What real world difference is there between engines?
- Thread starter Breaker
- Start date
Hunter, real world I fully expect you're right about that.
With a completely (completely!) empty road however I would hope that the E46 would be out of sight, but that isn't in the real world, at least not where I drive :thumbsdown:
With a completely (completely!) empty road however I would hope that the E46 would be out of sight, but that isn't in the real world, at least not where I drive :thumbsdown:
To be honest mate im not so sure it would. Its a bit quicker and a different sort of quick. But not by much. Im surprised myself. In the newbie section iv put up pics of my last few cars including a GTR R33 running 640 bhp, a Evo fq340 running 412 a Lotus Esprit twin turbo and a tvr cerebra. All are fast in entirely different ways. So i kinda know my cars and the Z isnt out of place on the list.
IN terms of E46 M3 performance - it is a heavier car than the Z4, so up to perhaps 80 / 90 mph the difference on the road isn't going to be massive. Once above that, as drag has more effect, then the extra power will make more difference.
I havem't looked at the figures recently, but I think torque between a Z4 3.0Si and an E46 M3 are similar.
I havem't looked at the figures recently, but I think torque between a Z4 3.0Si and an E46 M3 are similar.
You're right, as I said, I hadn't looked for a while. Anyway, my brother in law has an E46 M3 convertible - it is defintely faster, but not by the degree the M3 badge would make out. The Z4M is of course a step up from both being usefully lighter than the M3 and having a much better power - to - weight than the 3.0Si (or any of the others of course).
The E46 M3 vert is SLOW. That car weighs another 366lbs more than the E46 M3 coupe. That's 583lbs more than the Z4M-roadster. Forget about comparing the Z4MR to the E46M vert; you could feel a huge difference after driving the E46M coupe and E46M convertible back to back.
You really can't say the S54 isn't worthy of wearing the M badge because the E46 M3 convertible you test-drove didn't feel all that much quicker than your 3.0Si. The only reason BMW made the E46 M convertible was to sell more cars and make more money.
You really can't say the S54 isn't worthy of wearing the M badge because the E46 M3 convertible you test-drove didn't feel all that much quicker than your 3.0Si. The only reason BMW made the E46 M convertible was to sell more cars and make more money.
I drove both the 335i and the M3 this past weekend (well, M5s and M6s as well, but they're in another league). On the skidpad, I probably couldn't tell a difference--you just don't have the length of track nor raw acceleration (unless you wanted to be OFF the skidpad) to judge. Handling was good on both, acceleration was strong. The ONLY time I could have felt a difference was if I had been able to put them both on the "long" follow the leader course and then only on the back straight. More important than engine size and horsepower would have been the fact that the 335 was a true auto and the M3 was DCT allowing for MUCH shorter shift times.
Would I buy an M now that I have a Si? Probably, but that's because I have the Si for a daily driver. It's much more well-behaved for traffic.
I took my Si up to the Dragon after the school and I have NONE, ZERO, NADA complaints about her handling, acceleration and general fun factor. Would an M have been faster? No, not really--between the traffic and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, we would have been in a dead tie when the road flattened out.
Drive what you like and like what you drive.
Would I buy an M now that I have a Si? Probably, but that's because I have the Si for a daily driver. It's much more well-behaved for traffic.
I took my Si up to the Dragon after the school and I have NONE, ZERO, NADA complaints about her handling, acceleration and general fun factor. Would an M have been faster? No, not really--between the traffic and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, we would have been in a dead tie when the road flattened out.
Drive what you like and like what you drive.
