Here is my GAME "Generally Accepted M Enthusiasts":
E30 M3: For the hardcore and collectors. Typical garage queen or weekend warrior. Extremely rare and the most coveted M car in the world.
E36 M3: The most balanced M3 ever made. With over 300 hp Inline-Six (Euro-spec S52) mated with a GETRAG 6 Speed manual gearbox and weighs under 3200lbs. This was most refined M3 without going too soft like the future models. Won more accolades and comparison shootouts than any other M car in history.
E46 M3: Typical M3 for posers, dentists, uninteresting old men, and people that just want to drive the most badass 3 series of its time but have no idea how to fully appreciate the car. Poor suspension geometry and a raspy sounding exhaust. However, this was the best looking M3 with the best motor (S54 Inline-Six). The beginning of the end of the M3.
E90/E92/E93 M3: Where do I start? BMW already was working on a replacement model only after a year this model was introduced. Typical car for IT professionals and people that can't afford Porsche 911s but do not want a Cayman.
Enough with the ranting. BMW M GmbH just announced a new M car to join the family tree: The new BMW 1 Series M. Why is this a big deal? Think of a M3 in a lightweight 1 Series chassis with some tweaks and estimated 350HP and you have a monster that will make E36 M3 fans scream with joy and E90 M3 owners cower in fear. My only major complaint with this car is that it's turbocharged (twin turbo to be exact) which kills the overall feel and driving experience of a proper N/A car. We'll just have to wait and see, but until we hear something more, here is a video that BMW released to the public. Enjoy:
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Tae and his hatred for the new M is getting a little old.
ReplyDeleteTheir is a certain evolution that must happen for an automobile to acheive greatness. Unfortunately when you begin with one of the most perfect of cars and then evolve it you, naturally, run into some bumps.
It started with the E30. A great track car with not a lot of power but a hell of a lot of handling and grace in the corners.
Then the heralded E36 came along and pounced all of its competitors with its 3.0 litre inline six. All the handling, feel and power you needed in 1995 when competing for pole position.
Unfortunately we have the E46, which, even though it had a freakishly wonderful motor and exhaust note, was not without fault. BMW, in trying to grow sales within the M moniker got a little ahead of themselves with the design of this car. As it grew (model bloat) the suspension and drive train couldn't keep up with the demands its drivers had for it. It suffered. I do agree that most E46 drivers were douchey gelled hair morons that had no idea what they were getting into but that is a whole other issue.
Now ... The E90/E92 M3 is the newest of the M3. With its 420hp V8 it is the most powerful of all M3's. Tae is afraid of power (he thinks it will ruin your autocross times *wink*wink*). But in these trying days when every other brand offers 500 hp AWD as a standard you have to keep up. When equipped with the Competition Package and the EDC Suspension it is as fierce as a car anyone needs. It will eat up the windy roads and spit them out just as well as any porsche on the road and keep asking for more.
I sell BMW's for a living and I get to drive the new M3 on a regular. I love my E36 to no end (all 160,000 miles of her). But I doth protest that the E92 is the baddest of the bunch. It feels every bit as light in the turns as my 36 and it has sooooooo much more power to pull out of said turns. As long as you can handle the throttle and interpret the slide that will inevitably come I suggest that this car is not just for "those who can't afford a porsche" but rather for the real red blooded driving enthusiast that wants a little more for the money.
In response to the Turbo charging of the new 1M: the epa states that every new auto must have a certain mpg in order to sell in the US. So unless you never want to drive another fun car you are going to see many many many more brands turn towards turbo charging.
The V8 was intended to stay for a long time under the hood of the M3 but with the government interference that is our lives BMW AG was forced to turn to turbo charging in order to increase mpg while still increasing performance thus enabling them to still sell fun cars in the US market. Yes the next generation M3 will see a Turbo, or two, under its bonnet but I assure you that it will impress. It will win races just as its predecessors have and still do. And most importantly it will put a smile on your face everytime you hit the start button and let out the clutch.
Don't hate change and only think about the past cars. Embrace it and revere the past generations as the stepping stones to where we are now. In a faster more competitive place where rules are meant to be broken and so were lap records.
Enjoy and keep the dirty side down my friends.
BTW look for a 1 Series M release date of around Nov 25.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving