24 years of BMWs and I call BS. In fact, my 550i was the first BMW I have that actually had comfortable seats that would not fatigue me on my regular 250 mile trips to South Ga. When I made the last trip in the 911, it was even more comfortable - 20-way power seats in the 550i and still somehow the 911 is just right - OK, maybe I'm Goldilocks.

And the stress of dealing with whatever was screwing up the driving feel of the 550i - run-flats, steering assist gadget, or BMW just losing their touch - that drove me nuts for 3 yrs. What a pleasure the 911 is that it goes where I point it without continuously @#$%ing with me.

I enjoyed my M3s and e39 M5, but they always left me stressed out in a long drive - twitching around trying to get comfortable and tweaking the seats every 10 minutes.

Sure the 911 is noisy (as hell) and I know the M3 is more refined in that respect, but if that is the focus now of M cars, I can see why I had to move on from BMW.

The dude completely misses the point. It is a silly comparison anyway - someone in the car business should know better.

 

Ok, it is true that the BMWs are more comfortable on the long run, or drive in this situation There is no comparison there. The cabin of 911 is much smaller, no real back seats, no big trunk...

To be honest when I bought my 997.1 C2S last year for the first couple of days I really was uncomfortable with my standard seats. Even though they are supposed to be the comfy ones, my back hurt for the first 2 days. The car's nose was really bumpy as well, switching form an FR to an RR was a big difference for me. But after a couple of days I got used to the seats and the bumpy front, then I was hooked! This car required me to concentrate on my driving all the time; this was not a car that you would just cruise around town and play with the radio instead of watching the road. The steering was incredibly responsive, it was fast, it was a pure sports car!

While the BMW Ms are designed to be sports car, they provide too much comfort. This comfort takes away the sportiness of the car... The e46 M3 was a great car; it had power, it was light. Resulting in a responsive and a great sports car. The e92 M3 is huge! It is bulky, and heavy... While there is a good space in the back to sit, the car got bigger, longer, and heavier.

So it all comes down to this; if you are driving on a highway for 3 hours then yes, the M is a better choice. There is less sound, less bumpiness, more space and comfort. But if you are driving on a curvy road and you're looking to see if there are any cops because you want to have a little fun, you are a 911 guy!

 

911 997 everytime, never fails to put a wide grin on my face, when im in my 997 i feel special, when i used to be in my m3 i felt like just another face. dont get me wrong the bm is a wonderfull piece of engineering but with the 997 its all about evolution, and everytime its updated it gets better, plus residuals are much better for the 911 in the uk.

 

Here is the link to the whole interview with Dr. Kay Segler, President of (BMW ) M GmbH on Skiddmark. There is also a great video on the same site featuring the new GT3RS on the German Autobahn if you haven't seen it.
http://www.skiddmark.com/?cat=1131

 

I don't know but my 09 C2S PDK seems to me at least quieter than the 06 997.1 it replaced. It is my 4th and by far my favorite!

The ride is better, the exhaust is quieter, the front end no longer bobs, it handles much better etc. Not bad at all on the highway, plus great gas mileage. What else could you want from a pure sports car?

Anyone else agree?

In regard to BMW. I don't care how good anyone thinks they are. After 3 of them I will never buy another! Nothing but constant problems with all of them.

 

That's a pretty dumb statement from the head of M Division...When you're highlighting comfort as the primary advantage in the sports car segment, you know that you're in trouble.
Wait is sec., what does "M" stand for again? Marketing??

 

I have to admit that the 997.2 is not the better car for long highway trips, tire and wind noise noise is tiresome(at least on the Cab) and there are obvious better cars on this regard, but I wouldn´t trade any of them for the trips I´ve made with open top from Madrid to Lisbon (600Km) and many others with open top and great chill out music all the way

I never made a big trip on a M3, but BMW are great cars, and I´m sure enjoyble miles can be made with it too.

 

Actually the M3 no longer should be compared to a 911 as it's completely different. Even down to the engines/platform. If BMW wanted to compare it's M3 to a "Porsche", it should be with the Panamera.

 

I think it all depends on what choices you might have. I love my 911 but I would not want to be traveling across the country in it ( unless I had lots of time and used the back roads). My BMW 535 without sport suspension is great for such trips. It handles great and is quiet and smooth. I think I would take a Camry ( or VW TDI ) as an interstate cruiser and a 911 for spirited drives over a BMW with sport suspension........no compromises!

 

I find 997 seats very comfortable. Only minor effect was caused by myself after I placed sport cats&mufflers on the car - after riding for more than 40 minutes I sort of get a headache from constant engine roar. Ride quality on a highway is perfect. Seats are perfect. Space is also perfect.

 

Actually I agree with BMW somewhat...but for a sports car the 997 is very comfortable especially for a 6'5" guy like me.

 

I guess it depends on your definition of comfort and how you travel. If you want to drive straight through w/o sightseeing as fast as possible and as isolated as possible from the road I'd opt for a big Lexus, MB, BMW. Why bother w/ an M3 let alone a 911? If the journey is as important as the destination the 911 is a good as it gets.

 

I agree 100%. In the summer of 2003 I grabbed one of the last E39s (2003 540i 6-speed that looked like the M5) and it was one of the best cars I've ever owned. There was a simplicity and classic "BMWness" about it that was just perfect. In 2006 I got the new 335i convertible (run-flats, sport suspension) and the ride was so uncomfortable that I traded it after 4000 miles. I gave BMW another chance with the '07 X5 4.8i and have been thrilled with it, in part due to changing out the 20" tires for some NON run-flats. I'm glad that Porsche hasn't gotten on that bandwagon. Those tires are just miserable and really expensive. Any M3 owner would be crazy not to switch them out.

 

Tired and stressed, that's a good one. I use to say to my friends that a Porsche convertible is the cure for hair loss. Not that your hair will grow back, but you just won't care anymore...

I had a nasty job a couple of years back, and driving home with the top down was just a wash on my day. All problems fade away with the wind on my hair (or what's left of it). Maybe they should name a new convertible "Prozac S" or "Cymbalta Plus". I'm just a happy camper driving a Porsche, no stress there, even on heavy traffic.

Now, I drove to Munich on a Calibra turbo, even that Opel would de-stress me at 170 mph, can you imagine a Porsche, no limits in parts of the Autobahn, everyone moves to the right so you can pass, everyone uses turning signal, no trucks, no tail gaiting, no cell phone talkers, no old ladies doing their make up.. All that with the lovely flat six noise and low rev torque. Really stressful...


I think Clarkson summarized nicely: " Buy a BMW and show your lack of imagination"

 

BMW's dealer launch materials for the E9X M3 went to great pains to compare the M3 against the 911 and the materials tried to point out what BMW saw as the M3 advantages and points for dealers to make to their customers. BMW in general (and some BMW owners, which I have also been in recent years with my two E60's) seems to have something of a hard-on for Porsche, and they're trying anything and everything to get their cars to be seen in the same light. For those who get Roundel (the most excellent BMW CCA magazine), it's amazing how often the reader's letters and the editorials make reference to Porsche. Taken in that context, the comments from BMW are really more of the same.