E92 M3 coupe VS. the supercar establishment
Discussion
My wife bought me a supercar experience last christmas and I got to try out a Ferrari (360), a Lamborghini Gallardo, an Aston Martin Vantage V8 and a Porsche 911 (996 C2).
The day was booked for yesterday at Seighford driving centre in Staffordshire. I arrived at about 10.30; very excited about driving a number of supercars. The venue had a fairly long trek to the car park and at one point I had to pull over to let an X5 through. The chap driving asked me to put my window down, which I did and then he told me "Your car's faster than anything back there!". I smiled but thought this very unlikely , although his comments stuck with me all day.
Next up was registration and briefing which I won't bore you with and then I got to drive a bright yellow Lamborghini. The car looked amazing and I couldn't wait to get out there. I was first up and with a huge grin, approached the Lambo. I opened the door and was immediately disappointed with the interior, the car was clearly older than I'd expected and you could see all of the VW parts that are used in th car, the seats had also seen a fair bit of use. Never mind, I'm here to drive it not buy it I thought, when I switched the engine on though, the V10 settled to a nice off-beat rumble and I thought "this is going to be fun!"
I pulled away and drove down the straight, spanked it a bit and thought the engine sounded great but the instructor insisted on using only 3rd and 4th gears round the track - I have to say at this point I felt that the car was maybe as quick as mine but no faster but the gearchange was much better and the brakes were awesome. I don't think that the track allowed you to get the most of the car but I was disappointed overall - stunning looks, uncomfortable driving position (had to keep my left foot in the air the whole time) and not that quick.
Next up the Porsche, once again the car was a little bit tatty. However, I think 911's just suit my driving style because I really enjoyed driving this car and the engine sounded great - it wasn't anywhere near as fast as my car though and once again the gearshift wasn't that great (probably because the car had been so abused).
Next up the Ferrari, this was an awesome car, a true driver's car! It handled very well, felt very special, the brakes were awesome and the car really rewarded a smooth driving style - this car required concentration to drive well and was all the more rewarding because of it. The engine noise was scintillating! If I could afford a weekend toy like this I would definitely have one - It really was an incredible car!
Finally the Aston. This car looked amazing, sooo beautiful. It also had a really special interior with an alcanatra headlining and beautiful stitched leather all over the place. This car though was almost exactly like my car to drive, only a bit slower with a slightly worse gearchange. Engine sounded awesome but still not appreciably better than mine and I didn't think it handled much better than mine (if at all really).
All in all it was a fantastic day out but I was simply amazed by how close my car was to these supercars in terms of outright pace, handling and ability. And yet I drove to the venue in absolute comfort, enjoyed a spectacular soundtrack and carried the Mrs, kids and the pushchair in my car on the way there and obviously back again!
No question, that money no object you'd have to have one of if not all of the four supercars I drove (albeit newer versions) but as a jack of all trades, my car is simply amazing! It's almost as comfortable as my old E280CDI on the motorway, as fast as some of the most sought after supercars and yet still practical enough to be a family runaround. What an amazing machine! My problem now is what do I choose next! Still that's a good few years away, and I have plenty of years of M3 ownership to enjoy all being well!
But in all seriousness these supercars are only marginally if at all better than an E92 M3 and that was something of a big surprise to me. All future experiences will be about improving my ability in my car - no more driving experiences for me!
Sorry for the indulgence but thought there may be some people on here who were interested
The day was booked for yesterday at Seighford driving centre in Staffordshire. I arrived at about 10.30; very excited about driving a number of supercars. The venue had a fairly long trek to the car park and at one point I had to pull over to let an X5 through. The chap driving asked me to put my window down, which I did and then he told me "Your car's faster than anything back there!". I smiled but thought this very unlikely , although his comments stuck with me all day.
Next up was registration and briefing which I won't bore you with and then I got to drive a bright yellow Lamborghini. The car looked amazing and I couldn't wait to get out there. I was first up and with a huge grin, approached the Lambo. I opened the door and was immediately disappointed with the interior, the car was clearly older than I'd expected and you could see all of the VW parts that are used in th car, the seats had also seen a fair bit of use. Never mind, I'm here to drive it not buy it I thought, when I switched the engine on though, the V10 settled to a nice off-beat rumble and I thought "this is going to be fun!"
I pulled away and drove down the straight, spanked it a bit and thought the engine sounded great but the instructor insisted on using only 3rd and 4th gears round the track - I have to say at this point I felt that the car was maybe as quick as mine but no faster but the gearchange was much better and the brakes were awesome. I don't think that the track allowed you to get the most of the car but I was disappointed overall - stunning looks, uncomfortable driving position (had to keep my left foot in the air the whole time) and not that quick.
Next up the Porsche, once again the car was a little bit tatty. However, I think 911's just suit my driving style because I really enjoyed driving this car and the engine sounded great - it wasn't anywhere near as fast as my car though and once again the gearshift wasn't that great (probably because the car had been so abused).
Next up the Ferrari, this was an awesome car, a true driver's car! It handled very well, felt very special, the brakes were awesome and the car really rewarded a smooth driving style - this car required concentration to drive well and was all the more rewarding because of it. The engine noise was scintillating! If I could afford a weekend toy like this I would definitely have one - It really was an incredible car!
Finally the Aston. This car looked amazing, sooo beautiful. It also had a really special interior with an alcanatra headlining and beautiful stitched leather all over the place. This car though was almost exactly like my car to drive, only a bit slower with a slightly worse gearchange. Engine sounded awesome but still not appreciably better than mine and I didn't think it handled much better than mine (if at all really).
All in all it was a fantastic day out but I was simply amazed by how close my car was to these supercars in terms of outright pace, handling and ability. And yet I drove to the venue in absolute comfort, enjoyed a spectacular soundtrack and carried the Mrs, kids and the pushchair in my car on the way there and obviously back again!
No question, that money no object you'd have to have one of if not all of the four supercars I drove (albeit newer versions) but as a jack of all trades, my car is simply amazing! It's almost as comfortable as my old E280CDI on the motorway, as fast as some of the most sought after supercars and yet still practical enough to be a family runaround. What an amazing machine! My problem now is what do I choose next! Still that's a good few years away, and I have plenty of years of M3 ownership to enjoy all being well!
But in all seriousness these supercars are only marginally if at all better than an E92 M3 and that was something of a big surprise to me. All future experiences will be about improving my ability in my car - no more driving experiences for me!
Sorry for the indulgence but thought there may be some people on here who were interested
Edited by J-P on Sunday 24th May 20:25
didn't got to a place near loughborough did you? i've been a couple of times myself and came away disapointed (with the exception of a 996 turbo) mainly i feel due to the "instructor" holding you back with the revs 
- i think it enjoyed the turbo cos the guy was mainly a passenger and let me drive... awesome car!
i though the gearchange in the gallardo was s
te, i'm supprised you say it was good? i assume it was a gallardo? agree on the driving position though - shocking!
- i think it enjoyed the turbo cos the guy was mainly a passenger and let me drive... awesome car!i though the gearchange in the gallardo was s
te, i'm supprised you say it was good? i assume it was a gallardo? agree on the driving position though - shocking!I agree with your thoughts entirely.
Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Nano2nd said:
didn't got to a place near loughborough did you? i've been a couple of times myself and came away disapointed (with the exception of a 996 turbo) mainly i feel due to the "instructor" holding you back with the revs - i think it enjoyed the turbo cos the guy was mainly a passenger and let me drive... awesome car!
i though the gearchange in the gallardo was ste, i'm supprised you say it was good? i assume it was a gallardo? agree on the driving position though - shocking!
The one I drove (yes it was a Gallardo) had a very sweet gearchange, so good that it surprises me that the one you tried was s - i think it enjoyed the turbo cos the guy was mainly a passenger and let me drive... awesome car!i though the gearchange in the gallardo was s
te, i'm supprised you say it was good? i assume it was a gallardo? agree on the driving position though - shocking!te!!!imuir said:
Power to weight says your car is 254bhp/ton so not that much ?I had a new M3 behind me on th A1 and was shocked at how slow it was against my Tuscan maybe 414 bhp and being fat just doesnt work,
Tuscans are very quick but are you sure that it was a fair match, same gear full bore acceleration etc? M3's aren't known fir their vast reserves of torque, so you need to be in the right gear to play with the big boys - although as this posts suggests, the car is capable of doing exactly that and acting as a family run around, taking a trip to the shops, motorway jaunts or track days without killing yourself - wouldn't fancy yours much for doing a few of those I have to say 5 wh said:
I agree with your thoughts entirely.
Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Really? well that's all the more powerful coming from somebody whose owned some of these top end cars. I was really surprised though, as most of the mags suggest that Ferraris etc are on another level but you'd have to be such an awesomely talented driver to reap the rewards that to all intents and purposes makes the margin by which they are better almost redundant to an ordinary bod like me!Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
J-P said:
5 wh said:
I agree with your thoughts entirely.
Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Really? well that's all the more powerful coming from somebody whose owned some of these top end cars. I was really surprised though, as most of the mags suggest that Ferraris etc are on another level but you'd have to be such an awesomely talented driver to reap the rewards that to all intents and purposes makes the margin by which they are better almost redundant to an ordinary bod like me!Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Because I only do a tiny mileage in my personal car and I have 2 children then this limits their use massively for me(I had my 355 for around 6 months but only did around 400 miles in that time),so I need a more practical vehicle that all my family can fit in.
Its very difficult on most public roads nowadays to use the performance of anything half decent powerwise,so on a performance level the extra performance of a supercar is useless to me also(I have no interest in trackdays)
5 wh said:
J-P said:
5 wh said:
I agree with your thoughts entirely.
Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Really? well that's all the more powerful coming from somebody whose owned some of these top end cars. I was really surprised though, as most of the mags suggest that Ferraris etc are on another level but you'd have to be such an awesomely talented driver to reap the rewards that to all intents and purposes makes the margin by which they are better almost redundant to an ordinary bod like me!Over the years Ive either owned or had experience of most top end cars and even so,the M3 impresses on every level.Most of the time mine cruises around town,transporting me and my family in comfort and relative luxury,yet when I feel like it a big dollop of fun is only one push of the M button away!Ive only done 1100 miles or so in mine so Im just starting to use the higher revs,and Im finding that is where this engine comes into its own,the MDCT is excellent too-Im loving the throttle blips on the changedown.
Other top end cars Ive had have involved compromises and/or 4 figure bills every time they went into the workshop.The M3's running costs are low by comparison and my local BMW dealer is only 2 miles away.
Because I only do a tiny mileage in my personal car and I have 2 children then this limits their use massively for me(I had my 355 for around 6 months but only did around 400 miles in that time),so I need a more practical vehicle that all my family can fit in.
Its very difficult on most public roads nowadays to use the performance of anything half decent powerwise,so on a performance level the extra performance of a supercar is useless to me also(I have no interest in trackdays)
imuir said:
Power to weight says your car is 254bhp/ton so not that much ?I had a new M3 behind me on th A1 and was shocked at how slow it was against my Tuscan maybe 414 bhp and being fat just doesnt work,
Did the bloke pull up to offer you a lift when your piece of English Heritage blew up(again) at the side of the road 
Would that be before the weedy brakes gave up,I think its a great engine, the cars just way too heavy and everone knows it.
For the record Im a BMW fan Ive had an M3 and just sold a Z4MC (best car Ive had)but BMW have lost it with the new M3 its soft and very fat.
Im giving my view and laugh when people use the same old line "your TVR will breakdown" usualy from people who have never experienced a TVR
For the record Im a BMW fan Ive had an M3 and just sold a Z4MC (best car Ive had)but BMW have lost it with the new M3 its soft and very fat.
Im giving my view and laugh when people use the same old line "your TVR will breakdown" usualy from people who have never experienced a TVR
I really really wanted an E92 until a friend and I took one for a test drive. The weight really showed and although it was faster than my Z4mc it just didn't seem as fun if you know what I mean. Will still probably have one as a family car in the future though they are awesome machines.
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