King320

Taking the new M3 out for a spin, merged on to a highway literally right next to an old body style sl600. With the v12, i expected it to blow me away, but he actually only pulled about 1 car length ahead and stayed there. We pulled even again and the guy gave me a friendly wave, it was an old dude with a huge cigar hanging out of his mouth, looked like Clint Eastwood. Overall not a bad race considering i misshifted from 4th to 3rd instead of going to 5th. Man this car is fun!

TopGun32

pre-2003.. no Bi-Turbo

V12 natural was less than 400hp and the car weighs alot.

I'm not surprised.

After 2003 SL600.. they are low 12 cars esily.

AndrewAZ

You lost to an old Sl600???? Did you buy a 330CI with M3 badges on it? Holy cow dude sorry to say this dont race until you get more driving experience down or pretty soon the 350Z folks will be thinking they can beat M3's stock vs stock. Remember if your not at 5,500 RPM downshift a gear... You should of easily pulled bus lengths on an old SL600.

OUTLAW///M3 SMG

christ all mighty! I would run away from an old body sl600 with ease! Problem with most M3 owners is that they never start at a high enough rpm and Fail to realize these engines are high reving. Low on tq. I start races at 6,000 rpm. And it screams. Anything less then 5,500 and your going lose or look bad. At least you had fun. Be safe!

On a side note I cremated my 3rd mitsubishi evo 9 the other night. 2 beeing the MR edition.

King320

Yeh, i've had the m3 for two days, i'll learn to drive it soon. It *feels* like it takes off best at 4500, but i think its just because the car jumps more. I'm not used to driving at such hi-revs yet, i think tahts why he pulled on me. Oh well, live and learn. I wouldnt call it a loss tho, i was in 3rd at 4k when we started, changed into 4th, then accidentally when back into 3rd instead of 5th, recovered into 5th and was still there with him. No big deal if you ask me.

HLG600

Let the guy learn and familiarize himself with his new toy. M3 is lighter and has a much better power/weight ratio, but he won't put bus lenths on it. It's bulky off the line, but I gotta say, this 4500 tank flies on the freeway, especially at top end!

AndrewAZ

I hate to argue but an M3 properly driven will easily pull bus lengths on an older body SL600. You guys are just about on par with a 350Z up top and we walk away from them like nothing at all.

King320

Yeh, im still getting used to the driving style. I habitually shift at 6K from my days with the Audi A4, i'll come around soon enough I imagine. It's still a new concept to be running with the high end mercs and AMGs. I was shifting during the race before 7K every shift.

HLG600

Speaking as a fellow enthusiast here, just some friendly discussion.

I'm not quite sure what type of R129 you have driven to be on par at top end with a 3.5 Litre V6? The M120 has twice the amount of cylinders and a 40% greater displacement. At top end it is ALL motor and weight is no longer such a restriction due the fact that the automobile is well in motion. I played with a G35 which is comparable if not faster than the 350Z and it couldn't come close to keeping up from 70-130. Similar results (though not as substantial) with a C5 Corvette. I have to say, although I have driven faster cars and been in some extreme automobiles, for some highway fun, this thing can move.

HLG

Roupin

350Z will smoke a G35 due to lighter weight (2 seater vs. 2+2).

MB AMG

The M3 would definetely win but man do those M120's pull at high speeds.
A 600SEL is quite sluggish at low speeds but then you really get going once the tach hits the upper rev range. I would say performace is impressive for a 6000lb sedan (402HP, 428lb-ft).

Holson

A late model SL600 with the Silver Arrow paint and the gorgeous 18" BBS wheels is one of my dream cars.. what a great looking automobile!

I guess to make it perfect, shoehorn the AMG 7.3L V12 in it... (SL73)

But yea, the M3 is a fun car to drive (very easy to drive in the city too, light clutch take off, etc.). My next car will hopefully be an M3! (E90)
*Have fun!*

SL BRABUS

bus lengths......

AndrewAZ

Yes bus lengths.. A 5.7 0-60 SL600 will get torn up by a 4.6 second 0-60 M3. Lets face it yes off the line the SL600 will pull fast and put 1/2 a car on an M3 but very quickly the M3 will shoot by and continue to pull(when I say quick I mean the M3 will pass and SL600 before the end of 1st gear at about 35 MPH). Its like the M5 vs E55 debate, E55 makes almost double the torque the M5 makes which helps it beat the M5 down low but if you go from a roll or at speed the M5 will pull away quite fast(due to different practices of engine power BMW power up top like a race car). But unlike the E55 vs M5 debate we dont have 1 car that weights 1k lbs more than the other..

Its a simple power to weight ratio calculation, the car that has a higher power to weight ratio will have better elasticity, like he stated he is a new M3 driver and was in the wrong gear and miss shifted. Just about anything can out drag a BMW M car when its in the wrong gear including a Ford F150 but I wont talk about that...And yes it was stock it was a buddies of mine he got next to me and floored it and I did not downshift and was neck on neck with him I was in like 4th gear going 50 mph when this happened.

Again a member here with an SL600 a while back posted a story about messing with a 350Z or G35 saying he pulled a little bit on him or was dead even something like that.. I have had several run-ins with 350Z and I have a buddy with a G35 and the M3 pulls bus lengths on them easily.

AndrewAZ

A 600SEL has about the same power to weight ratio as a brand new E350 and from a quick google they both share similar rated 0-60 times... Both are fast but an M3 will walk circles around them like nothing at all.

King320

Ok, so took the car out again tonight... punch it at 6k and it is a ROCKET.

transferred

Our cars don't run 0-60 in 4.6.

King320

4.8 is the regular M3. 4.6 is the CSL. Personally, i'll keep my radio, AC, nice seats, and real trunk floor for a .2 sec penalty.

AndrewAZ

BMW rates the car as 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. Car and Driver got a 4.6 0-60 for the M3. Car and Driver also got a 4.3 0-60 time for the E55 AMG. So either they get freak cars or they can drive them good. But several M3 owners have gotten very low 13's stock and I only know of 1 person that got a stock M3 to run high 12's, getting a launch on the M3 is the hardest part to much power at the start and your tires light up to little power and you bog down.

HLG600

The encounter was not zero to sixty though, it was on the highway, where the vehicle is designed to perform. Speaking from experience, a G35 could not keep up with an R129 SL600 on the expressway. I was the one who posted about the 600 and G35 - several lengths are not the same as "dead even" my friend.

I am not saying it will outrun the lighter M3, but calling it on par with a 350Z at top end is a comment I fail to take seriously - read egxpimp's 350Z review about that vehicle after 110 mph for reference. Off the line is where the M3 can shine. But putting buslenths on an R129 on the highway is a little exaggerated.

Cheers

AndrewAZ

If you lived close to me I would show you how embarrassing an M3 would be to an Sl600 at any speed.

Fist off lets take a look at the SL600 vs M3

Sl600 M3

4,445lbs 3,461lbs Thats 984lbs extra that the Sl600 has to move.. Not to mention the M3 has a manual or SMG transmission which are both 6 speed vs an auto 5 speed that loses a lot of HP.

That should be end of story... The M3 shines from 0-155 and when you are in it you dont feel any slow significant slow down when you hit 100 or 120 or 130+ the needle just keeps on moving up.

Its a pure physics race from a roll the car that is lighter and has a higher power to weight ratio will have better elasticity.

Again same argument as E55 vs M5.. E55 has more torque yet will lose from a rolling start and up at speed since torque does not help out. But unlike the E55 vs M5 we dont have 1 car with almost 1k lbs more weight than the other. An Sl600 is almost like the porsche SUV even with 500 hp the porsche still gets pulled on by an M3 even at high speeds, the M3 is not some slow car it is very quick and should not be underestimated like a lot of people seem to be doing. Its a track car and from 10-155mph its lightning fast.


Here is a video of a 500 hp porsche SUV vs M3 on a highway I know it says the M3 is chipped but a chip for an M3 gives you basically nothing measurable.

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/...2f006316c2.htm

bltserv

I see these sewing machines running around OC all the time.
Normally very young low experience drivers at the wheel.
My SL55 just sucks them up. Have yet to see one be a serious challenge.
Come on. A 350HP vs a 500HP. And you better not blow a shift or mistime it.
No contest at all. You may have got very lucky with an old SL600.

A NA 6 cylinder vs a Supercharged 5.5 V8. I dont think so...........

HLG600

Here's a documented run off the line! And this an older model, with the "inferior" 4SP automatic. Buslenths?

In all good fun, I'd love to play a little highway tag with an M3 - passion for automobiles entices me to do so. I actually did laugh out loud when you said the M120 had comparable top end performance to a 350Z. Initially, I though the weight issue would be overwhelming until a C5 couldn't keep up on the motorway. I was curious to see his expression, for mine was of a slight surprise as well. People tend to underestimate these cars. But at the end of the day, it's all about driving to enjoy youself.

HLG

HLG600

Here's the link for the above post! Not my video, just one I found online.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wzt6DygJrhg

King320

You should read more carefully before opening your mouth.

We're not talking about your car here, sorry. I do not at all contest that an M3 will lose to an SL55, but thanks anyways for your unwaranted condescension. The M3 has 333hp, not 350, and you dont have much room to talk trash about missing shifts with your automatic gearbox. my grandmother could drive your sl55 every bit as fast as you can, and for me that kindof takes the fun out of it. You can leave now.