Automotive

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...  

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