Quote:
Originally Posted by dreamsongs
I agree that it comes down to personal taste in the end. It really has to be a mix of speed/power, interior feel, exterior looks, transmission, handling and how you feel when you drive it.
I've had 2 M's, e46 and e92 and loved them both. When the lease was up last year on my e92 I probably would've gone straight to the new M4 if it was available but it wasn't, so I got myself into a vert 335i until the m4 is out.
I'm looking at everything, I have one more year to make up my mind. The M3 has always been special to me but I agree with some posters that the competition is closing the gap quickly and I also admit I was disappointed when I first heard about them going back to the I6.
Somewhere inside I'm also disappointed that it's only going to be 425 HP although the torque is an improvement. Especially when HP is someting many consumers at this price level take into consideration.
I have one year to make up my mind, I've had 6 BMW's and 2 M's so i'm quite at ease with the brand. I fortunately can buy any car at this 65-80k price range so I'm not going to rush into an M4 just because....
I'll reserve my choice until I drive all the competitors and see where the M4 sits at that time....
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All valid points.
But you have to remember that for every person dissatisfied with the direction BMW ///M has gone, there's a person like me who's absolutely thrilled with it. Let me address the new M3 attributes that you are disappointed with.
For starters, I love the fact that the new car will "only" have 425 hp. I think this is plenty of power for a car that approaches the weight of my e46 M3. Hell, I still think that my e46 M3 has more than enough power at 333 hp. My rationale is very simple. After several years of competition at the track and autox, I learned that the majority of people cannot effectively unlock the true potential of their car, even when the car seems "underpowered" for today's standards. I also learned that it's much more rewarding and more fun to drive less powerful cars at the limit than it is to drive very powerful beasts at half their potential (which relates to the first point).
I love the fact that BMW shifted focus to reducing weight as opposed to increasing horsepower. I can give a million reasons why, but I don't think that's necessary.
Lastly, I love the fact that BMW went back to the I6 roots with the M3, despite opting for FI. To me, the I6 motors were the most exciting ///M engines ever built and one of the reasons why I owned a 99 M3/4/5 and a 2004 M3 coupe. Those motors felt nothing like the 4 banger or the V8. To some, that's a good thing. I never cared for the sound and feel of the V8. Believe it or not, I actually like the unique, raspy sound of the S54, how surgical it feels, and the madness it unleashes, despite allegedly "lacking" the power, which I would kindly disagree with.
In the end, I can only hope that - to a certain degree - this new M3/M4 feels as precise and rewarding as my e46 M3. If it does, I will buy it.