OH SNAP! C&D Picks M3 over GTR in comparison test

Dhalsim

Dhalsim

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Just got my July copy of Car & Driver and they have a 3 way comparison article of the 911 Turbo - GTR - M3 and they picked the M3 over the GTR.

A very brief summary of the Highs - Lows - and Verdict

911 Turbo
Highs = Sucker pucnhing turbos, sterring perfection, sports-car feel and manners, craftsmanship pervades every corner

Lows = Sticker shock, not as trackworthy as the GTR, tiny trunk, clunky shifter and clutch feel, floor mats cost extra

Verdict - Costs nearly as much as an M3 and a GTR, you could almost buy 2 standard 911s instead

GT-R
Highs = Heroic launch control, nearly lag-free turbo motor, balanced chassis, quick-witted all wheel drive, hides its 3900 pounds (well most of the time)

Lows = Excessive road noise, strange transmission clunks, rough one-to-two shift, can feel too wide, heavy and big

Verdict = Nissan aims for Ferrari and hits somewhere between an M3 and 911

M3
Highs = The direct connection between man and machine, vice-free handling, feathery feel, grammy-worthy engine, day-to-day likability

Lows = Not as quick ast the two other cars, somewhat light and numb steering, that stinking iDrive

Verdict = Every other manufacturer should give up on building their own cars and just make M3s instead

And a few stats:

0 - 60
911 = 3.5
GT-R = 3.6
M3 = 4.4

1/4 Mile
911 = 11.8 @ 120
GT-R = 12.1 @ 115
M3 = 12.9 @ 111
 
I'm not sure what kind of comparison this was but if it's a performance contest, I disagree with their decision. However, I did pick my M3 over the other two cars for some of these reasons and a number of others. :) It's not the absolute fastest car on the road but it's good enough and just does a lot of things so well...
 
C&D likes their BMW's, it's hard to take them seriously sometimes. I'd take a 90k GTR over a 70k M3 every day of the week, which is probably the more realistic scenario. Nothing against the M3, it's a great car.
 
Malibu Rapper said:
I'm not sure what kind of comparison this was but if it's a performance contest, I disagree with their decision. However, I did pick my M3 over the other two cars for some of these reasons and a number of others. :) It's not the absolute fastest car on the road but it's good enough and just does a lot of things so well...
Click to expand...

You pick the B M W over the GTR because it's a chick magnet isn't it? :biggrin:
 
AndyH said:
You pick the B M W over the GTR because it's a chick magnet isn't it? :biggrin:
Click to expand...

Chicks don't dig Nissans. :) The price difference was negligible for me. The GTR is cheaper than the M3 most countries, too. But dammit, performance aside I can't get over the looks of the GTR. How can you design a brand new car and make it that ugly?
 
You have to take all magazine tests with a grain of salt and read between the lines. The magazines need to cater to their advertising base and other things which aren't related to the cars themselves. That's how they get paid, and keep the magazine alive. That said, C&D has traditionally always favored BMWs over other makes, no matter it be Audi, Lexus, M-B, etc. It's rare that you'll find a BMW not in first place on a comparison test. I think that alone shows some bias on C&D's part.
 
They're the same people who rated the 96 M3 over the NSX.

They did agreed 100% that the GTR is a performer, but they hit the nail in the right spot, M3 is over all a more complete package as a car.
 
I have always loved the M3, but feel they got a little too 'soft' after the E36 was finished. The E30 and E36 M3 were the best drivers cars in that series to me.
 
Meeyatch1 said:
I have always loved the M3, but feel they got a little too 'soft' after the E36 was finished. The E30 and E36 M3 were the best drivers cars in that series to me.
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Agree on the gradual softening of the line...

IMO the E30 was the only "hard core" one - the rest are grocery-getter with suspension tuning and some juice, with the 95 E36LTW being a possible exception.

Real juice started with the E46 (Euro folks had some juice in the E36), and continues with the hp wars with the E92.

BMW needs the little blue pill :)
 
All three are nice cars, but I think the 911 would be my choice.
The I feel to young for an M3. Maybe in 10 years.
The GTR is too big and ugly IMO.
 
Heroic launch control
supernatural balance
nearly lag-free turbo motor
rough one-to-two shift

If I'm driving a slushy, the harder that bitch hits in the back of the chair, the more fun it is.

Rough grinding 1-2 shift would be a low, but I feel like I should be smoking a Capri and sipping a latte to belong in C&D's targeted audience.

I dunno about you, but lapping faster than the 911 Turbo while being able to smack a hundred on the dash and dump the clutch daring your passenger to grab it is the car I'd like to own...

What BMW drivers will never understand is the higher you climb on the torque ladder, the hopelessness involved with trying to climb back down.

In these days of gas prices and safety laws, the more thrills you get under the speed limit is the vehicle that will turn you on whenever you turn it on.

Right?
 
They should have included a GT3 in the test, that would have been the ultimate choice.
 
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