Am I the only one who loves the "imperfections" in our M3s?

[ccdre]

Hey everyone,

Am I the only one who actually loves the perceived imperfections in these performance machines we're all obsessed with?Thinking back to my old E92—I kinda miss how it tram-lined on the freeway with those oversized GTS wheels and tires.
It was twitchy and followed every groove in the road, but damn, it felt alive. Similarly, I adore how my F80 breaks traction in 2nd or 3rd gear once the turbos spool up, especially in the wet or when there are leaves on the ground. That sudden surge and the rear stepping out... it's predictable in its unpredictability, and for me, that's where a lot of the fun lives.

It's almost like knowing the car's "misbehavior" is part of its character, and that's what makes driving it so rewarding.Anyway, no real purpose to this post other than wondering... is it just me? What quirks or "flaws" do you secretly love about your M3 (E92, F80, or otherwise)?

[pbonsalb]

I had a 2008 E90 M3 for 10 years and liked it. Way more character and way more recognition from BMW enthusiasts than my F90 M5. But I prefer the M5 because it has AWD, is more comfortable, has more space to carry stuff, is newer and has better technology, and it is much faster (my M3 was well modded as is my M5). No quirk or secret, but an 8600 rpm (with tune) V8 and manual transmission is pretty special and sounds great.

[ccdre]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I had a 2008 E90 M3 for 10 years and liked it. Way more character and way more recognition from BMW enthusiasts than my F90 M5. But I prefer the M5 because it has AWD, is more comfortable, has more space to carry stuff, is newer and has better technology, and it is much faster (my M3 was well modded as is my M5). No quirk or secret, but an 8600 rpm (with tune) V8 and manual transmission is pretty special and sounds great.

8600 rpm scream sounds glorious!

[allinon72]

I concur...this is the paradox of ultra-refinement in a sports car. BMW has gotten so good at effortless performance that it becomes a little appliance-like. The twitchiness and feeling that the car could put you into a ditch is what added to the excitement, that feeling of "I shouldn't own this car, it's too dangerous." The rebellious nature of too much throttle on a chilly day. For late model BMWs, that kind of stuff just isn't there anymore.

[ccdre]

Originally Posted by allinon72

I concur...this is the paradox of ultra-refinement in a sports car. BMW has gotten so good at effortless performance that it becomes a little appliance-like. The twitchiness and feeling that the car could put you into a ditch is what added to the excitement, that feeling of "I shouldn't own this car, it's too dangerous." The rebellious nature of too much throttle on a chilly day. For late model BMWs, that kind of stuff just isn't there anymore.

Spot on!

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by ccdre

8600 rpm scream sounds glorious!

My E92 M3 sounded glorious. My G83 sounds...meh...

[smokinjoe64]

"Quirks & flaws", ehhh...???


Although my e92 M3 is a bit 'enhanced' [OE+], coupla things come to mind...

> Relatively low TQ for a V8
> 6MT shifter feel, particularly 1st to 2nd
> Single piston brake calipers

That said, remedied all with performance upgrades.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by smokinjoe64

"Quirks & flaws", ehhh...???


Although my e92 M3 is a bit 'enhanced' [OE+], coupla things come to mind...

> Relatively low TQ for a V8
> 6MT shifter feel, particularly 1st to 2nd
> Single piston brake calipers

That said, remedied all with performance upgrades.

Nice E92!!

• It DID have more torque than my RX7. I dreamed of super charging, but didn't get it done.!
• The UUC short-shifter fixed the shifter feel issue.
• I never had trouble stopping.

[pbonsalb]

The low torque is multiplied by the short 3.85 diff on the 6MT cars. The vanos tuning provides for 75% of peak torque at 2500 rpm, which works out to about 250 lbs, which is more than the naturally aspirated 3.0L inline 6 also used in the E90 chassis, though less than the 3.0L N54 inline 6 turbo that could make full boost as low as 1500 rpm.

To me, after a while, the power band became boring. Incredible long but slow pulls in the gears. Row the gears hard to keep the engine on boil in the 5500-8400 rpm range and it was thrilling. That took some effort and made me think the DCT is the better choice, plus the gear ratios and extra gear suit the engine power curve better.

I used a custom AutoSolutions shifter with the adjustable Ultimate clutch pedal and StopTech 6 piston front brakes, plus a lot of other mods. Definitely some room for improve and there are mods available to do it.

[kjx]

Originally Posted by allinon72

The twitchiness and feeling that the car could put you into a ditch is what added to the excitement, that feeling of "I shouldn't own this car, it's too dangerous." The rebellious nature of too much throttle on a chilly day. For late model BMWs, that kind of stuff just isn't there anymore.

You can put the car in 4WD Sport or 2WD with any of the 10-stage traction control settings (to your specific taste), and believe me, you won't miss feeling "I shouldn't own this car, it's too dangerous." when you push it to your limits.

If your statement is that it's only rewarding if it's equally dangerous for everyone and only the true masters can differentiate themselves in these cars, yes, that's missing. A reasonably trained good driver with 4WD mode can easily outdo most experienced drivers with traction off.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

The low torque is multiplied by the short 3.85 diff on the 6MT cars. The vanos tuning provides for 75% of peak torque at 2500 rpm, which works out to about 250 lbs, which is more than the naturally aspirated 3.0L inline 6 also used in the E90 chassis, though less than the 3.0L N54 inline 6 turbo that could make full boost as low as 1500 rpm.

To me, after a while, the power band became boring. Incredible long but slow pulls in the gears. Row the gears hard to keep the engine on boil in the 5500-8400 rpm range and it was thrilling. That took some effort and made me think the DCT is the better choice, plus the gear ratios and extra gear suit the engine power curve better.

I used a custom AutoSolutions shifter with the adjustable Ultimate clutch pedal and StopTech 6 piston front brakes, plus a lot of other mods. Definitely some room for improve and there are mods available to do it.

I think that my 4.10 diff was the best improvement to my 2009 M3. It was perfect for autoX. I combined it with the Dinan chip, giving 8600-rpm redline. Second gear was perfect. It also provided nice "squirt" on the street in 3d and 4th gears.

[UPSROD]

Other than orange peel here and there I have found no flaws!

[Brandoch]

Perfection is boring. Flaws are what makes life interesting.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by allinon72

I concur...this is the paradox of ultra-refinement in a sports car. BMW has gotten so good at effortless performance that it becomes a little appliance-like. The twitchiness and feeling that the car could put you into a ditch is what added to the excitement, that feeling of "I shouldn't own this car, it's too dangerous." The rebellious nature of too much throttle on a chilly day. For late model BMWs, that kind of stuff just isn't there anymore.

Agreed. Though it can be a little pucker-inducing every now and again, I like the fact that my Z4M will get out from under you a bit if you decide to get overly ambitious – it just makes it more exciting, IMO. Today's cars are undoubtedly safer, and though I think it's hard to argue that that's not a net-positive it's certainly not as much fun.