furthermore I'd also be willing to bet with similar tires to the Audis this car will easily and substantially break the "magic" 8 minute barrier. Heck lot's of us think it will break or get darn close with its stock street tires!
  
• To all those "chirping" about the new M3 (or any other generation) not being a true track/race car": DUH! Of course it isn't. The car has always been about a race BRED car using race technologies adapted to a sporty, civil and luxurious street car. M3 has always been about the best of both worlds which requires great engineering and design skill to appropriately balance and COMPROMISE in the design. Don't care much if you blast me for driving my new M3 to Starbucks, the grins it'll give me on the canyons, twisties and track will be plently for me.
  
• Finally in reply to "there's no point in discussing it's track orientation". Maybe it is semantics, but I'll have to disagree. Sure the new M is a bit heavy, but heck, all street cars are heavier than they should be for pure track use, that is only painfully obvious. Do you know where BMW tests all of its cars and that they have simulators that can run a full chassis around a particular famous TRACK that starts with the letter "N" in the lab (I'm sure you did, just emphasizing this...). This car, with it's unofficial N'ring times has already bested some very capable dual use and very sporty cars, look at the lists of what it has already bested with it's unofficial N'ring time. Calling it completely non track oriented is simply neither fair nor accurate.