Now that I’m in the E55 AMG, not to many have tried simply because I look like an ordinary 4-door sedan but now I have Trans Am’s and Z28’s trying to romp at me. I’ve even had Vette’s try me when they knew they stood absolutely no chance. It’s more fun doing it with the Vette’s but with the lowly Cobra Mustang’s, Z28’s and Trans Am’s it gets annoying.

I still say put me in both cars and I guarantee you the M3 will lose at the drag strip every time.

ZO6 C6
Good:
Blindingly fast
Handles Great
Much better gas mileage (daily driving)
All out track car that can beat cars that cost 3 times as much.
You can likely get one for cheaper than a new M3. I have yet to see an M3 (Coupe) in a dealership stickered less than 65K, I can pick up a new Z at just a bit over 60. Chevy is still far more willing to deal then BMW in most cases. Sure you could order a base M and wait 4+ months and end up in the same range as the Z, but I’m not sure how many folks in this price range a keen on driving stripper models.

Not so good:
Have to be a much bettter driver to get it near its limits. Its light weight and high HP/Torque numbers make it harder for the average driver to put the power down. Both the C5 and C6 Z’s can get scary in a hurry if you don’t pay attention.
Ride Quality/Noise levels are an issue if a daily driver or used for long haul

M3
Good:
Still a monster – Very close to C5 Z06 performance – it would be a drivers race in my opinion.
4 seats
A bad driver can get this car much closer to its limits. I have never been in a car that inspires such confidence in its ability to make up for a bad decision or lack of skill.
You can set the car up with non-sport settings and drive it for long hauls and not get tired of the noise and harsher ride like I have experience in the Z’s. THe M drive Sports settings are still better than the C6 Z ride(but not much).

Not so good:
You can’t tangle with everything that comes your way…you have to look at the back bumper badge and do some math before you poke anything that has a P 911 somewhere on it! In the C6 Z most of the P boys wouldn’t be a concern.

Gas mileage is at least 5 miles per gallon worse under similar driving conditions.

I suspect it would be harder to own this car beyond full maintenance coverage…the repair/maintenance bills will be high…BMW won’t even extend the full maintenance to 100K like it does for its other cars for this reason.

Off topic but annoying to me:
Lots of ricers want to “take a shot” at the M…its annoying to me(especially since it usaully on public roads), the Z’s they would leave alone for the most part. The fart can crowd seems drawn to the M car far more and I’m not sure I like the attention.

Steve your a duesche, seriously. Right now M3’s are seriously on sale and to be honest I’d take an e46 M3 over a 335. That V8 is so nice though…

I also agree with Hantra as big of a BMW fan as I am how can you pass on a Vette right now? Faster than many super cars and cheaper than an M3 right now!

I think at some point after your graduation from Middle School, and your death, you will understand the value of keeping your mouth shut and letting the world believe you are an idiot, versus opening your mouth and removing all doubt.

This is all moot b/c right now with GM employee pricing, a freaking Z06 bases for less than M3 cost. As big a BMW fan as I am, that’s a no-brainer people.

The only difference is that in North Carolina, where I live, I can find 25 M3’s that are going for sticker… That’s the beauty of living in a not-so-established BMW market, yet. It’s catching up, though. Although it will take some time to see more 335’s then 328’s rolling around the woods.

I agree that if you want to save money and beat up on the 2 Fast 2 Furious retard crowd, the E90/E92 335i is a great way to start. You can mod it fairly quickly and easily with just a chip and exhaust and be throwing down 4.4s 0-60’s in no time, flat…

But the M3 is still the ideal car for any driving, at least to me.

You can’t buy a dry M3 in Southern California … they don’t stock them. Try finding a desirable collar match e92 with a sticker less than $60,000. It doesn’t exist in So Cal. So, by the time you get to the finance guy, you’re $66,250 M3 is actually 72,496 with tax and fees.

This debate isn’t even close.

What it all comes down to is this; if price isn’t a factor, sure the M3 is the hands down choice. However, if you want to save 20+ grand and get an incredible, beast of a car … then buy a POV, and add the Dinan stage-3. You will shock your friends, scare your mother in-law, and beat up on young punks that challenge you in inferior street rods.

I really don’t think any part of the video is realistic. Now if Boris Said or Hans Stuck were driving and those results happened, I’d be in 100% belief. The E92 M3 takes some. It’s not always the power. It’s also about the aerodynamics and the build quality of the engine. Just look at a 3800lb GT-R with 520hp that muscles its way around tracks faster then most… Granted, in a straight line it’s not as fast once you get to 100 or so mph.

Which would you rather have, a 335i or an E90/92/93 M3? Which will be worth more in 30 years? And which will be better with more mods? Just because the 335i is cheaper to mod doesn’t make it the wiser choice.

I’ll take the M3 and build it up as I go…

First of all, a factory model 335i has more punchy low-end torgue than a current model M3. You feel this at a about 1800 RPMs going up a hill in a low gear, as you press the gas. And yes, you can tell a significant difference.

I’ve seen the video and I think it’s pretty honest until they get to the drag race at the end. Put me in a stage-3, well tuned, 335i with a stick, and I’m confident that I could beat a currant model M3 in a 1/4 mile.

Also, you can buy a very nicely equipped POV 335i, and add the Stage 3, and be out of the door for less than $46,000.

But as for the video, they obviously weren’t pushing either car… You’re right, if you look at the numbers an M3 should and could be doing a 12.5s 1/4 with the right driver. The problem I think most people have when trying to drive the BMW’s and ///M cars fast is that the gearing is so long to shift. Most people are used to quick short shifting. You have to be dialed in with BMW’s to get quick shifting.

I don’t know about the 335i winning. The difference is that if you drive each you will notice the 335 will get slower and slower after a lot of laps. The M3 will hold up better due to its F1 inspired engine. The wet sump oiling system is great for that car. The 3.0L I6 is fantastic! But it’s no ///M car fantastic. The suspension and chassis, even modded from Dinan, still won’t hold up to the same rigorous driving compared to the M3.

Now the M3 may be a different animal altogether but with a good driver the M3 should lose everytime. I’m talking mainly on the drag strip here and not a track. It is sad that they didn’t get even remotely close to the M3’s stock time. The M3 does a mid-12 1/4 mile stock, they barely even managed a low 13.

Get somebody in there that truely knows how to drive and the outcomes might be different.

I love the M3, always been an owner and fan of them since E36 but a 335i with slightly less power but gobs more torque and lighter weight, it should win everytime.

Jon and Mark,

You are both right on the money. I wish some of the guys from one of my car clubs in FL felt the same way. They thought the video was awesome and they wanted the 335i instead…

As far as Dinan and the M3 goes, sometime late this year or early 2009, Dinan will have a stroker engine for the M3 (remember, the M3 engine is the same engine in the M5/M6…just minus two cylinders!!)….thus, the R&D that Dinan put into the S1-S3 kits for the M6/M6 will soon be available on the M3 far quicker than it was available for the two other M cars…how about an M3 with Dinan’s S3 stroker kit that makes over 500bhp??? This will include suspension upgrades, bigger brakes, cold air intakes, new software, HF throttle bodies, etc…..an M3 Dinan S3 car will likely blow most anything off the road…..MUHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cheers,