Drove new M3 on the track, and it was...

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by ///Mantis

19 replies hahaha

all the E90post people too bro. it's a huge forum over there.

Yeah, maybe its E90 post, maybe Mantis. I notice back on page 2 of the forum theres a thread about the M3 cab with 30k views too. Strange. Maybe people thought it was a cab as in a taxi, lol.

[mkoesel]

Dude, WTF its up to 55k now?

Makes no sense. Its a bot or blog or something. Gotta be.

[DJ9]

This is great to hear...I'm actually headed to Laguna Seca this Saturday. First time on the track with this car....only have 1,400 miles on her so far.

You sound like you've had a lot of track time, so I was hoping you could provide some feedback on MDM.

For those of us that have track time, but have never used MDM, do you think this mode reacts more like DSC off or on? Basically, I have limited exposure to M Dynamic Mode as I'm coming from an 2004 e46M3 with no M button and do not want to bite off more than I can chew this weekend.

Also, did you happen to use EDC in Normal(Dynamic) mode? I posted a few questions about this in the Track forum.


Thanks for the write up!

[dawgdog]

Music to my ears. I have a tuned 335 with coilovers, swaybars, bbs forged wheels with PS2s, and I still have opted for the M3. I do love my 335, though.

[Dontbethatguy]

I sold my tuned E92 6MT a few months back, and I'm getting ready to buy another one or buy an M3. I drove the M3 coupe last week, and it was absolutely amazing. While it wasn't on an official race track, I did take it on my own "race track" with a bunch of twists and turns. The car handles absolutely awesome, and there's nothing like the sound of a V8. I immediately noticed how much lower geared the M3 was vs. the 335. The adjustable suspension is pretty phenomenal, and I'm honestly trying to see if it's possible to talk myself OUT of the M3. LOL It's more money, but I really feel that it's worth it if you can afford the higher price tag.

[swamp2]

Great post, good to hear what we all knew simply had to be the case.

Originally Posted by ruff

BTW, if the OP would of praised the 335 in comparison to the M, he would of been blasted by those dishing out praise.

The response he would have got would be much like the response he would have got if he said he can shift his MT faster than a M-DCT (or that 1+1=3). In other words there is nothing controversial nor psychologically upsetting to things most regard as logical, factual or certain.

[mkoesel]

Really now, 111k hits? I need to know how to drive this kind of traffic. This thread is good, but not THAT good.

[skierman64]

I'll ask again since the question hasn't been answered yet, what track was the OP on?

[monsta]

I really really have to get out there, going to start looking into trackdays now...thanks for helping me spend my GF's engagement ring $, I hope she's not reading this...JUST KIDDING BABE!!

[adc]

Originally Posted by DJ9

For those of us that have track time, but have never used MDM, do you think this mode reacts more like DSC off or on? Basically, I have limited exposure to M Dynamic Mode as I'm coming from an 2004 e46M3 with no M button and do not want to bite off more than I can chew this weekend.

I also have limited track time - but I found the car is so intuitive and predictable that you don't need ANY of the nannies...

Compared to the E46 M3, the suspension is more sorted, the power delivery less peaky and the throttle response a tad less "artificial" in Sport mode. I found it was considerably easier to modulate than any of my previous cars, except perhaps the E36 M3.

If I was so confident with zero miles previous experience on it, I think you'll do just fine, with or without the M mode.

[j28s]

Track - VIR (Virginia International Raceway)
I have plenty of track time/race time at the track in all different types of cars.
Yes, I don't understand what the 335 owners are saying about "I beat an M3 from the stop light to about a quarter mile". In any case, yes, I have a fairly moded 335 with several track days of suspension tuning where it handles great. The M3 out of the box is awesome. My hat is off to all of you that bought one...good choice.
No, I do not have a LSD on my car, but have driven a students 335 with an LSD. While it did handle better coming out of turns, it's nothing compared to the M3. I need to do some research on the LSD and Suspension on the M3. There are some things that felt interesting...something I wouldn't expect out of the LSD and if felt as if the suspension was adjusting for high speed and low speed compression going into and out of tight corners and something else through high speed corners. Something I would only expect out of my race car's Moton shocks. The brakes on the M3 did get slightly muschy about about 7 hot laps driving at 9/10ths, but nothing I didn't expect...afterall they are stock OEM brake pads. I'm sure with a higher torque pad and some better brake fluid (Castrol SRF) they would be the same through for every session all day long. Great car....

[GregMM]

Thanks for the review - nice to hear from an owner with a modded 335.
Cheers,
Greg

[GregMM]

Originally Posted by AwesomeM3

Nice! Thanks for the write up!

Love your sig. Nice photography. I haven't had time since picking up my car but soon....
Cheers,
Greg

[e36jakeo]

Great review. The track is where the M3's advantages over the 335i really shine through. It was designed to work extremely well there (adequate cooling of engine, brakes, transmission) and that is where you can use all of its revs and HP. Plus the NA engine's instantaneous throttle response.

If I didn't have an E36 M3 track car (now with the euro 3.2L motor) I would need an M3 now if not sooner. But I will hang out for a bit with my 335i (an amazing street car that combines luxury, sport, power, handling, and efficiency better than just about anything else out there) and wait for a nice slightly used M3 next year.

[Dascamel]

Just went over the Grapevine in both directions today... mpg avg was 24.5, at an above avg speed. Hence keeping the 335i for and hopefully adding the M3. Entire 335i vs M3 debate is outta hand, no brainer would prefer the M on the track. The 335i is just a more practical car with great performance. F**K, I'm greedy, want both.....

[BK]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Really now, 111k hits? I need to know how to drive this kind of traffic. This thread is good, but not THAT good.

224K now? Is this is a software glitch?

Anyway, good to hear. I'm afraid to try an M3 test drive because I think I'd place an order.

[violinguy]

I'm also a 335i owner and I drove the M3 on the track at BMW M schol (on a shorter track, not at VIR), and it is superb. Steering feel and response is substantially better than the 335i, and engine revs rise and fall much quicker, it's much easier to rotate and catch, and slalom performance is night and day. I was already kind of bored of the 335i, but now I really want to get rid of it. The M3 is heavy and you can definitely feel its weight when you hustle it around (I track and autox an Elise, so pretty much all cars feel flabby and imprecise), but it's a much better compromise car than the M5, which is exceptional for its size but not really a sports car.

[leftcoastman]

Counterpoint opinion from an instructor:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...5&postcount=41

I did talk to the drivers of the M3-yes, I think XXXX's 335i was faster, certainly through the corners, and I was hearing low-mid 130's (mph) at the end of the front straight, also with an instructor driving.

As a comparison, the "modified" 335i:

Yeah rode in XXXX's car, it is so OMG faaassstttt and he has it dialed in so nicely! We were hitting the low 140's down the front straight and then hauling down to about 75 for corner 1-my stock 335i will see 128ish give or take a couple mph. My E30 M3 feels positively sluggish topping out at only 108 mph.

Without a doubt, the out-of-box M3 is faster. I would get one if I wasn't a tinkerer. However, with a few mods (certainly <$25k of mods), the 335i is nothing to dismiss.

Both cars: AWESOME!

[footie]

The suspension on this M3 was EDC which has driver input adjustments and more than likely electronic adjustments from the car's brain, so yeah I reckon you are right in thinking that these shocks were behaving differently than expected.