m3 evo first impressions
Discussion
first impressions of my '98 evo coupe..
...
picked up my m3 on thursday and first impressions are good. the car is the most focussed feeling car iv owned . it feels like it was designed with one thought in mind..to go quickly. doesnt feel like an afterthought, a warmed over hatch, a big engined bruiser, it feels like a group of enthusiasts sat down and said, ok, lets make a fast car...from scratch..lets put all the good bits on from the get go.
after my beloved fiat 20vt, it feels quick but not THAT quick. the performance differential is only a second here, a second there. its not as if iv jumped into the bmw from a diesel fiesta or the like, but the way the car goes fast is totally different to the old coop. with the coop, you put your foot down, it takes a big gulp of air and the turbo spools up then it spits you down the road on a big lump of turbocharged torque. the bmw is more involving. it has a wee step in power about 2.5/3k then another way up the rev range. it delivers its power smoothly and in a very linear way and just keeps on accelerating, spinning round to the 7.5k red line so quickly and smoothly. the fiats engine is one of my favourite sounds, off beat, lumpy, all coming together ina 5 pot warble overlaid with that turbo woooosh..iv often said it sounds like god gargling with razorblades and double cream. the bmw is all animal in comparison. it sounds pure racecar, that straight six coming on cam and singing round to the red line is aurally addicitive and really puts the hairs on the back of your neck on fire. its civilised dawdling along, but stick it in a low gear and nail it and it changes, jekyll and hide style, to a snarling, wailing assault on your eardrums, but a very tolerable way to go deaf!!
iv not pushed the bmw really hard yet, but iv been along my favourite 'test' road, and its easy enough to tell that this cars limits in the dry are much higher than mine. turn the wheel, point the nose , accelerate and it just grips and goes..feels settled, poised and planted and its the one area it trounces the fiat handily. fluid, fluent grippy and communicative, steering is well weighted, driving position excellent and seats are excellent, grip you really well in the twisties. again, it just feels so focussed...are we gonna go fast today??...hell yes, ready when you are!! the cars big m5 front discs pull the car up strongly and square, again, one of the fiats weakest points. bmws brakes are amongst the best iv tried on a road car.
ace up the cars sleeve is its practicality. big boot, genuine four seats and happy to cruise in 6th at 65/70mph and an indicated 34mpg or so, air con on, stereo gently warbling away in the background. even with the exuberant moments thrown in, cos ya just DO, ok??..the trip computer is still claiming 29mpg...il find out how accurate this is when i brim the tank again.
hand on heart, i think i still prefer the old italian as a heart over head ownership proposition, but its a close call. the bmw ticks more boxes more of the time, but the fiat has those looks. to my eyes, it looks so much better, feels so much more special, makes me smile more...its probably rarer, and probably costs about as much to keep as an m3, but iv enjoyed every minute!!..strangley, the fact the bmw is so unassuming is one of the things i like about it. its a real stealth bomber, a q car..but the fiat kicks me right in the Harry Rollocks and grabs my heart every time i see it haha...emotion is a strange thing, yeah??..
however, heres the strange thing. iv loved my time with the fiat, but, as much as the car will always have a special place in my affections, i think its the bmw il be keeping. bottom line, its a safer investment..unless i put it in a tree, which is always a possibility!.. the fiat will, most likely, not start not appreciate in value for several years yet, and even then, its most probably gonna be the le and plus models that people want. the bmw is NEVER gonna be worth less than iv paid for it, indeed unless iv got my sums way wrong, its worth a deal more than i paid for it right now, and may yet appreciate in value yet further, being a totally standard evo with a great history....soo, if i tire of it, i can always sell it and use the proceeds to buy an le or plus version of the coop..potentially, everyones a winner!!..and im honest enough to know that it is in another league to the fiat as a fast roadcar, scratching my incessant itch for a fine handling, fast, practical car. it has surprised me with its charisma, that engine is all heart, all soul. and that makes up for its plain jane looks. its like finding out that the local librarian can, indeed, take off her glasses and let down her hair and party like a bankok w
e...then you open the boot and see the back seats and you discover she can cook, clean and iron too!!...
...
picked up my m3 on thursday and first impressions are good. the car is the most focussed feeling car iv owned . it feels like it was designed with one thought in mind..to go quickly. doesnt feel like an afterthought, a warmed over hatch, a big engined bruiser, it feels like a group of enthusiasts sat down and said, ok, lets make a fast car...from scratch..lets put all the good bits on from the get go.
after my beloved fiat 20vt, it feels quick but not THAT quick. the performance differential is only a second here, a second there. its not as if iv jumped into the bmw from a diesel fiesta or the like, but the way the car goes fast is totally different to the old coop. with the coop, you put your foot down, it takes a big gulp of air and the turbo spools up then it spits you down the road on a big lump of turbocharged torque. the bmw is more involving. it has a wee step in power about 2.5/3k then another way up the rev range. it delivers its power smoothly and in a very linear way and just keeps on accelerating, spinning round to the 7.5k red line so quickly and smoothly. the fiats engine is one of my favourite sounds, off beat, lumpy, all coming together ina 5 pot warble overlaid with that turbo woooosh..iv often said it sounds like god gargling with razorblades and double cream. the bmw is all animal in comparison. it sounds pure racecar, that straight six coming on cam and singing round to the red line is aurally addicitive and really puts the hairs on the back of your neck on fire. its civilised dawdling along, but stick it in a low gear and nail it and it changes, jekyll and hide style, to a snarling, wailing assault on your eardrums, but a very tolerable way to go deaf!!
iv not pushed the bmw really hard yet, but iv been along my favourite 'test' road, and its easy enough to tell that this cars limits in the dry are much higher than mine. turn the wheel, point the nose , accelerate and it just grips and goes..feels settled, poised and planted and its the one area it trounces the fiat handily. fluid, fluent grippy and communicative, steering is well weighted, driving position excellent and seats are excellent, grip you really well in the twisties. again, it just feels so focussed...are we gonna go fast today??...hell yes, ready when you are!! the cars big m5 front discs pull the car up strongly and square, again, one of the fiats weakest points. bmws brakes are amongst the best iv tried on a road car.
ace up the cars sleeve is its practicality. big boot, genuine four seats and happy to cruise in 6th at 65/70mph and an indicated 34mpg or so, air con on, stereo gently warbling away in the background. even with the exuberant moments thrown in, cos ya just DO, ok??..the trip computer is still claiming 29mpg...il find out how accurate this is when i brim the tank again.
hand on heart, i think i still prefer the old italian as a heart over head ownership proposition, but its a close call. the bmw ticks more boxes more of the time, but the fiat has those looks. to my eyes, it looks so much better, feels so much more special, makes me smile more...its probably rarer, and probably costs about as much to keep as an m3, but iv enjoyed every minute!!..strangley, the fact the bmw is so unassuming is one of the things i like about it. its a real stealth bomber, a q car..but the fiat kicks me right in the Harry Rollocks and grabs my heart every time i see it haha...emotion is a strange thing, yeah??..
however, heres the strange thing. iv loved my time with the fiat, but, as much as the car will always have a special place in my affections, i think its the bmw il be keeping. bottom line, its a safer investment..unless i put it in a tree, which is always a possibility!.. the fiat will, most likely, not start not appreciate in value for several years yet, and even then, its most probably gonna be the le and plus models that people want. the bmw is NEVER gonna be worth less than iv paid for it, indeed unless iv got my sums way wrong, its worth a deal more than i paid for it right now, and may yet appreciate in value yet further, being a totally standard evo with a great history....soo, if i tire of it, i can always sell it and use the proceeds to buy an le or plus version of the coop..potentially, everyones a winner!!..and im honest enough to know that it is in another league to the fiat as a fast roadcar, scratching my incessant itch for a fine handling, fast, practical car. it has surprised me with its charisma, that engine is all heart, all soul. and that makes up for its plain jane looks. its like finding out that the local librarian can, indeed, take off her glasses and let down her hair and party like a bankok w
e...then you open the boot and see the back seats and you discover she can cook, clean and iron too!!...
jac-in-a-box said:
Good stuff!
I see you're in Tayside - same area as me. Care to share where you found your M3? I've been looking for months now and couldn't find one that met my expectation.
On a plane Wednesday to (hopefully) pick up an unmolested example. We'll see!
bought mine from the ne scot ads from a chap who had owned it for 4 years, 111k with fsh inc recent suspension and vanos work, needs a wee bit of paintwork but original throughout...car came from fraserburgh....good luck in your hunt..this is my first m3 and i like it, great blend of power and practicality....and maybe a rarity for a bmw, but it has charisma in spades...I see you're in Tayside - same area as me. Care to share where you found your M3? I've been looking for months now and couldn't find one that met my expectation.
On a plane Wednesday to (hopefully) pick up an unmolested example. We'll see!
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff