Quote:
Originally Posted by deeldoo
Quote:
Originally Posted by F82KPowers
I've owned an E36 M3, own a E46 M3 SMG, owned a 15' M4 6MT, own a F82 M4 ZCP 6MT, drove the G80 M3 at the full day ///M school at Sonoma in May. Never drove a E30 M3. Borrowed a friend's E90 M3 6MT for a week. I'll discuss them in the order I had them because I think how/when they're experienced probably had an impact on how raw each felt:
1. E46 M3 - always felt refined to me. Light and predictable steering. It does open up after 4500rpm and it had a raspy/tinny sound with the stock exhaust that gave a rush of excitement. Aftermarket exhausts gave it more bass and it think made it seem more raw. The car always did and still does feel planted (so much so that it gives the impression of being a little heavy).
2. 2015 M4 6MT - this car was f**king raw! Honestly, the 2015 models of the F8X might as well be considered it's own line compared to the rest of the model lines (15', 16-20 Base, ZCP, CS, GTS). The low and midrange torque delivery was ridiculous. It made the car almost unfriendly and menacing. The piped in sound was more V8 sounding than the more I6 sounding later models. The steering was unnecessarily heavy in Sport+ and Sport+ for the engine made the car unsuitable for public roads. Plus there was the slow speed jerking that would happen if you didn't commit to the throttle - the car demanded that you gave it the beans as that was the only thing that avoided the shuddering. This is the only ///M car I've driven where I thought the engine was more than the chassis could handle.
3. E36 M3 - this was the rawest ///M car I've experienced. Sound dampening was at a minimum so you could always hear what was going on with the motor, the pebbles in the wheel arches, the diff locking up, and the tires communicating how much grip was left. This was also the lightest of the cars by hundreds of pounds which was definitely obvious by the way it turned. The E36 M3 is the closest car in feel to a Miata. This car's motor is my favorite sounding one of the generations. In fact, it's why I never minded the F8X sound and could appreciate it because they sound similar - Google "E36 M3 Turbo" if you have any doubts.
4. M4 ZCP 6MT - this car doesn't feel raw to me. It feels how I'd imagine a Mobile Suit Gundam would lol. Purposeful. Powerful. Accurate. When I got this car I didn't know what to expect after my years of experience with the 15' M4. It turned out to be a more civilized version and really seemed like a different car. It's more planted, predictable, and linear power-wise. Other than the looks of the two cars, I swear to you that they don't even seem like they're related with respect to driving dynamics.
5. G80 M3 Competition - this is the fastest out the box ///M car I've driven but it's also the most insulated one too. I was fortunate to drive this car on track. It sounds pretty good but the burbles are over the top. The car was fast based on the speed on the dash but it didn't feel fast (compared to a E36 which isn't fast but feels fast). This car didn't feel raw to me.
6. E90 M3 6MT - this is the final ///M car that I drove. I had it for just over a week. I like how this car looks. It's the best looking one in my opinion. But driving-wise it was a let down. To me it just felt like a normal car. The torque down low is nonexistent and even above 3500rpm the car still felt somewhat slow. I wish I had driven this car earlier in my ///M experiences because then I might've had a positive impression. But to sum it up, the car felt slow, heavy, and it was uninspiring. It sounds good with an aftermarket exhaust though… but this car isn't raw. With that being said, I do hope to purchase sedan with DCT as a family hauler in the future, if prices improve.
TLDR:
Rawness scale: E36 M3 > 15' M4 > E46 M3 > M4 ZCP > G80 M3 Comp > E90 M3
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Thank you for this write up, unexpected but amazing breakdown from someone whos experienced them all.
To me i had similiar seat time to you with the E92 and i felt the same way, it felt completely different from my '16 F82. More blah, other than engine note, i feel that engine didn't match the car at all.
I am suprised you felt such a difference from 15 to later models, were they lighter? Less insulated? I know the torque curve is insane but was that the only thing that made them different to drive and added rawness?
I always felt the F82 i have is incredibly raw not just for modern standards but standards in general. |
I think the biggest difference for the '15 was the chassis. Of note, changes to all the later models were focused heavily on suspension and differential tuning. The '15 felt too fast for the chassis meanwhile subsequent models had more power and a stronger midrange but they managed to put the power down better than the '15.
2015 = Connor McGregor in Octagon
2016+ = Connor McGregor in a Tuxedo
Both are badass but one is just a bit more refined. And both can threaten to murder you just enough to be fun.