New M3 on Cover of Car Magazine

New M3 on Cover of Car Magazine

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Discussion

x5x3

Original Poster:

2,424 posts

260 months

Saturday 30th December 2006
quotequote all
they seem to have some real pictures as well - looks very similar to the latest spypics on worldcarfans

catherineJ

9,586 posts

250 months

Saturday 30th December 2006
quotequote all
Ive just had a look at the picture on the magazine's website. Do we think that really is the car? The bootlid appears to have no resemblance to the coupe.

Mr Whippy

29,922 posts

248 months

Monday 1st January 2007
quotequote all
I've bought it for a read.

Not sure, but the front wheels appear to have multi-piston callipers in the angled shot, yet hte side shot they are not there at all or so it looks.

Biggest boob for me is that in pic 1 the fuel filler is on the drivers side, rhd UK model and the plate is the right way around.
2nd pic the image is still ok.

3rd pic, now appears to be a lhd model, the reflection isn't long exposed like the background would suggest.

The front page pic is a Deutch plate, with the plate base being curved to horizontal from the angled plate surface itself (visible in the nice reflection blend), and in the 2nd pic it appears to be a straight line.

Also, the 2nd pic has the towing eye blanking cover and parking sensors missing, while the cover picture has them there.

Pic 3 is the most dodgy, just noticed the side strake is very defined and an almost slash cut like the E46 M3, and the door handle looks slightly different like a drop in from an E46 M3 side view too, where pic 1 and 2 seems to show just a single chamfer and a more square looking edged handle. Also the wheels are clearly both just a cut and paste with no callipers visible at all.


I'd say the feature images are a modified E90 Coupe/UK plated rhd converted Photoshop session, with only the cover image being original and showing refined features such as the numberplate base at the rear properly.
They've done a nice job though, for the most part. Pic 1 has the UK plate, RHD and wipers in RHD setup which all look ok.

Will be a while till we see *proper* pictures yet I think. Bad form CAR magazine, now I remember why I stopped buying you again... good writing in itself, but often just full of bowlarks and inaccuracy, and why have such TINY spaces between words?

Dave

Edited by Mr Whippy on Monday 1st January 22:07

x5x3

Original Poster:

2,424 posts

260 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
thanks for the analysis - I am still waiting for my subscription copy to arrive - now some 3 post days after I saw the magazine in a shop (but thats another story!).

That is a real shame if they are mostly photoshop pics, I have been waiting a long time for the new M3 and even a small glance would be nice!

On other forums I saw a claim that a Dutch dealer reckoned they would have them in by April - these seems highly unlikely even if Europe do get their cars before us..

Zod

35,295 posts

265 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
Mr Whippy said:
I've bought it for a read.

Not sure, but the front wheels appear to have multi-piston callipers in the angled shot, yet hte side shot they are not there at all or so it looks.
I can't find it on the website, but I imagine the calipers will be similar to those of the M5 whcih I think are dual piston floating calipers.

DasChin

609 posts

223 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2007
quotequote all
when are bmw going to put some decent brakes and lookers on a car!

80k for an M6 and you still have calipers that look like they came off a vauxhall carlton!

4 pots or at least 6 pots to haul the v8 lump back.

good write up on the CSL in there and watch those prices stabilise more and even go up for all you normal m3 lot!!

bmgm3

10,480 posts

250 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2007
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The pictures in CAR magazine are photoshop images.They are not the real deal.

Mr Whippy

29,922 posts

248 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2007
quotequote all
I thought the front cover pic was the only real one, with it being a foreign plate and having things like the towing eye cutout and all the parking sensors visible, unlike the surreal "uk" versions inside the article.

Still, all it confirms if it is real is the back bumper

CAR magazine, won't be buying that again...

Dave

Kevin Hackett

113 posts

233 months

Thursday 4th January 2007
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In November I was testing a modified 330 near Marina Del Ray in California. Sat next to me was a sometime BMW test driver and, as we were driving north on the freeway he mentioned that the new M3 was often seen testing there. Lo and behold, three barely-disguised black M3s overtook us and we played catch-up for two or three miles.

The pics in Car might have been treated to a bit of Photoshop work but I can confirm they've got it spot on. Even with the gaffa tape over the badges and lamps I could tell the M3 was the best looking BMW in an age. The three of them sounded utterly glorious too... Just can't wait to try it out when the time comes.