centurion
Well-Known Member
This being a BMW forum, I'm surprised that given the number of E92 M3s sold we see so little worship of it here.
Well here is my bit of worship. Even from a perspective of a taxied person. I've driven the manual E92 M3 before, even on a rutted track up north, but this was my first time in a double clutched E92 M3, and I'll try to combine both experiences into one piece.
The ride is definitely a better balance than the E46 M3, at least for me. I found even the standard E46 M3 too harsh to be a great daily driver. The new generation definitely gives a WAY better ride, courtesy of an even stiffer chassis and marvellous electronic dampers.
Unlike the Porsche PASM system, the BMW version is more biased towards ride comfort, but I suspect that the BMW version has a greater dynamic range than PASM - while maintaining softness at the max stiffness setting, it still can go all the way to eliminate body roll. Better than just an ARB, way better control. They outdone themselves here, the M3's suspension is second only to the R8s among all the cars I've recently tried.
Those who have ridden in VW's interpretation of dual clutch transmissions, fear not. The M3's dual clutch does not work like a glorified CVT. There're real shifts here, a great magnitude smoother than the SMG in the older M3 E46 but yet still giving you a sense of involvement and urgency in max aggressive mode. If you want it to shift like a torque converter auto, it can, about just as smoothly, but you can leave it running it in S5 or S6, aggressive modes with and without traction control on, and you won't feel like your transmission's gonna blow at any time. Definitely a tremendous step forward.
Except that there is a 1K rpm delay in shifting up - this is what I mean: you see the tach at 4K rpm and you'd press to shift up, it will do it only when the tach reaches 5K. But this is gonna be fixed next month I think, so disregard this little blemish on what's otherwise the best automatic transmission I've tried. And I haven't tried Porsche's PDK yet.
The great thing about the dual clutch transmission of the E92 M3 is my suspicion that the DCT one has a far lighter flywheel than the manual version. How do I know? By the way the DCT rev matches. Braap! Braap! it rev matches so quickly, it's like NOTHING I've seen before. Faster than a Porsche cup car's sequential, WAAAY faster. I tried to do it in my flat 6, still way slower. The rev match is REALLY fast, and I don't remember the manual E92 M3 or the old SMG2s even begin to approach such glorious perfection. So the flywheel's feeling like it's made of paper or something, maybe even flywheel-less like the Carrera GT.
The first thing you notice when you step in the car, is that you're surprised that the car does a trick on you, it's best trick - you feel that it's apparently so small. When I say small I mean that you feel that your car width is like a little Peugeot 206 or something, yes, that small. Your mind boggles when you see so much interior space. I don't know how they do it, but it does wonders for your confidence in narrow streets driving fast. The non-M E92s don't feel this way, I just wonder what's changed. the little bulge in the engine bonnet? Well, that's the only thing which is different at the front end, though I think the trick involves more chicanery.
As mentioned in all the motoring magazines, the steering's somewhat lazy, and turn in could be improved. It's better than every single other stock BMW I've tried, but there are cars with better initial turn-in characteristics. Nothing that can't be solved with a little more negative at the front, I suspect.
But then, as a follow up magic trick, when at the corners, you think the car's gonna understeer and scrub, the car shrinks AGAIN. It actually manages to make the car seem even smaller when you're turning in, the magic of the electronic diff is that it works to direct more torque in the rear wheel opposite to your intended turn direction, to force the car to turn in. Well it takes a split second, it's not that transparent, but your turn in problem is solved automagically. I was AWESTRUCK the first time I felt it, because the effectiveness of this torque vectoring was more pronounced than in the 4WD Evos. It flatters the most reckless driver, and saves the stupid driver's ass, but most of all if you know what you're doing it helps you do it better.
Saving the best for the last - the engine. Oh wow. Endless torque at every rpm. Not running out of breath at even 8000. This sucker has more and more to go, even when near the fuel cut part of the rev limiter. Read the review of the Carrera GT vs GT2 turbo? Well the E92 M3 vs E92 335 is exactly like that - NA vs Turbo, and just the same, Carrera GT pwns GT2 turbo and the E92 M3 pwns the 335 turbo as far as driver and passenger feel is concerned. No you don't have the sudden shove of the turbo, but you have a continuous hand of god pushing you from behind in the E92 M3, assured of the omnipotence of the powerplant.
Well, this is a piece of my worship for the new M3. Has BMW slipped? NO. Not at all. this is a great advancement in every way, save increased weight. Against the GT-R? No contest, the BMW is the more involving car at street speeds, having a bigger bag of tricks, and always feeling more like a surgical glove rather than a boxing glove. If I had to buy into a 4 seater coupe, between the M3 and a Carrera 2S, it'd be the M3 for sure, if only for my superstitious belief that FR is a better compromise than RR, and helluva more usable rear seats. The Porsche has better steering for sure, but then if I wanted steering prowess and feel there are better cars than both.
DCT or Manual? I'll take the manual, if only to be able to blip the engine at the traffic lights or whenever I feel like lifting my own spirits. The DCT can't do that, it engages on throttle application, unless you'd take the trouble to shift to neutral, and shifting the stick in the DCT ain't as natural as shifting a true stick. But then I'd really miss the DCT on track, with its trick rev match and all, it'd probably slaughter the manual version on timings. But then, if one wanted track timing, there are better cars than both.
Since there are better cars in every aspect, why the M3? Because the spirit of the M3 is simple - there are better cars in every respect, but none come close in giving the balance BMW thinks a large part of their demographics need. And this demographic is wide, indeed - for each and every member of this demographic, the M3 is truly the ultimate driving machine.
Well here is my bit of worship. Even from a perspective of a taxied person. I've driven the manual E92 M3 before, even on a rutted track up north, but this was my first time in a double clutched E92 M3, and I'll try to combine both experiences into one piece.
The ride is definitely a better balance than the E46 M3, at least for me. I found even the standard E46 M3 too harsh to be a great daily driver. The new generation definitely gives a WAY better ride, courtesy of an even stiffer chassis and marvellous electronic dampers.
Unlike the Porsche PASM system, the BMW version is more biased towards ride comfort, but I suspect that the BMW version has a greater dynamic range than PASM - while maintaining softness at the max stiffness setting, it still can go all the way to eliminate body roll. Better than just an ARB, way better control. They outdone themselves here, the M3's suspension is second only to the R8s among all the cars I've recently tried.
Those who have ridden in VW's interpretation of dual clutch transmissions, fear not. The M3's dual clutch does not work like a glorified CVT. There're real shifts here, a great magnitude smoother than the SMG in the older M3 E46 but yet still giving you a sense of involvement and urgency in max aggressive mode. If you want it to shift like a torque converter auto, it can, about just as smoothly, but you can leave it running it in S5 or S6, aggressive modes with and without traction control on, and you won't feel like your transmission's gonna blow at any time. Definitely a tremendous step forward.
Except that there is a 1K rpm delay in shifting up - this is what I mean: you see the tach at 4K rpm and you'd press to shift up, it will do it only when the tach reaches 5K. But this is gonna be fixed next month I think, so disregard this little blemish on what's otherwise the best automatic transmission I've tried. And I haven't tried Porsche's PDK yet.
The great thing about the dual clutch transmission of the E92 M3 is my suspicion that the DCT one has a far lighter flywheel than the manual version. How do I know? By the way the DCT rev matches. Braap! Braap! it rev matches so quickly, it's like NOTHING I've seen before. Faster than a Porsche cup car's sequential, WAAAY faster. I tried to do it in my flat 6, still way slower. The rev match is REALLY fast, and I don't remember the manual E92 M3 or the old SMG2s even begin to approach such glorious perfection. So the flywheel's feeling like it's made of paper or something, maybe even flywheel-less like the Carrera GT.
The first thing you notice when you step in the car, is that you're surprised that the car does a trick on you, it's best trick - you feel that it's apparently so small. When I say small I mean that you feel that your car width is like a little Peugeot 206 or something, yes, that small. Your mind boggles when you see so much interior space. I don't know how they do it, but it does wonders for your confidence in narrow streets driving fast. The non-M E92s don't feel this way, I just wonder what's changed. the little bulge in the engine bonnet? Well, that's the only thing which is different at the front end, though I think the trick involves more chicanery.
As mentioned in all the motoring magazines, the steering's somewhat lazy, and turn in could be improved. It's better than every single other stock BMW I've tried, but there are cars with better initial turn-in characteristics. Nothing that can't be solved with a little more negative at the front, I suspect.
But then, as a follow up magic trick, when at the corners, you think the car's gonna understeer and scrub, the car shrinks AGAIN. It actually manages to make the car seem even smaller when you're turning in, the magic of the electronic diff is that it works to direct more torque in the rear wheel opposite to your intended turn direction, to force the car to turn in. Well it takes a split second, it's not that transparent, but your turn in problem is solved automagically. I was AWESTRUCK the first time I felt it, because the effectiveness of this torque vectoring was more pronounced than in the 4WD Evos. It flatters the most reckless driver, and saves the stupid driver's ass, but most of all if you know what you're doing it helps you do it better.
Saving the best for the last - the engine. Oh wow. Endless torque at every rpm. Not running out of breath at even 8000. This sucker has more and more to go, even when near the fuel cut part of the rev limiter. Read the review of the Carrera GT vs GT2 turbo? Well the E92 M3 vs E92 335 is exactly like that - NA vs Turbo, and just the same, Carrera GT pwns GT2 turbo and the E92 M3 pwns the 335 turbo as far as driver and passenger feel is concerned. No you don't have the sudden shove of the turbo, but you have a continuous hand of god pushing you from behind in the E92 M3, assured of the omnipotence of the powerplant.
Well, this is a piece of my worship for the new M3. Has BMW slipped? NO. Not at all. this is a great advancement in every way, save increased weight. Against the GT-R? No contest, the BMW is the more involving car at street speeds, having a bigger bag of tricks, and always feeling more like a surgical glove rather than a boxing glove. If I had to buy into a 4 seater coupe, between the M3 and a Carrera 2S, it'd be the M3 for sure, if only for my superstitious belief that FR is a better compromise than RR, and helluva more usable rear seats. The Porsche has better steering for sure, but then if I wanted steering prowess and feel there are better cars than both.
DCT or Manual? I'll take the manual, if only to be able to blip the engine at the traffic lights or whenever I feel like lifting my own spirits. The DCT can't do that, it engages on throttle application, unless you'd take the trouble to shift to neutral, and shifting the stick in the DCT ain't as natural as shifting a true stick. But then I'd really miss the DCT on track, with its trick rev match and all, it'd probably slaughter the manual version on timings. But then, if one wanted track timing, there are better cars than both.
Since there are better cars in every aspect, why the M3? Because the spirit of the M3 is simple - there are better cars in every respect, but none come close in giving the balance BMW thinks a large part of their demographics need. And this demographic is wide, indeed - for each and every member of this demographic, the M3 is truly the ultimate driving machine.
