Methinks that evaluating the M3 against the 911 includes the wrong BMW. The M3 version of the Z4 would make for a better comparison.

But, in every road test, the 911 comes out on top.
Mr. B

 

Thx. Manual. Love the 6-speed.

 

The Z4M is typically compared to the Cayman S

 

agreed

 

Apparently you missed the recent M3 vs 997.2 road test (C & D?) hatefest here. Turns out that the 911 does NOT "come out on top" in EVERY road test.

The FACT is, there's little performance difference in ANY measurement of sport, between an M3 and 997.2. You can do the same stuff in both, and then use the M3 as a legit daily driver (i.e. put someone/something in it besides a single passenger).

Also, there's no such thing as a Z4 M any more. A few years ago, they changed the name to "M Coupe", and from there, the new Z4 HAS NO "M" version.

I think a Z4 vs Cayman comparo makes even less sense than an M3/911 comparison. The Cayman is WAY more sports car, and likely can't keep up in a straight line, or if so, just barely. The Z4 seems to me an attempt to bridge luxury and sporty - kind of the sport-touring motorcycle of 2 seaters. The Cayman bridges sports car and more affordable Porsche. A Japanese 600cc sportbike-ish vehicle.

I love the P-cars, and if money and utility didn't affect my decisions, I'd ALWAYS pick the P-car. Sadly, those things do matter in my life, so I don't have such a stable.

 

last M-school I attended in SC, 3 of the 4 instructors drove Z06 corvettes and had them in the lot outside...I wonder what that says?

 

the M coupe is basically the z4 coupe but a M version. i guess what im saying is, its just a name change to the car.

 

in that C&D test they compared it to a bare bones 997.2 c2 because it was closest in the price range to a fully loaded m3...off course the one with more creature comforts was going to win that contest...not if it were a fair comparison and money was not object the results would have been different imo. but with that said i'd still take the m3 over a non gt3/tt 997

 

WAS.

It's GONE.

There is no "M" version of the Z4 for the current model year. When they redesigned, they offered the 335i engine as an option, and did away with the M . . . I have no idea whether an M will return or not. I doubt it given they're already offering a pretty sporty engine as an option - I can't see 3 engine variations for a car that likely has pretty small sales volume and isn't a particularly expensive model for that manufacturer.

 

What was the last year of the M coupe?

 

It says, they like high performance sports cars, and BMW doesn't make one.

 

I think he's on vacation...or racing a bunch of 911's to convince himself his M3 is so much better (not knowing that the 911 driver wasn't racing him in the first place, haha). Otherwise... he'd be all over this thread.

 

That's a good thing, they are ugly!

 

This I like. Even when he's not about we get pleasure from his memory!

 

I believe it went away when the current year (I guess it's a 2009) model came out. That's when they changed the Z4 to have the retractable hardtop instead of the soft top, and the 335i engine option.