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      01-26-2012, 02:24 AM   #35
Eichler1
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Drives: 2008 M3 conv
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Phoenix, AZ

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Please, Don't degrade the M3 with a turbo!

I owned a 2008 335i (twin turbo, 6 MT) conv. but sold it after a few months because the turbo lag(/DBW lag?) rendered it useless in the point&squirt city driving I do. Yes, I know that eventually the I6 comes to life and off you go, but by that time the '90s-vintage Ford Ranger you were trying to get around is long gone. I traded an E36 M3 conv. for the car and found myself dearly missing the E36, with that turbine-smooth N52 engine that loved to pull (and no delay-inducing computer chips intervening between go pedal and throttle).

For fun, here's a list of modes of transportation with better throttle response than the 2008 335i:
My 1998 Isuzu Oasis (rebadged Honda Odyssey) Minivan
My 1988 Celica conv., its durability making it perfect for teaching our teens to drive
4hp Nissan outboard used on my sailboat dinghy (MUCH better throttle response)
My former DD, a 1991 Civic Si (a car that, like the E36 M3, seemed hard wired to the driver's brain), again, no annoying computer chips, just drive by cable!
2011 Renault Clio 1.5L turbodiesel (5 MT) I rented in France. That car was a ball to drive, its turbo working in unison with the diesel to produce zero lag. BMW needs to check out the Renault before saddling any more of its cars with laggy turbos.

My story, luckily, has a happy ending. I now have a 2008 M3 conv NA V8 that is a joy to drive. I guess I'll be hanging onto it for a long time if I want to keep driving a BMW, since the next gen M3 apparently will be cursed with a dreaded turbo (or three of them or whatever).
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