How many consider the M3 as a Sporty GT? Sports Car?

-=Hot|Ice=- · 07-26-2011, 03:41 PM

Just want to get a general idea of what people think. How many folks here think the M3 is a Sporty GT? A Sports Car?

Echo M3 · 07-26-2011, 03:50 PM

Leather electric seats, Nav, 'comfort' suspension settings, back seats, large trunk, relatively heavy, poor brakes and brake pads, climate control/cruise control, heavy interior insulation, tire/suspension set up leaning towards understeer...

All of these add up to a grand tourer (or more accurately, a 'sports sedan'), not a sports car. That being said, I'm very happy with it.

Z K · 07-26-2011, 03:53 PM

+1

Definitely more Sporty GT car than Sports Car. I had many hardcore sports cars and this is the most un-hardcore sporty car I've owned. But that's what I was looking for so it's great.

-=Hot|Ice=- · 07-26-2011, 04:20 PM

Hmm, interesting. Interesting point about the brakes.

Echo M3 · 07-26-2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=Hot|Ice=-

Hmm, interesting. Interesting point about the brakes.

Have you tracked your car before? The stock brakes/pads are rubbish. And brake ducting/cooling is inadequate on this car.

-=Hot|Ice=- · 07-26-2011, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pman10

Have you tracked your car before? The stock brakes/pads are rubbish. And brake ducting/cooling is inadequate on this car.

Nope. Waiting on the 2012's but that seems to be a common complaint!

donovan · 07-26-2011, 11:14 PM

Not sure wtf a sporty gt is but its a variation of a sports car...

ES_TRADER · 07-26-2011, 11:19 PM

According to BMW USA it's a "racecar" that shouldn't be confined to racetracks. that about says it all..

mdosu · 07-26-2011, 11:24 PM

depends on if you have a E93 or not...yeah, I went there.

Mike V8 · 07-26-2011, 11:35 PM

Definitely a Sporty GT

crackberry · 07-26-2011, 11:45 PM

Great poll hot ice. All variants of the m3 are def sporty gt's.

BobsM3Coupe · 07-27-2011, 01:09 AM

A true sports car only has 2 seats.

crackberry · 07-27-2011, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobsM3Coupe

A true sports car only has 2 seats.

mkoesel · 07-27-2011, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobsM3Coupe

A true sports car only has 2 seats.

Because a 911 S is not a sports car whereas a Cayman S is?

Maybe you would say "yes" to that, but the question is whether classifying them like that is even remotely useful and sensible. And then there's the fact that things end up being confusing as hell when you start talking about the GT3, which does not have a backseat.

mkoesel · 07-27-2011, 07:42 AM

I would say this: a sports must be designed on a purpose-built chassis. An M3 does not fit this category - it is built on a "family car" chassis.

sameh · 07-27-2011, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pman10

Leather electric seats, Nav, 'comfort' suspension settings, back seats, large trunk, relatively heavy, poor brakes and brake pads, climate control/cruise control, heavy interior insulation, tire/suspension set up leaning towards understeer...

All of these add up to a grand tourer (or more accurately, a 'sports sedan'), not a sports car. That being said, I'm very happy with it.

Agree with most except for the understeer comment.

Nine · 07-27-2011, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=Hot|Ice=-

Nope. Waiting on the 2012's but that seems to be a common complaint!

Curious, why are you waiting for 2012 - and what is holding you up?

Grail05 · 07-27-2011, 09:17 AM

i think the M3 is just a regular car that was heavily modified and it happen to be OEM modified...

put it this way its like buying a STI, EVO, or even a Honda that was heavily modified by aftermarket company's although the M3 is very well made all around car, and marked it up... i am pretty sure other company can do the same so

is it a sports car, YES

is it a super GT?, nah its far from that.

Rshane · 07-27-2011, 09:18 AM

Actually, IMO, the M3 is a European Muscle car...front engined, rear wheel drive with the same chassis used by other models in the 3 series line-up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by richpuer

According to BMW USA it's a "racecar" that shouldn't be confined to racetracks. that about says it all..

According to half the people on this site too.

Personally, I will never take my M3 to the track, I simply use it for point A to point B transportation. I like the admiring looks I get when I take it to the grocery store, and it is really fun to cruise around parking lots listening to the exhaust rumble. It's also a nice relaxing place to be during road trips...set my iPod playlist to "driving music", and just sit back and relax.

If I wanted a track car I would have bought a used Mustang, and dropped about $20,000 into it and be able to wipe the floor with most stock M3's and still have spent less than half of what the M3 cost. That way, if I did some off track excursions, it would be cheap and easy to fix the Stang...and lets be realistic, if you don't end up off the track once in a while you really aren't pushing yourself or your car to the limits...more like just cruising around the track for bragging rights on the websites.

Just sayin..

Smokey · 07-27-2011, 09:55 AM

It seems to bridge the gap between gt and sports car: it can be docile on the streets, but highly capable on the track, so maybe it deserves its own designation. Regardless of the designation, one thing remains constant: I love it

-=Hot|Ice=- · 07-27-2011, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nine

Curious, why are you waiting for 2012 - and what is holding you up?

Timing really. I'm not looking for an M3 so I thought I'd just wait it out another month before the 2012's hit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shift@red

M3 is a more a GT car than anything else with a bit more focus on being track capable/oriented than other GT cars that come to mind.

So it's a GT, that has sporty capabilities.

-=Hot|Ice=- · 07-27-2011, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crackberry

Great poll hot ice. All variants of the m3 are def sporty gt's.

Thanks! Looks like most here agree that the car is certainly a GT with sporty capabilities.

View Poll Results: What is the M3 to you?
Sports Car	56	36.60%
Sporty GT	97	63.40%
Voters: 153. You may not vote on this poll

07-26-2011, 03:50 PM	#2
Echo M3 Major 123 Rep 1,432 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	Leather electric seats, Nav, 'comfort' suspension settings, back seats, large trunk, relatively heavy, poor brakes and brake pads, climate control/cruise control, heavy interior insulation, tire/suspension set up leaning towards understeer... All of these add up to a grand tourer (or more accurately, a 'sports sedan'), not a sports car. That being said, I'm very happy with it.
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07-26-2011, 03:53 PM	#3
Z K Major General 1889 Rep 5,506 Posts Drives: E90 M3, G20 M340i Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (3)	+1 Definitely more Sporty GT car than Sports Car. I had many hardcore sports cars and this is the most un-hardcore sporty car I've owned. But that's what I was looking for so it's great.
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07-26-2011, 11:14 PM	#7
donovan Brigadier General 371 Rep 4,167 Posts Drives: R8 - Ford Raptor Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: National iTrader: (17)	Not sure wtf a sporty gt is but its a variation of a sports car... __________________ Audi R8 v10 Ford Raptor m3e46freak@yahoo.comfor all euro parts!! ebay/craigslist verified/ m3post/e46fanantics/m3forum/zpost/bimmerforum
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07-26-2011, 11:19 PM	#8
ES_TRADER Colonel 344 Rep 2,928 Posts Drives: 328i, 335i, M3, 535i, X5, 36M Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: OC iTrader: (3) Garage List 2014 Ford Raptor [0.00] 2012 328i E92 [10.00] 2013 X5 [0.00] 2013 335i F30 [8.00] 1990 Toyota Previa [0.00] 1997 E36 M3 [10.00] 2011 E92 M3 [0.00] 2011 535i [0.00]	According to BMW USA it's a "racecar" that shouldn't be confined to racetracks. that about says it all..
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07-26-2011, 11:24 PM	#9
mdosu Banned 314 Rep 8,496 Posts Drives: Double Vanos'd Civic-M3 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (6)	depends on if you have a E93 or not...yeah, I went there.
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07-26-2011, 11:35 PM	#10
Mike V8 First Lieutenant 24 Rep 398 Posts Drives: '09 E92 M3 DCT Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: So. Cal. iTrader: (0)	Definitely a Sporty GT __________________ "...it's not about the money and not about the brand of the car, it's about handling,performance and passion......And that, no other car has all together like an M3........when you talk about the most complete car the M is invincible." --Tony Kanaan.
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07-26-2011, 11:45 PM	#11
crackberry Major 32 Rep 999 Posts Drives: Porsche Carrera GTS (997.2) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: southern california iTrader: (0)	Great poll hot ice. All variants of the m3 are def sporty gt's.
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07-27-2011, 01:09 AM	#12
BobsM3Coupe Brigadier General 1456 Rep 3,928 Posts Drives: X5MC Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: California iTrader: (4)	A true sports car only has 2 seats.
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07-27-2011, 07:42 AM	#15
mkoesel Moderator 7512 Rep 19,368 Posts Drives: No BMW for now Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Canton, MI iTrader: (1)	I would say this: a sports must be designed on a purpose-built chassis. An M3 does not fit this category - it is built on a "family car" chassis.
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07-27-2011, 09:17 AM	#18
Grail05 Putcha ang ganda... 281 Rep 5,441 Posts Drives: 17 F82 M4 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Los Angeles, Brea CA. iTrader: (10)	i think the M3 is just a regular car that was heavily modified and it happen to be OEM modified... put it this way its like buying a STI, EVO, or even a Honda that was heavily modified by aftermarket company's although the M3 is very well made all around car, and marked it up... i am pretty sure other company can do the same so is it a sports car, YES is it a super GT?, nah its far from that. __________________ Last edited by Grail05; 07-27-2011 at 10:04 AM..
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07-27-2011, 09:55 AM	#20
Smokey Lucky Lefty 45 Rep 746 Posts Drives: on twisty roads Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: * iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW M2 Comp [0.00] 2017 Porsche Macan GTS [8.00] 2011 M3 [10.00] 2013 bmw F25 msport [10.00] 2011 335iS [9.60]	It seems to bridge the gap between gt and sports car: it can be docile on the streets, but highly capable on the track, so maybe it deserves its own designation. Regardless of the designation, one thing remains constant: I love it __________________ The Power of M
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