All valid points, I just think a different perspective was necessary as a Porsche symbol seems to be obscuring some peoples point of view. It is very possible that an M3 might stir ones soul more than a 997 stirs someone else's, this becomes relative to the individual.

 

a good analogy for me is

new m3 is like an a not bad lookingt girl all made up to look HOT at nught when the make up is gone, average looking


the porsche is just a naturally stunning BEAUTY , no make up needed...

btw, i do ***** for a living

mk

 

 

+1 agree with your statement. Now as gravedgr said, on with the pics!

 

As far as 335 vs M3, if you want to go fast in a straight line the 335i with modifications is a better route to take, and if you want to go fast around a track the M3 is the more reliable option. The M3 will stand up to track abuse better, but the 335i has much more potential for power increases. For a daily driver I would pick the 335 and up the boost, and if planning to go to the track I would pick a 997. For some reason the new M3 doesn't appeal to me as much as I hoped it would. Given the choice of M3 or C63 I would take the AMG without a thought, even though it isn't offered with a manual transmission.

 

My local dealership has 2 new 08 M3's a red coupe and a blueish-green silverish looking sedan. My first impression of the sedan was I didn't care for the color and it looked like a 335 on steriods and the optional 19" wheels always seem to remind me of wagon wheels on a stage coach. The red coupe was another matter and even though it had the same wheels the car looked really nice and the hood buldge was not as prominent looking in person as in some pics I've seen. Overall the car has nice clean aggressive lines and like the normal 3 sreies it was not Banaglized. The sedan may have met with my approval if perhaps in a different color.

Ok now for the pluses for the M3 over the 997:

The fit and finish on the interior was first rate and compd to my 997S

The closure of the doors (coupe) sound 10x's better than the 997, they close with a very solid sound and feel...something the 997 could use although still nothing compd to the aircooled cars.

The construction of the dash especially over the instrument area is very solid compd to the 997, as a good solid hit with your hand emits no rattles from the instruments or any where else... the rest of the dash was the same...just thick and solid.

The front seats have a 2 way electric button in additon to a pull up handle for rear seat access.

The back seats are still small but much more usefull than the 997's and the have their own rear ac vent an very thoughtful side lighting on both sides of the rear console.

The car has a few standard appointments that Porsche charges for either as options or going to the S.

Both cars came with Michelin Pilot Sports but that may or may not change down the road.

The amount of car you get for the money comp'd to a 997/S is really quite a bit and one really questions the vast price difference....Porsche needs to step it up or they will lose some sales to this car.

The price of the coupe was $69,700 and included the following options and a $1300 gas guzzler + tax & dest etc.
Metallic Paint
Extra Leather
Premium Package
Technology Pakage
19's
Ipod/Bluetooth
Sat and HD radio
Sound Package
Shadowline trim
Moonroof (not sure if that was an option or standard).

The sedan was $66,900
Nav
19's
Moonroof
Sat and HD
Sound Package
Metallic Paint
Extra Leather
And one other option that I can't make out from my scribbles on the back of the sales person's card.

The negatives

They would not allow any test drives without a firm offer and I was not about to lie and pretend to make one as that would not be fair to the salesperson and even though they saw I drove up in a 997S this made no difference in their policy. Apparently BMW has given every dealer a coupe and a sedan as "display cars" with no tester miles allowed but they were for sale...go figure. I remember when I bought my new 95 M3 the dealers all had a tester car which I thought was a great idea.

The brake calipers were of a much less costly grade/design.

The car is still a 3 series no matter how powerful and dressed up.

The design of the dash was something that did not impress me much and the 997 has a much nicer design but the M's felt and appeard to be better constructed, hopefully Porsche will be recitfying as part of the improvements to the facelifted 09's.

I wish I could have reported back with a test drive, but I will have to drive a bit further to the dealer where I bought my Porsche (they have BMW etc) and I'm sure the GM of the complex will let me take one out, and I will certainly report back.

Hope this was somewhat helpful.

 

i figure u used the m3 anomaly time, might as well use the 997S one. the 997S and M3 are indentical in straight line, its a drivers race, i think we can both agree on that(0-100 ~10 sec, mid 12s 1/4 mile, 0-150~24-25 seconds) the 997S has better numbers in the other catagories, braking, steering feel, etc. for performance numbers, they ALWAYS vary, depending on temp, density altitude, wet/dry.
oh yea, this is also coming from a guy who owned a highly modded e46 m3, and now have a new 335 and will have a new m3 within about 2 years when they fix all the problems.
also, the 997S is going to be bumper to 381 hp for 2009 is the rumor, and when Porsche announces their double clutch system, its def gonna be faster!
also, remember this, even tho the smg in the e46 m3 shifter WAY faster than the manual, it has more drivetrain loss (as will DCT) and was never as fast and never trapped as fast. so DCT will prob suffer from the same things and be no faster than the 6mt m3.

 

I watched an Autoblog video of the new M3 vs. GT3 vs. GT-R lap a track on a cold day (low 40's) after a couple laps (2 iirc) the M3 had pedal-to-the-floor brake fade, and that was the lighter Euro version. I think BMW has finally strayed too far from the E30 M3 roots with the E92. IMHO, it's now a weird mix of GT and sports car that doesn't pull it off as well as the RS4. To each his own, but it's not for me.

Porsche is definitely a better choice for track days.

 

You are forgetting that the DCT tranny is a 7-speed. The DCT will be faster, perhaps not off the line but as you get higher up the difference will come about. And the reason that the 6MT e46 M3 traps faster is due to the SMG version (US model) only launching from 1900 rpm with launch control as opposed to much higher rpms for a 6MT launch. If you watch videos of 6MT vs SMG e46 M3s from a roll, the SMG pulls around a half car length with each shift.

 

I'm getting mine on next Thursday! I'll post some pics next week.

 

Dude, their is a load of bull**** in this post. I had an SMG E46 M3, the drivetrain losses for the SMG were not higher. I can go dig out my damn dyno if I have to, 275 @ the wheels on a dynojet, EXACTLY what 6 speed manuals were putting down. It is the same basic transmission just hydraulically actuated. It isn't an auto with a torque converter, same losses.

I am not going to go dig up my timeslips either but the trapspeed on my car at california speedway was the same and sometimes greater than 6 speeds. 6 speeds (with good drivers) could put up better E.T's due to the launch but the trap on the SMG was often higher due to the initial wheelspin. Man, I can't believe you don't know more about your own car.

What part about more than one source having under 0-100 in 10 seconds for the M3 don't you understand? The M3 is currently the faster car in a straight line, and the gap widens the longer they go. Like I said earlier, it will take the facelift to catch up, who knows if it will surpass it in this respect. We haven't even seen the DCT M3 numbers, but the gearing is much, much tighter with the 7 speed.

 

whether you want to admit it or not, its a drivers race. the 997S is still a good amount faster around the ring than the m3 and on the hockenheim.
the gap doesnt widen the faster they go, 997S does 0-150 ~25 secs, exactly what the m3 does. up top, the better aerodynamics and lower weight of the 911 come into play more.
and i would bet that the 997S x51 (381 hp) would def pull.

 

The e92 M3 and 997S pull the same times around the ring. In the latest issue of R&T the 997 c2s does 0-100 in 10.3s and in the previous issue the e92 M3 does it in 9.4s. That is a substantial difference and I do not see the gap getting smaller from that point on. Which car would I pick if I had to choose between the two? The 997. But if I did not have another car as a daily driver, I would go the route of the M3.

 

Congrats!

Do you concur with what I found (8 posts above)?

 

Boy, I never imagined the amount of interest and passion this thread would bring out. Over 100 responses in less than 4 days. All very interesting though.