Thought I would post my friends excellent first hand test review of the 997S, Aston Martin Vantage, and M3 CS. I think you wil thouroughly enjoy the read, even if you don't agree with his final rankings. It's always great to see someone with a genuine passion for great automobiles....I think he should be writing for Motor Trend or C&D! Thanks - Brad

THE FAVORITES

Recently, I took a drive in each my three very most favorite automobiles. These are motor cars that really deliver the stuff that I love, all the time. Cars that are great to walk up to, sit in, spark up the engine, accelerate, turn, stop, and go – whether that’s going to work, or going out to jam through your favorite set of twisties – day-to-day usable performance cars that can be thoroughly appreciated every time you drive, without looking like too much of a jackhole. If you need more specific criteria: rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission are no-brainers; sub-3,500 lbs. and sub-11 lbs. per horsepower do the trick; a reasonable level of refinement and some semblance of heritage contribute to the good stuff; and the coupe/GT body style works best for these full-time pleasure contraptions.

The Porsche 911 forges on as perhaps the most iconic sports car of all time. The 997 platform car that came to us for 2005 returns to some classic 911 elements such as the headlight shape and the direct feel of the steering, creating an extremely good-looking package while staying true to the rear-engined phenomenon. In Carrera S guise, this car is also seriously quick and provides the fantastic driver entertainment that made the 911 famous in the first place.

The BMW M3 became a legend during its first two iterations; though the third version that went on sale here in 2001 (E46 platform) has been a mild disappointment, particularly to steering/handling fetishists like me, due to its detached steering feel. The CS variant (available for 2005 and 2006 M3 coupes) has more than alleviated that criticism, giving the M3 a quicker, more feelsome steering rack in combination with a fat Alcantara steering wheel. The CS also gets some serious-looking forged 19” wheels, a re-tuned suspension and stability program, larger cross-drilled floating compound brakes, and some special aluminum trim inside. The result is simply the best M3 ever.

It’s been a long while since an Aston Martin has been near the top of any true driving enthusiast’s wish list. Providing wealthy James Bond wanna-bes with gentlemanly-though-sometimes-gawky muscle cars has been Aston’s tiny niche of late. The new-for-2006 V8 Vantage has changed all that. This is a tight, compact Aston Martin (3 inches shorter and 2 inches lower than the 911) that harkens back to Aston’s legendary models of the 1960s and ‘70s, achieving a balanced and agile handling feel that few cars today can match. Combine this newfound dynamic excellence with rarity (1,000 per year for the U.S.) and an achingly gorgeous body and swank interior, and you’ve got one of the most desirable cars on the planet.

So the stage is set. You might think these cars are a bit mismatched given that prices run from just over $60,000 to nearly $120,000, but these are three of the best coupe/GTs on the market, and they’re simply my three favorite cars. Choosing a winner amongst these three superb cars is a very challenging assignment, but one that I tackle with massive enthusiasm.


3rd place
Porsche 911 Carrera S
I love this car. The wailing 3.8 liter flat-6 delivers the biggest kick of the trio, always feeling and sounding awesome. Squeezing on the throttle brings on that spectacular Porsche burble and throaty roar that every car guy knows and loves. Midrange punch is intoxicating, and the noise-level-to-forward-thrust ratio is perfect. The 6-speed transmission is also danged near perfect, with ultra-slick precise shift action and short throws. The steering is very quick, tight and direct – a big contributor to the twisties-jamming joy that this car can provide. Pushing the car hard and becoming friends with the uniquely tail-heavy balance is just plain grand fun. Likewise, the brakes take off speed with the same aplomb with which the engine piles it on. This combination of virtues makes for a massively entertaining drive.

Yet at times the ride was choppy. Mid-corner corrections were necessitated by small pavement irregularities that the other two cars could just hammer right through un-phased. At one point during some late braking followed by hard cornering, the tires and ABS were gawking and the whole car just felt upset – the 911 stayed very close to the intended line, just not very happily. I suspect these criticisms stem from the car’s original design flaws - nothing can completely overcome the inherent weaknesses of a short wheelbase and tail-heavy balance in this rear-engined sports car.

The new exterior styling, however, is spot-on. The beetle-back shape has never looked better to my eyes. The headlamps have returned to a more classic round-oval shape, and the Coke bottle shape of the body is very alluring with just the right amount of rear fender flare. Inside, the unique curve of the dashboard harkens back to early 911s, but looks thoroughly current. The trick Tire Pressure Monitoring System allows you to see, in an electronic diagram on the dash, pressure changes that might impact the handling potential – very cool. Yet the two tones of metal-colored plastic used throughout the interior are not at all to my liking. Nor is the vast number of tiny little plastic buttons all over the center console and front part of the roof liner. I also found the steering wheel rim to be ridiculously skinny, the seats to be slightly under-bolstered, the wheels to be somewhat boring-looking, and the tailpipes to be slightly cheap-looking. These last four items can be upgraded via extra-cost optional equipment, but none were included on this $85,310 test car. Sheesh.

But these criticisms don’t really amount to a hill of beans because the 911 Carrera S can pull it off – it is such a special and fantastically charismatic car. There is nothing else like it. And if objective performance is what you’re after – it wins. It out-accelerates the other two cars here and can beat them around road courses such as the Nurburgring Nordschleife and Bedford Autodrome West Circuit. Adapting to and mastering this wonderfully unique and supremely capable sports car could provide decades of gigantic satisfaction.


2nd place
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage seduces the eye from every angle. Wow, is it ever good lookin’. Other recent Aston Martins have been problematic. The Vanquish looks overwrought with its silly, giant creased fender flares; and the DB9 looks somewhat flaccid, like the massaged Jaguar that it is. And they’re both a bit heavy and a bit underperforming; and when enthusiasts scrutinize their dynamics, the criticisms flow freely. But this V8 Vantage hits the bulls-eye - a notch less flashy and ostentatious, yet even more magnetic for the eye of the car-loving guy (or girl). It looks tight, right, and purposeful while at the same time looking elegant, decadent, and sexy. How did they pull this off? Classic sports car proportions, for starters: long, sloping hood and two-placer cabin tapering back to a short hatch. Add perfect sized/shaped rear fender flares and exquisite Aston detailing like the classic grill, the sleek headlamps and tail lights, and the simplistically elegant 7-spoke 19” wheels – all in a smaller, more driver-focused-looking package. Anyhow, it just looks wicked good. Or perhaps you disagree? No, that could not possibly be.

Open the door via the slick push-in/pull-out tongue-depressor style handles, and you notice that the door angles up as it opens (reportedly so as not to hit curbs) and that it has no stop détentes. Instead, the high-grade hydraulics allow it to stop and stay anywhere along its travel. A beautifully thick aluminum door sill welcomes you to the decadence inside. Smooth leather and prominent stitching all over the place, instrumentation with dials that appear to be made of real metal, three simple machined alloy ***** for the HVAC controls, an elegantly uncluttered center stack, and tubular brushed aluminum braces behind the seats (that match three more braces under the hood) let you know that you’ve arrived. Strangely though, the background material for the center stack looks a little bit cheap, appearing to be metal-colored plastic; and the cross beams on the inside of the doors appear to have some sort of paint or coating on them that already had two chips out of it on the driver’s side of the test car. It appears to me that Aston cut some small corners, when just a few more bucks could have made it perfect. Disappointing.

But spark the ignition and you may forget all about any quibbles you might have. The engine ignites with sweet sounds and a little shudder that runs through the entire vehicle - lovely. The sonics are top-tier as you accelerate - the growling German-made V8 sounding oh-so-eager. The sound level in the cockpit grows with revs, and by 4,500 rpm, the thing is screaming at you. This gem is seriously loud. The accompanying thrust is very good, but not quite awesome enough to warrant the big noises. At this price I’d prefer a scoonch more oomph and a tiny bit less racket. Given how loud it is, I’d expect the Vantage to be rocketing forward with 911 Turbo-like ferocity; but it’s more like a Carrera, and not the S. And for a V8 the low-end does not quite have the grunt I would expect, the flat-6-powered Carrera S actually bettering the Vantage in this arena. Likewise, the Italian-made gearbox has short throws and easy-to-find gears, albeit with a slightly rubbery feel.

Nevertheless, mid-to-high rpm throttle response is extremely good, and steer the car into some bends and you’ll find a remarkably gifted chassis. Small throttle or steering inputs give glorious results, slightly rebalancing the car as you execute a delightful pivot-and-rail-style dance. The ever-so-slightly tail-heavy Vantage provides smile-inducing hints of oversteer upon accelerating out of corners – a trait that I find nearly as seductive as the styling. But the car can easily be kept clean and tidy, and makes short work of turns of all radii. I love this car. The brakes feel strong and bring the speeds quickly back to reasonable levels should you get over-zealous on public roads, as you certainly oftentimes would.

So the V8 Vantage is very close to being every bit as gorgeous and capable as I hoped it would be. The gigantic charms and allure of this superb motor car make up for any minor criticisms. The overall wonderment of looking-at and driving the V8 Vantage is a rare and ultra-special treat. For me it’s a very different and ever-so-slightly more amazing experience than that of the 911 Carrera S. But for me, another company has pulled-off an even more mind-boggling trick with its automotive engineering magic.


1st place
BMW M3 CS
To guide the BMW M3 CS through fast corners is to achieve Nirvana. Steering feel and chassis dynamics sent straight from Heaven – that is what I have found here. Given my disappointment with the regular E46 platform M3, I find the CS upgrade to be an absolute revelation and a complete steal. The fat Alcantara steering wheel feels like it was made for my hands and delivers information to my finger tips that even the lovely V8 Vantage can’t match. The slightly retuned suspension provides the smoothest ride of this bunch and soaks-up mid-corner pavement irregularities, allowing the driver to enjoy every corner – not what I expected from a more track-day-focused M3. The thing calmly and precisely devours turns at 8/10ths – the composure is miraculous. Push harder to find superb balance, with small throttle or steering inputs rewarding the driver with newfound alacrity and fascinating stories about the extreme talents of this chassis. The perfect 50/50 weight distribution certainly contributes to this greatness. Clean-and-tidy, hints of tail-sliding, or lurid oversteer can all be executed with equal exuberance. The big new fancy brakes feel fantastic and authoritatively keep the party in check. The CS magically paints a picture in my mind of what the four wheels are doing. It’s an other-worldly experience. I love this car.

The engine too, sounds superb and responds magnificently. From spark-up, you can hear the seriousness in the metallic rumble coming from under the hood. At lower engine speeds, the thing sounds great, but somewhat hushed in the vault-like cabin, allowing me to enjoy the decent-sounding Harmon-Kardon stereo. The whirring metallic sounds of the engine’s racing heritage become more prominent as revs rise, and above 4,500 rpm the car urgently scoots forward accompanied by a sweet song of exhaust roar and a high tech fizz from the engine bay that never quite gets overwhelming like in the Aston – yum-o. High-rev shifts from first to second oftentimes produce a hint of unintentional rear-wheel spin, just to let you know that this beast means business. Torque delivery is the typically creamy-smooth BMW I-6 affair – bringing it on like a quick-but-smooth flowing river – perfect for using the right foot to dial-up just the right amount of oomph to the rear wheels to achieve just the right cornering attitude.

The M3 CS also provides an extremely nice place in which to partake of your passion for driving. Unlike the other two more expensive vehicles, I have no complaints about the interior design or materials. I still love the old tilted-toward-the-driver BMW cockpit design; and in this M3 CS it is executed flawlessly with simple control layouts, soft Nappa leather, real aluminum trim, high quality plastics and buttons, and a little Alcantara – a swell place for all occupants to hang out. This wicked little coupe even has a usable rear seat that folds down and a decent trunk with a ski/snowboard pass-through bag. The power width-adjustable side bolsters are especially to my liking, allowing me to squeeze my torso in for aggressive stints or give my rib cage some breathing room for cruising. The exterior too provides that square-jawed classic BMW industrial design, sweetly pumped-up by the Motorsports Division. In the CS, the upgrade to beautifully serious-looking forged 19” wheels makes it even hotter. Some may feel that this design is looking dated; but if you like it (I love it), the M3 will be the last Bimmer to get restyled in the new “flame-surfacing” motif (I hate it), aka “Bangled”, after design chief Chris Bangle who I feel is destroying the brand’s styling identity and differentiation.

So it’s perfect then? Well, not for everyone. This car will nearly disappear in many environments because to many people’s eyes it’s just another 3-series. I love that, perhaps you hate it. The V8 Vantage is certainly the much better choice if getting noticed is your #1 criteria. And if you’ve just climbed out of the Carrera S, you may find yourself longing for a little more low-to-mid rpm poke from the gas pedal - the CS slightly betters the Aston on this front (and the more like-priced Porsche Boxster S and Cayman S) and allows confident drivers a grand potential for controlled oversteer, but some drivers may want a bit more grunt. Also the gearshift, though possessing a nice, slick, mechanical feel, has slightly longer throws than the other two cars; which doesn’t bother me much at all, but may bother you more.

That’s it. The M3 CS receives the least amount of specific criticism of this trio; and it provides so much to savor, at every speed. BMW’s searing baby is just cataclysmically good. It’s even somewhat rare, as less than 2,000 total samples of the CS coupe are expected to make it to the U.S. across the 2005 and 2006 model years, then it’s all over. You could wait for the V8-powered, Bangle-styled, E90-platform M3 due within a couple of years, but there’s no guarantee that it will possess this car’s exquisitely zingy deftness. As a thing, the CS appears to be superbly solid and fantastically well-built as evidenced by its composure and ability to cruise with relative serenity. As a performance car, it provides truly phenomenal steering feel and responds enthusiastically to your every input, allowing you to enjoy every moment of every drive. For me, that’s what it’s all about. I love this car. Hugely.


The Verdict 2006 2006 2006



Price as tested
curb weight, lbs.
Weight dist., front/rear%
max horsepower
0-60 mph, sec, best

Engine
transmission
Brakes
handling
steering feel
steering wheel
Ride
driver comfort
driver's seat
ergonomics
features and amenities
fit and finish
exterior styling
Interior styling
Value
fun to drive

OVERALL RATING*






*The overall rating is not a total. Rather, it is an independent

judgment (on a 1-to-100 scale) that includes other factors -

even personal preferences - not easily categorized.

perfectly compared!!! :P
As for me, both 997S and the M3 are dream cars. The V8 is growing on me though, i cannot see a reason why i would not drive that in comparison to my other 2 dream cars.

decent review, although going through some of his rankings i see areas where there are ties and should be a definitive winner. like brakes, we all know porsches brakes are better than the m3s and vantages, and also, the 911 should have gotten more than a 7 for interior styling as most would agree its the best of the three which would then put it in first place. there are also other things i would change in there too, but i didnt write the review.

+1 to PorscheC4

I think the review was fairly good .. As the others have said, I would ditch the ratings/ranking system. A one point difference between each car doesn't give much credibility.

Quote:
Yet at times the ride was choppy. Mid-corner corrections were necessitated by small pavement irregularities that the other two cars could just hammer right through un-phased. At one point during some late braking followed by hard cornering, the tires and ABS were gawking and the whole car just felt upset – the 911 stayed very close to the intended line, just not very happily. I suspect these criticisms stem from the car’s original design flaws - nothing can completely overcome the inherent weaknesses of a short wheelbase and tail-heavy balance in this rear-engined sports car.

I agree with this comment completely -- especially the point about cornering over small pavement irregularities -- except that I don't regard the weight balance as a design flaw or a weakness. It is merely a compromise that Porsche has made along the way to engineering a car that is faster off the line, quicker in turns, stops shorter and is overall more fun to drive. Having the added weight of the four-wheel-drive transaxle up front does help somewhat on the C4S, though.

A very thorough and well-written review. That having been said, the reviewer's choice to prefer a different set of compromises like the ones in the design of the M3 is simply that: a matter of preference. After I test-drove both the Aston Martin and the Porsche, there was no doubt that the 911 was for me.

Test drove the AMV8 5 times and although I enjoyed the car, I went with the Porsche. If the AMV8 was a convertible, I might be driving one instead. I used to have a previous generation M3 (2003)with SMG II. Dollar for dollar it's hard to find a better car.

thats true. the 911 is more of a drivers car than the vantage. it seems to soft to me. the e46 m3 dollar for dollar is hard to beat, but i think dollar for dollar, the cayman s is the better choice over an m3 any day.

Brian here - writer of said story. responses:

Scoring: I loved all three cars so much! For me, one point is all the separates them. Really.

Brakes: I should have called the category "brakING" as I know Porsche brake hardware is fabulous and the rear-engine helps too. I just had that one bad experience with the shuddering, squeling tires, and gawking ABS in the 997S, so I knocked a point off.

Interior styling: in my humble onpinion the 997 takes last due to 3 things: the gray-metallic plastic center stack, the silver paint trim stripes, and the 120 (I kid) chicklet buttons with touching edges - full-leather is a very nice option, but does not address any of my 3 dislikes. I prefer the obviously real aluminum trim strip and soft-touch black plastic of the M3 CS.

M3 CS vs. Cayman S: I thought for sure I'd buy a Cayman S - all-new 295hp mid-engined Porsche coupe!!! - woo hoo! - no brainer. but for me the test drive left me a little bit flat - super capable, but just did not move me enough for some reason - ? M3 CS steering feel and exploitable chassis dynamics are way preferable for me; hence I ended up testing the Carrera S and putting that into this comparo (and not including the Cayman S, as in my book it would be a distant 4th). side note: My fave British enthusiasts at evo magazine concurred at eCoty 2005 placing the M3 CS 3.1 points ahead of the Cayman S (on their 100 point scale).

Thanks for reading and commenting! -Brian F.

I think the 0 to 60 times are way off. Having owned one 4.5, 0 to 60 for the M3 is a big stretch, as well as 3.9 for a 997s. My e55 will walk away especially off the line from a 997s. The e55 is rated in the mid to low 4's.

M3 is one hell of a car, but for the true sports car motorist the 997S is a no brainer in comparison.. All 3 obviously have their ups and downs, all depends on the persons needs and want!

Until you throw backseats and a real trunk in the mix..then Cayman doesn't even come close...

honestly, thats all people ever say about the m3. 'oh its got a back seat and more practical than a porsche'. i dont even let people sit in the back of my m3! so other than being more practical and having more space, unless you need that, the cayman s should be your choice as its def more fun stock for stock than an m3 and handles much better. i have even seen a couple people with minor mods like headers, exhaust, and intake running mid 12.7@112.5 mph. now thats a nice gain for a car that traps 107 stock. would prob even pull on my full NA m3. so if you dont need a backseat, the cayman s does the job better than an m3.

I've owned both a modified M3 and 997S (see sig). While I liked the M3 for what it was, there's simply no comparison to the 997S. The 997S is superior in every way possible except for daily driver duties. I couldn't imagine "scoring" it above the 997S in any sort of comparison. To me, a 997S is worth every penny over the price of an M3.

Lee Rutter ran a 12.3@112mph with his 02 M3 with a AFE intake, eurobahn software, 4.10 gears and no back seats along with some slicks. Completely stock exhaust. I know another M3 that has run 12.80's @110mph with nothing more than 3.91 gears and midpipe along with some software and drag radials. Straightline speed is very comparative...for people who have kids having a back seat is a big thing along with a stroller. Not to mention the price difference between the 2 cars.

I loved my 04 E46 M3, my car was as yours with full exhaust, 4.10 gears and such and I ran neck and neck with a 997S, not to mention the Merc SLK55 that I smoked which he swore ran 12.70's at the track.

The Cayman's pricing doesn't make sense to me...by the time you get the goodies you are in base 997 territory, not to mention the real competitor to the Cayman S for the BMW is not the M3 but the MCoupe.

Dave