Audi BMW

MotorTrend takes on the challenging, intriguing and at the same time exciting task of comparing some of the best luxury performance coupes out there: BMW M3 Coupe vs. Audi’s latest RS5 and the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.

Three fine vehicles with their own fan base and admirers, and the showdown’s winner is usually settled by the fine details.

And the winner this time is the….BMW M3 Coupe, as Motor Trend describes it: “…oldest car here, but like a good red wine, it’s getting better with age”.

Let’s take a look at an excerpt of their review, but we encourage you to head over to MotorTrend for a full, entertaining and informative article, and you can also watch the video comparison below.

BMW’s M3 is the oldest car of this trio, but like a good red wine, it seems to be getting better with age. Under the hood is the now-familiar 4.0-liter V-8 that develops 414 horsepower at a screaming 8300 rpm, and our Melbourne Red coupe is equipped with the lightning-fast seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission. It’s also fitted with BMW’s new Competition Package, a $2500 bundle of goodies that includes wider offset 19-inch alloy wheels, the ride height lowered by 0.4 inch, and reprogrammed Electronic Damper Control and Dynamic Stability Control settings designed to sharpen the car’s dynamic responses beyond the already scalpel-like ability of the regular M3.

Conclusion:

BMW’s M3 has long been the segment’s benchmark, but it’s not perfect. Left to shift itself, the seven-speed transmission is clunkier than the Audi’s. The steering-wheel rim feels fat and clumsy, and these days Hyundais have better-looking interiors (our car’s all-black interior looked particularly cheap and nasty). But the M3 is still the most sharply focused driver’s car of this bunch, a scalpel among sledgehammers.

Each of these cars is seriously fast and highly desirable. That we could even contemplate putting a Cadillac up against the best from BMW and Audi and not have the thing left gasping and wheezing, brakes on fire and suspension turned to mush after three days of hammering around Bavaria shows how far Caddy has come from the days when most of its customers left their teeth in a glass by the bed at night. The RS 5 is a marvelous Grand Tourer, an elegant, classy two-door that will feel just as comfortable antiquing in the Hamptons as hustling over the Grossglockner Pass in an early autumn snowstorm. But when it comes to performance, passion, and pure driver appeal, the BMW M3 is still the benchmark.

1ST PLACE: BMW M3
The oldest car here, but like a good red wine, it’s getting better with age. Driver-focused powertrain and chassis make it a scalpel among sledgehammers.

Jay Leno’s love for cars is notorious and his garage includes one of the largest collection of cars, from ancient models to expensive collector models.

But it seems like Leno appreciates “regular” cars also, as regular as an M3 could be. Us, the mortals, refer to it as an icon, but to Leno might be just a another car sitting somewhere in his garage.

Jay Leno and race driver Jason Bell give the 2011 BMW M3 a thorough review before heading to the 2010 Long Beach Grand Prix to talk to BMWNA Motorsports manager, Martin Birkmann, and BMW Rahal Letterman Racing driver Bill Auberlen about the similarities and differences between the road-going and race-only versions of the M3.

Let’s have a look

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage via MotorAuthority]

Paul Walker of “Fast and Furious”, a franchise that appeals to true racing fans, is more than just a pretty Hollywood actor. To our surprise, Walker can actually race, and to surprise us even more, he is quite a fan of the BMW M3. He joins Paul Dentice and Richard Taylor on the AE Performance team and entered this year’s RedLine Time Attack race series with this — a stripped-to-the-bone, caged BMW M3.

Walker has made appearances at West coast Time Attack events in the past in a variety of cars including a R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R and a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, but this year he’s driving an E92 BMW M3 in the Street tire class.

The M3’s modifications include a gutted interior and full roll cage, as well as bigger brakes, wider and lighter Volk Racing TE37 wheels and Hankook Ventus RS-3 tires (which meet the 140 UTQG or higher requirement for this class). Curb weight has been reduced from the factory 3704 lbs down to a comparatively svelte 3567 lbs and a carbon fiber wing has been added to give the M3 some added rear grip. Next they put some goodies in, Ohlins coilovers, six-piston front, four-piston rear Brembos calipers over slotted rotors and a functional carbon fiber wing.

All nice and dandy, but where are the NOS tanks, Paul?

Here is the M3 participating at RedLine Time Attack.

AE Performance
Driver Name: Paul Walker
Team City Location: Costa Mesa, CA
Team Website: www.aePerformance.com
Vehicle Year, Make & Model: 2009 E92 BMW ///M3
Engine Type and Size: 4.0L Naturally Aspirated V8
Estimated Wheel Horsepower & Torque: 360 Wheel Horse Power
Estimated vehicle weight: 3350 lbs Wet – No Driver
Brand and Model of Suspension: Ohlin 2-Way Dampers
Brand of Brake System: Brembo 6POT GTR – Front & Brembo 4POT GTR – Rear
Brand, Model and Size of Tires Used: 265 Series Hankook RS3 – Front & 285 Series Hankook RS3 – Rear
Class: Street RWD

OWLE.tv interviews Paul Walker at the Redline Time Attack Series 2010

Paul Walker and AE Performance Track Day at Willow Springs

[Source: M3Post ]

The horsepower war took a bit of a hiatus for a few months after Audi’s B7 platform RS4 went out of production and the debut of the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG – both in 2008 and both to do battle directly with the king of the hill: the BMW M3.

However, Audi is back and packing quite a weapon in their arsenal – a powerful coupe of RS caliber. The all-new 2011 RS5 has finally broken cover after much speculation as to what exactly Audi would put into play in the battle between the mid-size, mini-supercar realm. The M3, for an all-round package has managed to keep atop of the list of these mid-size powerhouses over the last few years by providing the most complete package between handling, power, and luxury accouterments.

Audi is out the change the game, of course, with the new RS5. So, let’s take a look at the specifications that have been taken from the “accidentally leaked” brochure of the upcoming Ingolstadt warrior. The wide-bodied two door is anticipated to sport a modified version of the V8 of the now defunct RS4. So, the car will be powered by a 4.2L V8 pushing out approximately 450HP – a full 30HP over the B7 RS4 and the V8 model of the R8 sportscar – coincidentally, about 30 horsepower over the 4.0L V8 of the M3.

This boosted power figure, in part, has been created by the two enormous air boxes sitting just behind the front air dam. In terms of a redline, the RS5 runs out of juice at 8,200 RPMs and is regulated by a dual clutch transmission with 7 forward gears. Rumor has it that the RS5 will not have the option for a traditional 6-speed manual – though this has yet to be confirmed.

The war is on, but will there be a winner takes it all? We’ll find out more after the first test drives.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

We’ve been having an internal debate here at BMWBLOG as to which car represents the greater value, the 335is or the M3. After the dust settled we decided to consult with our resident expert, the good Dr Oetker.

But before we jump into the interview, allow us to leave with you this memorable quote:

The 335is has been “tuned” by ///M. The M3 was handmade by ///M

Dr. Oetker, can you help us with a little question we’re having deciding on which car represents the best value, the 335is or the M3?

What do you intend to do with this car? Make ice cream runs?

Well that’s just it we haven’t decided exactly how we’ll be using the car. There’s some talk about lap times, track days, and optimal slip angles, and other discussion about high altitude passes in the Rockies and two lane twisties?

All that just to get ice cream?

Well not just ice cream. I mean the 335is has a great engine, sport suspension and fabulous brakes as well as a good number of M cosmetic pieces. But the M3 has that wonderful siren song of a V8 exhaust and the stratospheric 8400 RPM redline as well as the brilliant chassis. It’s a difficult decision.

I still don’t understand where the ice cream comes in to this picture.

Well maybe if we looked at the value of the car, for instance the 335is has a base price of $50,525, while the M3 Coupe has a base price of $58,400, a difference of $7,875 . . .

That’s a lot of ice cream!

Some of the staff believe that you can mod the 335is to beyond M3 specs with that price differential. But others warn that modding leads to warranty issues.

And less ice cream, I might add.

The M3 has an LSD and a naturally aspirated engine and may be better suited for track days than touring, while the fat, flat torque curve of the 335is is ideal for mountain roads and two lane highways. I imagine it all gets down to what you want to use it for.

That’s right, now let’s go get some ice cream!

Thank you Dr. Oetker, I think . . .

So, after the good Dr. has weighed in, what do you, gentle readers, think. M3 or 335is?

Pros and cons please – and as always, Marquis de Queensbury rules apply.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

We’ve been having an internal debate here at BMWBLOG as to which car represents the greater value, the 335is or the M3. After the dust settled we decided to consult with our resident expert, the good Dr Oetker.

Dr. Oetker, can you help us with a little question we’re having deciding on which car represents the best value, the 335is or the M3?

What do you intend to do with this car? Make ice cream runs?

Well that’s just it we haven’t decided exactly how we’ll be using the car. There’s some talk about lap times, track days, and optimal slip angles, and other discussion about high altitude passes in the Rockies and two lane twisties?

All that just to get ice cream?

Well not just ice cream. I mean the 335is has a great engine, sport suspension and fabulous brakes as well as a good number of M cosmetic pieces. But the M3 has that wonderful siren song of a V8 exhaust and the stratospheric 8400 RPM redline as well as the brilliant chassis. It’s a difficult decision.

I still don’t understand where the ice cream comes in to this picture.

Well maybe if we looked at the value of the car, for instance the 335is has a base price of $50,525, while the M3 Coupe has a base price of $58,400, a difference of $7,875 . . .

That’s a lot of ice cream!

Some of the staff believe that you can mod the 335is to beyond M3 specs with that price differential. But others warn that modding leads to warranty issues.

And less ice cream, I might add.

The M3 has an LSD and a naturally aspirated engine and may be better suited for track days than touring, while the fat, flat torque curve of the 335is is ideal for mountain roads and two lane highways. I imagine it all gets down to what you want to use it for.

That’s right, now let’s go get some ice cream!

Thank you Dr. Oetker, I think . . .

So, after the good Dr. has weighed in, what do you, gentle readers, think. M3 or 335is?

Pros and cons please – and as always, Marquis de Queensbury rules apply.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

E9x BMW M3 – The Perfect Sports Car? Well, that’s what seems to be the general consensus amongst the Car and Driver’s editors, and certainly something we agree with now, as we have done in the past as well.

Before we will let you jump into their long-term drive report, allows us to start with their conclusion and work from there:

“Based on our experience, the current M3 is the world’s all-around best car for the money, although several staffers would have preferred to trade some of the coupe’s looks for the added practicality of the sedan.”

A car has got to be pretty spectacular to win over the curmudgeons here at 1585 Eisenhower Place, especially when familiarity sets in over the course of 40,000 miles. But our Sparkling Graphite Metallic M3 did indeed win us over. For less than $70,000, the M3 bolts from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and turns the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 113 mph. It pulls an exceptional 0.96 g on the skidpad, stops in 147 feet from 70 mph, and reaches a governor-restricted 161 mph. On a racetrack or a back road, it’s a beautifully balanced and hugely entertaining machine.

Aside from performance, the M3 is comfortable on the highway and has plenty of space for four adults. It has a full complement of luxury accouterments and yet is very practical—even the trunk is commodious. It has muscular, raked looks and a handsomely dark interior. A bonus is that regular service doesn’t cost a cent, thanks to BMW’s full-maintenance program, which lasts for four years or 50,000 miles. (The gas bill, however, wasn’t cause to rejoice, given this BMW’s 17-mpg thirst.)

When it came to ordering the car, we went with the so-called M double-clutch transmission (M DCT), a $2700 option that replaces the standard six-speed manual with a seven-speed dual-clutch unit, BMW’s first. We were eager to try this setup because dual-clutch transmissions promise the smoothness of an automatic when the driver can’t be bothered to change gears, as well as superfast paddle shifts in manual mode. In the previous M3 (E46), BMW offered a single-clutch, automated manual gearbox that was notable for its harshness in manual mode and its clunkiness as an automatic.

Full article

Not the kind of comparison we see every day, but our friends over at Edmunds are feeling adventurous today and gives us an unexpected car comparison: BMW M3 Sedan (E90) vs. BMW M3 Coupe (E92).

Two great cars from the Motorsport division with similar customer target, but a different approach. One it’s a two-door luxury sports car that sacrifices some of the comfort of having a rear-door, and the other one, is a four-door sedan, an impressively well balanced vehicle that could do wonders on track if it’s placed in the right hands.

Both cars are powered by the same S65B40 engine, a naturally aspirated, high revving 4-liter V8 (based on the S85B50 5-liter V10 that powers the E60/E61 M5 and the E63/E64 M6 to date) delivering 414 horsepower (309 kW; 420 PS) at 8,300 rpm and peak torque of 400 Nm (300 lb-ft) at 3,900 rpm, which represents a power increase of 22% over the previous generation E46 M3.

As tested by Edmunds, both cars wear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 summer tires.

But let’s have a look at the numbers registered by the two cars in Edmunds’ unique test.

2009 BMW M3 Sedan
$67,370 (as tested)
0-60 mph: 4.5 sec (with 1-ft rollout)
1/4-mile: 12.9 sec @ 109.8 mph
60-0 mph: 105 ft
Slalom: 70.0 mph
Skidpad: 0.90g
Weight: 3,710 (as tested)
Fuel economy (avg): 16.0 mpg
Tires: (F: 245/40ZR18, R: 265/40ZR19)

2008 BMW M3 Coupe
$65,775 (as tested)
0-60 mph: 4.3 sec (with 1-ft rollout)
1/4-mile: 12.7 sec @ 112.0 mph
60-0 mph: 100 ft
Slalom: 73.3 mph
Skidpad: 0.95g
Weight: 3,590 (as tested)
Fuel economy (avg): 15.6 mpg
Tires: (F: 245/35R19, R: 265/35R19)

Facing a dilemma already? We do too and we’ve been agonizing over this choice as well. The sedan seems to be moving at the top of our list…..

[Source: Edmunds ]

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What are Twitter drivers saying about this?

RDSport, a California based auto tuner,  is announcing their latest model, dubbed RS46, a vehicle based on the popular BMW M3 Coupe. Here is the official information and photos:

Over 25 years of experience in building the most performing motors for BMW are the legacy that RDSport infused in its latest M3 program.

RDSport’s range of performance parts is as exclusive as it gets, and will allow you to custom build your M3 to match your preferred driving style.

All of RDSport’s products are engineered to work together, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility or fitting. We engineer and design it all in-house; therefore we can stand behind our products 100%. If that is not enough, we have many of our products tested by the German TÜV, so you can rest assured that we have done our homework beforehand, and you are getting a product that is approved for use on the M3 by the same authority that certifies the car in the first place.

It has always been BMW’s trademark to produce the best, most sophisticated, naturally aspirated motors in the world, and these power plants have been winning Engine of the Year awards for the longest time.

At RDSport we have always believed that our engines should match the configuration of the BMW motor that we set out to modify, as this is the only way to retain the true character of the car, and provide a product that matches the reliability of the original motor.

The RS46 is truly the motor that BMW should have installed in the M3 in the first place: massive torque, blistering acceleration, and performance that puts many sports cars to shame.

Its engine internals are made from the highest quality materials, and could easily withstand the rigors of Formula One. In fact, if you were to compare the piston of an RS46 to that of an F1 motor of only a few seasons past, you would notice how close the two really are.
New engine internals include larger, forged, light-weight, aluminum pistons, forged, billet connecting rods and new billet crankshaft with a longer stroke. All of these parts equate to a larger displacement 4.6 liter motor, up from the factory 4.0 liter.

Also included in the build is a complete exhaust including; race, tubular headers with F1-style merge collectors, metal-matrix, sport, catalytic converters, X-Flow downpipe and sport silencers all built from stainless steel. Options for the motor include carbon air box, larger-displacement, carbon plenum chamber, power pulley, lightweight clutch and flywheel. The result is an amazing 524 bhp and an increase of 115 ft-lbs of torque over stock!

The RDSport front bumper is available in Stradale (Street – shown) or Corsa (Race) versions. Each is a complete bumper replacement made of carbon/Kevlar and contains larger ducting for brake and engine cooling.

The RDSport rear bumper features a carbon fiber/meshed diffuser section that allows for more weight saving and gives the aggressive rear that the RS46 deserves. The unit is a full replacement fascia of the original. Again to match the front and save weight the piece is constructed entirely carbon/Kevlar mat, which is extremely light and impact resistant. RDSport aero parts can also be fitted with the factory PDC sensors.

Also available are trunk and roof spoilers to smooth the airflow leaving the vehicle and aid in stability.
The RS46 is equipped with the RDSport Chassis kit consisting of specially valved Bilstein shocks and RDSport Springs. The set up leaves the vehicle with a 30 mm drop in the front and 25 mm lower in the rear. The shocks and springs are designed to work together beautifully and provide an extremely stable ride without any harshness. This optimized set-up was made available only after thousands of testing and development miles.
The RDSport RS Brake System consists of 6-piston, aluminum monoblock calipers on the front and 4-piston monoblock calipers in the rear. Customers have the option of ordering either cross-drilled or slotted rotors.
The RS2 Forged is the most classic and recognizable Racing Dynamics wheel design and it represents the latest iteration of a line of wheels that started back in 1986 with the first HSM wheel.

The center flange is machined out of a heat-treated 6061-T6 forging. Each one goes through 6 different machining operations totaling no less than 8 hours on our CNC equipment. The result is a stunning sculpture of incredible strength and lightness, with design details that are unique to this product and cannot be found on any other forged wheel in the market today. Due to the custom build of each wheel there is an endless selection of color options and finishes.
Optionally, RDSport offers the RC8 Forged Monobloc wheel that offers the ultimate in light weight performance. RDSport recommends Pirelli tires.

Several interior options are available from a simple shift knob or pedal set to a complete Alcantara interior conversion.

BMW announced today that it has won two Best Resale Value awards from Kelley Blue Book and a Residual Value Award from ALG. The BMW 1 Series won the ALG Residual Value Award in the Near Luxury Car category. The BMW X5 xDrive35d Advanced Diesel was named Best Resale Value in its class by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, and the 2010 BMW M3 is one of the Top 10 cars with Best Resale Value according to Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

“BMW drivers are loyal to the brand not only because of the exceptional driving experience their vehicles provide, but because of the remarkable ease of ownership afforded by BMW Ultimate Service®,” said Robert Frisch, Vice President, Western Region, BMW of North America. “Ultimate Service helps ensure BMW vehicles are serviced properly and on-schedule for the first four years, boosting the resale value and desirability of each BMW in the used vehicle marketplace.”

ALG determines the award winners after carefully studying the competition in each segment, historical performance, and industry trends.  Vehicle quality, production levels relative to demand, and pricing strategies are among the key factors that affect ALG’s residual value forecasts.  Winning vehicles in each segment are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional three-year period. Since 2007, BMW models have won five ALG Residual Value Awards.

The Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards recognize automakers’ outstanding achievements in producing vehicles that best retain their value. In addition to the mainstream and luxury brands with the best projected resale values across their entire vehicle lines, awards are presented to top vehicles within 16 vehicle categories and for the overall top 10 vehicles across all categories. With these two latest honors, BMW has garnered a total of 14 Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards since the awards were established in 2003.