Yesterday i went with a friend of mine to the Automile in Norwood, Mass looking to test drive some cars (friend wants to buy a new car). We went to Subaru and the manager was acting like a jerk and said we could only drive the STI if we bought the car the same day. We felt insulted by his attitude so we left. We then went to BMW dealership and from the start the sales manager was very nice to us and wasnt really using sleazy tactics.

After talking about colors and prices we took a silver gray M3 (6speed) out for a ride. My friend drove it first but since the engine was cold and there was some traffic he could only take it to about 80mph. Then the sales rep let me drive and let me take it to the highway and thats where i beat the chit out of the car. The car accelerated like there was no tommorow, made a raspy metallic sound that was like a poisonous shot of adrenaline. I didnt really watch the tachometer to see how fast i took it but my friend said i took it up to 130 ( highway was pretty empty). Overall the car was a great experience to drive as i have always been curious to experience driving a car of that caliber.


I know it wasnt a Mercedes and this is a mercedes forum but i just wanted to share with you. Also there is a saying " Keep your friends close but your enemies even closer"

We have love for the M3, now the non M E36 and E46 guys can suck it, they think their cars are supercars becuase of chassis and manuals...with no power..

A salesman you don't know let you take a car up to 130?

You can kiss that engine goodbye.

Yeah the sales guy was very cool by not saying anything. The cars odometer read 4 miles when we took it out for the test drive and read 23 when we brought it back.

Today we tested the S4 6speed and it was also an amazing car and ride. Did not feel as fun or quick as the M3 but was still great. Didnt pass 80 as there were many cars and potholes. And handles amazing.

I might go next weekend to test out the C55 with my friend and im guessing that it will also be an amzing drive.

I wish someone will testdrive the E90 2006 M3 and let us know something about it.

anyway, thks bring up this topic again

A little early for that one. Don't expect it to be too forgiving on those HK roads. I think you need non-AMG and non-M cars over there according to what you reported you did not like about rough-riding.

Rgds,
Norm

I know that......life is never perfect I need someone here to give me some comfort about running a 105K car on bumpy roads and that rattling sound came into the springs under the back seats. Causing damaging is less important but how about losing traction if too bumpy ? I can't race with a Toyota 1.5 on the Lung Cheung Hills Road during downhill with ease at all.
Anyway, after I reduced the rear tire psi to 34 , the vibrations are reduced.

M3's are fun cars but they only "accelerate(d) like there was no tommorow" if you haven't ridden in an E55. On the twisties they rock, and on the straight they're quick.

The M3 "twain" is infectious. The motor problems are scary. Some have blown the motor on a single missed shift.

A single missed shift (a.k.a. "money shift") could destroy lots of high performance motors, not only the E46-M3.

Rgds,
Norm

I feel bad for the guy thats gona buy this car.You just ****ed up a perfect m engine.

your not supposed to rev past 5k for the first 1,200 miles.

Have some respect for the car.

You wonder why they didnt let you drive the STI lol.There not stupid,they know your gona beat the **** out of it.

Here in HK, we call these demo cars , usually with 1-2k Km which will be sold 5% less from the list price. The greedy guys or the car playboys will buy these types of cars as they don't give a damn about what they get but the best price and a proper zero owner birth certifcate. It will the second guy who buys the car will take up all the cancers disaeses and illness from a screwed up baby M3.

did you test drive one w/ the Competition package on it ??? yeah it's hella quick off initial acceleration....the C55 is just as quick, when I drive my friends M3 and he drives my car....on a roll when we play around and each gun it we stay pretty close to each other (side streets)...the M3 may SEEM quicker, cuz of the loud engine and raspy exhaust note...whereas the C55 is DECEPTIVELY quick....cuz it's more tame/docile mannered...just my $.02

I dont know, i drove my friends M3 SMG cabrio the other day, i somehow may be one of the very few who dont find it the "ultimate driving machine" My C55 felt so much better built then the M3, and the whole seating position in the C55 felt more comfortable and easier to use. (maybe i am used to it, i dont know) I also didnt feel the car handled any better then my C55 with my coilovers. And that damn exhaust is just wimpy. Even my friend said when some people hear him floor his car from outside, they ask what the hell is wrong with the sound.

M3s are overrated. :p

That's one reason why I didn't go for the E46-M3. If its 6-cyl is currently a close match to the C55 8-cyl, it will be interesting to see how the E90-M3 8-cyl will perform.

Rgds,
Norm

Not true at all. There's a LOT less of those engines grenading than the internet seems to think.

It's a well-built engine. And as far as engine break-ins, they aren't all they're cracked up to be either. Running a car to redline occasionally before 1000 miles doesn't mean your engine is screwed up.

unfortunately for me i am 6'7' inches
i do not fit in an E55, porsche, ferrarri, or the M3
i do however fit quite well in my c55
thats why i like it
the power is very nice but i find it can also be quit scary in some situations
i am still toying with a kleeman sc but that might just be too over the top--but a very nice sleeper--wife thinks im nuts to spend another 15k but its very tempting to have another 200 ft lbs of torque and be quicker than 99.999% of the other cars out there

just my thoughts

I was told not to rev an s54 for the fist 1k miles or it will burn oil.Bmw changes to a different oil after 1,200 miles.

Out of all engines the s54 needs to be broken in.Its not an old school tech engine.

the rings need to seal right.

how do you fit in the smaller C55 but not the bigger E55?

You are right about the rings need to seat right...but by babying the engine (slow speeds, no quick shots of the throttle to bring up engine speed, not varying the engine speeds, etc), it's not going to do that. It's best to moderate your speeds and RPM's. Full throttle a couple of times is not bad for the engine, it gives your engine a work out in the different engine speeds and helps your rings seal better.

Also from what I understand, like what you mentioned above, most European car manufacturers (MB, Audi, BMW, etc) use a special factory fill oil to help lubricate a new engine.

But to each his own

You got the car up to 130 on 128??? Which Audi dealer did you goto to test the S4? Clair?

That is part of the problem....not apples to apples....drive a coupe, the rag top is heavy and has more cowl shake....not nearly as tight.

Again, not a fair comparison....stock for stock, the M3 handles much better than the C55.

Yes, the exhaust has a weird sound to it....the E36 exhaust sounded much better.

not true. You mignt get away with "slightly" better, but "much" better is simply wrong.

Both The M3 and C55 had 8.22 at Nordschleife. Do you have better data to back up? The old story line that an M3 is "better in the twisties" is no longer true.

no, I don't have magazine or print data...I have driven several customers M3's at the TRACK and I own a C32 which is not that much different handling-wise from the C55....that is where my opinion comes from. At extreme limits of cornering the M3 is a more confident handling car.

don't take it personally, I am not bashing the C55 (looking to get one later this year), I am just calling a spade a spade; both are great cars, but the M3 is still is a sharper car handling-wise.