BMW M3 / M4 Reviews Compilation

[solstice]

Originally Posted by myzmak

But enough variation even on those points that one has to drive.
For instance, Road and Track: "This is actually the first time BMW has fitted an electric rack to an M3, but you’d never know it, so convincing are the sensations."

Gotta. Drive. One. Soon!

I agree.

[Holset]

Read through the reviews and its clear that every reviewer thinks they are great cars.

Can't wait too try my M4 out i hope i like it but i don't think i will be disappointed.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by signes

Saw that, too. Then again the same author refers to the S65 as a "turbo" V-8...

Most likely a typo. Or some editor going through the text an nth time thinking he correcting something...

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by elevenfive

Did anyone else notice the exhaust clip from the german review

Does sound very good on this clip

6MT, and it farts too

[zsx_m]

Originally Posted by Top Gear

It’s not as fiery now, not as raw and frantic. You’ll end up surfing the mid-range on the exits of corners because it’s more than enough. You might end up driving everywhere a gear higher, because it feels right. This is a shame – some of the naturally aspirated M3’s purity and hardness has undoubtedly been lost. You don’t have to interact with the car as closely or know it as intimately as you did with the old one..

Really effing sad about this closing statement..

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by naterater

BMW CCA was on hand too:

https://www.bmwcca.org/news/bmw-dist...tent-m3-and-m4

Entertaining writing - is that Satch?

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by zsx_m

Really effing sad about this closing statement..

But that isn't the closing statement. The paragraph goes on:

But things are going this way, and the trade off is 30mpg, cheaper tax and passengers that won’t moan about the racket. I think BMW has judged it about right. The chassis is peachy, the engine wonderfully potent – it’s a winning combination.

....and then gives it a 9/10 score.

It isn't the E90.

it's not my father's old '71 GTO either, but for 2014 it is (apparently) the the right car.

Again: let's drive 'em.

[ixse]

seems like most are similar in their perspective. wondering when all the vids will come out

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by aus

This is what I was worried about.
Originally Posted by Road and Track

For all its newfound punch and the massive difference that makes to the car’s real-world performance, I’m not convinced by this engine. Sure, it pulls hard right 'round to 7500 rpm—big speeds for a turbo engine—but it somehow never feels that exciting. There’s never any real encouragement to chase the limiter, and when it comes to the soundtrack, while there’s plenty of volume (some of it amplified through the speakers), it’s a case of quantity over quality. It sounds more like a tuned diesel engine than the heart of a pedigreed motorsport product.

Originally Posted by zsx_m

Really effing sad about this closing statement.

Originally Posted by Top Gear
It’s not as fiery now, not as raw and frantic. You’ll end up surfing the mid-range on the exits of corners because it’s more than enough. You might end up driving everywhere a gear higher, because it feels right. This is a shame – some of the naturally aspirated M3’s purity and hardness has undoubtedly been lost. You don’t have to interact with the car as closely or know it as intimately as you did with the old one.

Yup this is what I worried about.

Now it is one hell of a daily driver, which will suit a much wider audience.

[TheDuke83]

Dumb question that has probably been answered before but how does the synthesized engine sound through the speakers work when playing music? The sound of the engine increases with the volume of the music?

[solstice]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

Entertaining writing - is that Satch?

Seems like a guy that it's really bitter over the Internet forums and spend much of the article picking on their members. It makes me question everything in that piece, fair or not.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Yup this is what I worried about.

Now it is one hell of a daily driver, which will suit a much wider audience.

What about this quote

Roundel

As one European journalist asked later, “Is this the best BMW ever?”

Well, it just may be their best track rat ever.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

What about this quote

Ha, Roundel. Bias much.

It isn't all roses in the independent reviews. There are some criticisms of the cars. There is conflicting reviews on the electric steering. I want to hear from reviewers that I respect their opinion (Harris, Sutcliffe, Meaden).

Harris is going to complain about ride, because he always bitches about that. With the subframe directly bolted to the car it seems to ride rough.

I have no doubt they will end up being great cars. Just more street friendly. Can't wait to see them at HPDE and see how they hold up in the heat. I know one thing I heard the MotoGP Safety Car M4 in person, it sounds really good.

[M4TW]

Edmunds
http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m3/2015/road-test.html

[flanast]

The ultimate boring machine ; (

[swamp2]

No big surprises here. Some pretty mediocre journalism too.

I found it particularly "entertaining" in the one (forget which one) article going on and on about the CSiC brakes being perhaps the best thing on the car (not to mention all cars were only equipped with those brakes not the standard ones). The chassis is clearly the best thing on the new car, more on that just below.

The chassis and seating sound like a big highlight and improvement over the existing car, lower CG, lighter weight, better seating position, more rigid and rigidly attached subframes, lots of clear win here. These are key engineering things M really got right that make the chassis better. As others have pointed out the sound, engine character and overall excitement of the car are a bit lacking and clearly lacking as compared to the existing car. I also noted a clear contradiction about the ease of driving the car on limit which contradicts the prior leaked BS from BMW about how this car will punish inexperienced drivers or some such nonsense. Any car in this power and weight range can do that, but overall the car seems quite neutral and well mannered on limit.

I too, like solstice, certainly took some offense to the Roundel folks bashing many of its own members from "the interwebs" so much. Seems clear some of them are here reading and perhaps participating here and in other forums as well. Many of us here, do to leaks, research, community and sharing pretty well knew what these first reviews would be like before they even came out. They are also guilty of a common and basic misunderstanding of their own view on why the S55 is better than the S65 (their opinion, of course). It isn't because of more torque or an "ungodly torque band" (the S65 has a far superior torque band, in fact), it is because of more power at lower rpms and reaching peak power early in the band (which is again is good for performance but worse for excitement). I suppose all of the fans and professionals and even the CEO of F1 are also "nattering wannabes" because they care about the huge lack of an engaging volume and sound quality now present in F1. Bite me Roundel... Wake up and have a bit more respect. It doesn't take an actual listen to the actual car to pretty well know it isn't going to sound as good as a NA V8 in a high state of tune.

The significant decrease in ride comfort is a bit worrisome but is only to be expected with the significant chassis changes. Last but not least I found it a bit surprising that the DCT didn't get much praise. I suspect it is better than the DCT in the current car, which to me gets a solid 9.5/10. Perhaps folks are already spoiled by how great the current box is, or maybe it is actually a small step backward.

Each person is likely going to find just what they wanted to hear in these articles. I'm no exception. There hasn't been any big surprise(s) here significant enough to move me closer to parting with my current car in exchange for a new M3/4.

[swamp2]

Originally Posted by TheDuke83

Dumb question that has probably been answered before but how does the synthesized engine sound through the speakers work when playing music? The sound of the engine increases with the volume of the music?

Some speculation here but I bet I am right on.

The current car has a feature for music loudness compensation to match current cabin noise. This feature can be fine tuned or disabled. The new car will also certainly have such a feature. My strong suspicion is that the specific feature which pipes in engine noise through the stereo will have this same kind of feature such that is depends both on current engine load and rpm (possibly even on music volume) but also on ambient cabin noise. However, the intensity of this feature will not at all be user adjustable nor can one turn it off.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by swamp2

Last but not least I found it a bit surprising that the DCT didn't get much praise. I suspect it is better than the DCT in the current car, which to me gets a solid 9.5/10. Perhaps folks are already spoiled by how great the current box is, or maybe it is actually a small step backward.

You probably already know my take on that point

[signes]

Somebody care to share what the "M Drivers Package" is? (In the MT article)

One thing I found worrying is that all of the cars were apparently equipped with CCBs. Seems awfully defensive of BMW to not provide at least a few cars with stock brakes.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by signes

Somebody care to share what the "M Drivers Package" is? (In the MT article)

Raises the speed limiter from 250km/h to 280km/h

[signes]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Raises the speed limiter from 250km/h to 280km/h

Sorry, should have been more specific. Saw the point about the limiter, just didn't see it as a US option.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by signes

Sorry, should have been more specific. Saw the point about the limiter, just didn't see it as a US option.

My understanding is that it is not offered in every country. We don't get it in NA