E92 M3 Convertible...oooh yeah! - Page 3 - Perth-WRX.com

teejay · #21 28-08-2008, 07:22 PM

I was blessed enough to spend some time with a M3 Vert this afternoon, and jesus I cant stop smiling.

I posted up a quick review on another forum, figured some of you might enjoy it....

Wow. Just wow.

I wrote many moons ago about a certain datto 1600 that shook me to the core, made me laugh like a mad man, and changed my out look on cars.

This is the 2008 version.

God was bored one day, but in a good mood, and decided to bless the automotive world with some aural delight (no not oral you dirty bastards)

People have teased and mocked the car for being roofless.... this is the EXACT reason you buy the car. You remove the roof, and you remove the barrier to the sound.. my god the sound. You could spend hours, days, weeks driving this around looking for tunnels, close walls, even a row of parked cars. Why? On the open road with nothing to bounce the sound off, it sounds awesome. Freaking awesome. However, you find one of the above to bounce the sound directly back to you, and the sound suddenly becomes heavenly. Thank the BMW engineers for this - that motor is a ripper. It just keeps revving, and revving, and revving. Delimited I have no doubt it would go close to 10 000rpm. And whats more, it doesnt fall over up top, it just gives you more power in return. Its like a RB20, but with real power returns. Its even designed to only allow you to rev it once its warm, very very smart. The harder you rev it, the more epic the sound. But even at idle, it has a crisp metallic rasp to it that sounds out that this is no 318i convertible poser shitter.

But this does come at a cost. The roof, the mechanism, the chasis bracing all add weight. 300kg in fact to the standard M3. Thats.. well, thats alot. Thats like carrying two of me and some more. So yeah, alot.

But you know what? It doesnt really matter. Because it still hauls ass, it still handles like its on rails, and it still pulls up hard enough to make you feel sick in the stomach. On the topic of brakes, the extra weight may also prove to be an issue. While it pulled up hard and true while being absolutely belted for a short period, by the end of it all they had began to emit that smell that indicates fade is not far off. 300kg would do that to them rather nicely! Getting it out of shape requires serious effort, and you would have to be seriously committed to get it all the way out, because all that extra weight in the rear gives it a wierd twitch that could catch some out. But to get to that level you have to surpass the immense lateral grip of the thing, and that is no easy feat.

Its comfy as to sit in, like most BMW's. With my knee currently as good as a SST tune ie pretty useless it was a good test, and it past with flying colours. Ride quality is great for a performance car that handles so well, the seats are comfy but hugging, and for those who said the box shifting hard could be annoying? Pipe down. It adds to the experience, and if it annoys you, a press of a single button removes the clunk so its a non issue.

You wouldnt buy it to do time attack events, but youd buy it to do business with clients during the day, tunnel hunting at night, and for a cruise down the coast every single summer weekend. Its a different animal to the E46, and a world away from the E36 m3's, but its still worthy of its badge.

Im still grinning like a fool.

Finally.. if the lardarse m3 goes that hard, I cannot wait for a ride in the coupe.. same power, but 300kg less!! Shame about that roof and windows sucking down that noise. Oh the noise.

P.S when your finished, dont think its broken when you cant find Park!!

phizzle · #22 29-08-2008, 07:47 AM

Hahaha approaching 8,000rpm but still not going over 100.

Next photo should have handfulls of opposite lock in them please

teejay · #23 29-08-2008, 08:19 AM

You would be seriously suprised at how hard you would have to push it to get it to the position of requiring handfulls of lock.

It would be beyond the limits of sensible behaviour on the street.

daveygravey · #24 29-08-2008, 02:46 PM

these pics look pretty good, but id say they defo look better hard top....

FFOUR · #25 31-08-2008, 10:30 PM

Spent 3hrs this morning with the new E92 M3 convertible out in the Swan Valley/Mundaring and Kalamunda. Amazing machine, I very much want a German V8 now!

The sound is so addictive, you're forever dropping down gears (7sp dual clutch tranny) to hear it blip and then roar as you accelerate....in the tunnel with the top down is orgasm material! The brakes are great and plenty of grip too, more performance than you'd ever realistically need.

26 high-res pics: http://ozcarsightings.com/BMW%20E92%20M3.php