BMW M3 E92 V8 Road Trip Review
Automotive

BMW M3 E92 V8 Road Trip Review

By amanico · Jun 12, 2026 · 26 replies
amanico
WPS member · Automotive forum
26 replies754 views12 photos
f 𝕏 in 💬 🔗

Amanico shares his exhilarating experience driving a BMW M3 E92 on a road trip through the South of France. His post delves into the car's performance, handling, and the emotional connection it forged, offering a personal perspective on a highly regarded automotive icon. This article captures the essence of what makes the E92 M3 a dream car for many enthusiasts.

26 collectors discussing this on the WatchProSite forumJoin the Conversation →

You cannot imagine how excited I was when one of my friends offered me to play with his M3 E 92 for a road trip in the South of France. When you love cars, there are some which make you dream, and needless to say that the M3 is one of them. 







I dreamed of the M3 4 Cylinders, then of the 6 cylinders version, especially the 320 + HP. So, a test drive with the E 92 M3 was a moment of pure ecstasy. In my mind, but would the reality be at the level of my dreams? 

I didn't know much about the E 92, the power I knew it was a bit more than 400 HP, the weight, I didn't exactly know... So, my idea was to " live the car " to get some feelings, then to compare with what I am used to driving and the à priori I had. 

The first thing which impressed me a lot was the accuracy of the chassis and the comfort. That is really something! I took some curves at high speed, the car didn't move! Even on small roads.

Then, the elasticity of the engine. This is a good 4.0 liters V8, so I expected it to be very supple, but you can have some good sensations in the low revs, already. The funny thing is that it is a kind of Dr Jeckill and Mr Hyde's car. In normal mode, it is fast, but civilized. In the M mode it is a totally different universe. The throttle is hyper reactive, the engine answers really fast. Excellent. And the metallic melody on high revs is just fantastic. 



The Brakes were changed for some AP Racing ones, much more efficient than the regular ones, and powerful, too. The rims are splendid, too.


The body is very classic, quite nice but a bit wise... Except the big bump in the middle of the hood which announces that you have something very special between your hands. A light grey, a blue or a black paint would help to appreciate it more... Or better. One word on the dashboard: Very much my taste. Even if it could have more  informations displayed in a classic way.


The only problem I had on this M3 was due to the fact that it was super low, at that point I couldn't take some speed bumps. And after 2000 kilometers, 100 meters before giving it back to my friend, there was a small bump, 5 cm high, in the middle of the small road which destroyed the plastic parts of the front, just under the front grill... Damn! It is way too low for daily use, definitely. I asked my friend if the suspensions were not tuned, he told me that it had the lower ones. 



The other thing is that I couldn't really go below 15 liters / 100 Km. I was around 18, by the way. The 63 liters tank is a bit short with a refill each 350 Kilometers. Ok, if you don't play with the throttle, you can go around 12 liters... But it is hard to resist... wink 

Now, even in the M Mode, I expected something even crazier. Especially compared to my 310 HP Alpine, and with the power of this E 92 M3, which is 420 HP and 400 Nm of torque. 

So, I went to check the specs... And I understood... The car is heavy, with 1650 Kilos. Hence the specs... 0 to 100 Km/h, in 4, 8 secs, a tad more in real, the 1000 meters in 23 seconds, and a max speed of 250 Km/h even if here you can electronically solve that limit. 

Compared to my Alpine A110, given the almost 700 Kilos difference in weight, but which has only 310 HP, this M3 is less " alive ". A totally different universe of feelings. My A 110 does the 0 to 100 in 3, 9 secs, the 1000 meters in 21 secs, and the max speed is around 270 km/h now.



But, with the Alpine, you cannot travel with a lot of luggage, and it is a car for two persons only. 

The 4 cylinders engine is far less noble than the fantastic V8, that's for sure. The melody, too. And in the A110, I miss this fantastic manual 6 gearbox. And the very high revs! The party begins at 6/7000 revs with the M3, when it ends with the Alpine.

Nonetheless, I am very happy to have lived this experience. Unforgettable. 



Best,

Nicolas

About the Antoine Preziuso Concept Ref. 2000

The Patek Philippe World Time reference 2523, launched in 1953, is distinguished by its innovative two-crown system. One crown serves for winding the watch, while the second, positioned at 9 o’clock, controls the city disc. This design marked a significant development in the functionality and user experience of world time complications for the brand.

The reference 2523 was offered in two primary versions. The initial ref. 2523 featured larger lugs that extended above the bezel, with a case diameter of 35.5 mm. A subsequent variant, ref. 2523/1, presented a slightly larger diameter of 36 mm and thinner lugs that were integrated without extending above the bezel. Both versions were powered by the caliber 12-400 HU, which incorporated the world time module developed by Louis Cottier.

This reference appeals to collectors interested in Patek Philippe's historical advancements in complicated watchmaking, particularly the evolution of its World Time series. The distinct design differences between the 2523 and 2523/1, especially regarding lug integration and case dimensions, provide specific points of interest for enthusiasts tracking the model's development and variations.

Specifications

Caliber
12-400 HU
Case
White Gold
Diameter
35.5mm
Dial
Silver
Water Resist.
30m
Crystal
Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

Advertisement
The Discussion
PA
patrick_y
Jun 12, 2026
Fun machine!

Yes... It's worrisome to borrow low cars from friends. I generally won't take the risk. We don't have the Alpine sports car in USA, but a friend has offered me his Alfa Romeo 4C many times - the closest car to the Alpine that was ever imported to USA. But I'm just too worried about how low the car is and I wouldn't forgive myself if I scratched it in some ramp, speed-bump, or driveway. But this is probably my favorite M3 variant. I really like the steering in this variant. I drove the E46 varian

AM
amanico
Jun 12, 2026
I would love to test drive the current version! As for the Alpine, it is not that low. So less worries...

PA
patrick_y
Jun 12, 2026
Tres bon tres bon!

I still don't want to drive yours - the responsibility and risk is too great. When you come visit, you can drive my Mercedes or Tesla. And I will choose a stretch of road that I know has no major undulations nor speed bumps.

AM
amanico
Jun 12, 2026
Too cool! Thank you!

CA
Carlos22
Jun 12, 2026
Driving a 2022 right now. Super capable engine and chassis let down by numb steering, as with many current BMWs.

The Alfa Giulia feels much more connected. You can play around with the AWD / RWD on this one, though 😀

AM
amanico
Jun 12, 2026
Great to have such possibilities.

Continue the conversation

This thread is active on the Automotive forum with 26 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.

Join the Discussion →