Wow. This is fun.

[HeadOn]

So, as some of you may know, I took delivery of my M3 on June 2nd, but the car ended up living with the service department most of the time. Last night I picked up the car and had my first chance to really drive it.

I am coming from a 05 911S (997s) and when I first test drove the M3, I had fun, but wasn't totally convinced it would drive as well as the Porsche. However, it was a good choice for some of my needs so I made the switch.

Last night I went for 1.5 hour drive and had a blast! The 6MT feels great. At first, I thought the clutch felt a little soft and I didn't feel the same low end punch as the Porsche. Now that I have had a few miles with the car, I absolutely love the clutch and the throw on the 6MT is spot on for me. The acceleration is fine, you just need to punch the throttle a little more. Since I am in break in, holding the RPMs under 5500 is also limiting the potential of the car at the moment. The revs climb quickly when you want them too

Next the handling is not quite as tight as the porsche, but this may be better if I drive in M mode and gain more manual control of the steering. I found myself drifting a little side to side if I wasn't thinking about it. But the car sticks to it in the corners and even though it feels bigger/heavier than my previous car, it holds its own on the corners.

Some big pluses as well - the comfort of the car, the audio, and the gadget factor. The car is simply more comfortable. The seats are nicer, the leather is softer, the cabin noise is a lot less, and the car is more practical for carrying passengers. The audio is great, especially after I adjusted the equalizer based on some great posts I read here. The iPhone and iPod integration are just the icing on the cake. I have wanted that functionality for a while, and the car delivers. Oh yeah, comfort access will absolutely spoil you rotten.

Now some of the extra fun. Twice now I have accelerated in 3rd getting on the freeway and the car evidently had enough extra power that the wheels wanted to do funky things that caused the DSC to kick in. Honestly, that was cool. I didn't feel the DSC, but the thought that the car was needing to reign me in on a straight run going up from 40-60 mph, put a smile on my face.

Only thing I miss from the Porsche is the unique body style. I like the M3 just fine, and in some ways I like that it is not quite as obvious as the Porsche, but I also miss the uniqueness. But from the inside, the M3 rocks, and that is where I spend my time.

In the end, I found it hard to actually turn around and come home last night, and this morning on the way to work I intentionally missed my exit so I could drive a little longer.

What a great ride. Hope everyone takes the time to really go out and enjoy their cars.

Cheers.

[J08M3]

It's a great car. I have so much fun driving mine too. I'll get in my car for a quick 10 minute ride and find myself still cruising around an hour later.

[MDCTFTW]

You don't know how many times my commute mileage doubles. Haha.

[Davinhci]

What a great car.

[Voltigeur]

Thanks for the informative post. Given that one of my alternative choices is a low mileage 997S or a Cayman S I appreciate the takes I read.

I agree that the greater body differentiation of the Porsche is a factor (unless you live in Malibu etc ), but also that the inside of the M3 feels more cosseting and classy. The steering feel is an issue I have also considered.

For me the tipping point for the M3 may be the engine - coming from the BMW Werk at Landshut with its F1 association ...

[HeadOn]

My 2 cents - the M3 is better than a used Porsche 911 or a Cayman. The 911 is a good choice, but I don't regret the switch at all. As far as the Cayman, no competition with the M3 in my book. I have driven one, and it was alright, but no comparison to 911 or the M3 as far as the drive quality or the engines. Don't get me wrong, I loved the 997S. Great car and I had some great times with it. But I am very happy with the M3. The 09 997S is looking good and maybe in a couple of years I might consider a 911 again, but right now I am loving the M3.

One thing to consider, and one of the reasons I sold the Porsche, is the maintenance costs. My warranty was about to expire and given the number of times my car had to go in for different issues and the cost of the issues not covered by warranty, I wouldn't really want to own a 911 out of warranty.

BMW service has been top notch (and unfortunately I had to get my fair share of their service this month).

Good luck with your decision, and let me know if you want any more information that might help you.

Cheers.

[ersin]

Thanks for the post. I think you're spot on. The Porsche drives a little better than the M3, but the M3 is not far behind. The BMW has more practicality and other stuff. I'm glad you are happy with your choice. I think that people who differ on what you have said are being delusional. Except for the looks which are of course subjective. But I agree with you on looks. The 911 is still the basic look of 911s from decades ago, yet the body style still remains fresh. The M3 looks are just ok compared to the 911. But again, that's just my subjective opinion.

[HeadOn]

A quick follow up on my original post. My comment about the steering stated that I felt it wasn't quite as tight/too assistive in some cases. I dialed in the sport setting on the steering with the M button, and all my concerns vanished. The steering felt pretty much like the Porsche. Felt great.

In addition, I have to say I think the Technology package is a must. The M button makes it worth the while. The ability to dial in the settings the way you want and the addition of the MDM makes the car truly get aggressive. Just to continue the comparison, the MDM and the Sport steering pretty much mimic/equal the handling and level of control over the car that I had with my 911s (with some margin of safety kicking in late enough to be helpful but not intrusive). In addition, the EDC actually offers more versatility over the suspension than PASM did on the Porsche. In the 911 the PASM sport setting basically was unusable on the street - it was too tight and on slightly uneven roads lead to some difficulty in keeping the car planted since it would jump off little bumps. Probably great for tracks. In contrast the EDC settings let you sit back and relax with the car when you want, and then the sport setting gets tight, but not overly so like the 911 did.

Again, love both cars. But, I am extremely happy and pleasantly surprised with how versatile and powerful the M3 is turning out to be.

Cheers.

[E394KEN]

Nice read, I have been in love with the P car since the 993. Been debating one for a long time. I was considering the new MK2, the refresh 09 911, soooo, will have to wait and see. But thanks for your input makes it a little more clear on what both cars offer.