Cars We Drive!

[impolyt_one]

which car is more satisfying, HRoi? your P-car or the M3? I was thinking you had an E46, but as a 997GT3 + E9X M3, that seems like a tossup - which would choose if you could only have one and live with it for a few years, but strictly for driving (no real utilitarian functions needed)?

 

[HRoi]



which car is more satisfying, HRoi? your P-car or the M3? I was thinking you had an E46, but as a 997GT3 + E9X M3, that seems like a tossup - which would choose if you could only have one and live with it for a few years, but strictly for driving (no real utilitarian functions needed)?

as a pure driver's car, the GT3 without a second's hesitation. the M3 is a great car, and its driving dynamics are very, very hard to beat. but drive it back to back with a GT3 and it feels floaty, disconnected, much less visceral. the GT3 has better handling, better steering feel, a better feeling of being connected to the road, and the sound it makes is just astounding, especially after i put an aftermarket exhaust on it that deleted the (third) center muffler.

all this is no surprise, since the M3 is a compromise between luxury, utility and performance, whereas the GT3 is purely focused on the latter. the GT3 is the best drivers car IMO that Porsche makes, and passed on a Turbo to buy it.

i do love my M3, and if i only could have one of them i would probably own the M because of its practicality. but based on your criteria, it's the GT3 for me, no brainer. if you were to pick up a Carrera or Carrera S/GTS, you will give up some of those driving dynamics for more comfort, but the base 911 is probably still a better driver's car than the M3.

of course, all bets are off with the 991. i have heard that even though it is a better performer than the 997, the driving experience is not as good. i have no personal experience, though.

 

[jenlain]



Sick man, i want to see some pics of this when it comes!

will do. in the meantime, this pic is virtually identical to what I ordered:

 

[A Y]

The E9x M3 is a great GT car, but it feels like driving in a video game. It gives you the right signals and responds appropriately, but it all feels synthetic.

 

[impolyt_one]



as a pure driver's car, the GT3 without a second's hesitation. the M3 is a great car, and its driving dynamics are very, very hard to beat. but drive it back to back with a GT3 and it feels floaty, disconnected, much less visceral. the GT3 has better handling, better steering feel, a better feeling of being connected to the road, and the sound it makes is just astounding, especially after i put an aftermarket exhaust on it that deleted the (third) center muffler.
all this is no surprise, since the M3 is a compromise between luxury, utility and performance, whereas the GT3 is purely focused on the latter. the GT3 is the best drivers car IMO that Porsche makes, and passed on a Turbo to buy it.
i do love my M3, and if i only could have one of them i would probably own the M because of its practicality. but based on your criteria, it's the GT3 for me, no brainer. if you were to pick up a Carrera or Carrera S/GTS, you will give up some of those driving dynamics for more comfort, but the base 911 is probably still a better driver's car than the M3.
of course, all bets are off with the 991. i have heard that even though it is a better performer than the 997, the driving experience is not as good. i have no personal experience, though.

I appreciate that, thanks. I was actually hoping that you'd come out of nowhere and surprise me and say the M3 is the better car for some unforeseen reason, but reason is reason. I still haven't gotten my license transferred yet, I've been busy and the car isn't so important, but I had a stint for the past couple weeks where I thought the M3 would be good for me based on the purchase terms, but the Porsches come back stronger than ever with their residuals over here, just really hard to ignore. Considering how much sluggish city driving this car is destined for, and the very few trips out of the city and rare Suzuka $20 laps it might get, I am almost tempted to get some sort of 200hp rice burner that I can really wail on....

 

[Hedges]



thanks for the info. i might need to get one a dem vorsteiner lips. it makes the front end look so much better. i have a space gray 2011 btw.

That is sick! post up some pics man! I love the colour of Space grey personally it's not as dark as Sparkling graphite and i would have opted for that if it was available back than.

 

[RFX45]

Speaking of BMW & Porsche, I want a 2 seater and contemplating between the Z4 or the Cayman. I would love to have a roadster living in Cali and all but the Boxster isn't an option since I don't like soft top convertibles and the new Z4 with the hardtop convertible seems like a perfect fit. However, Porsche is a Porsche is a Porsche and I really haven't driven anything like the Cayman, at the price range, very few can compete with that mid-engine placement. Although the Cayman does drive great, it does feel very safe. It just induces confidence like you'll never have fear and makes me want to push it further and further. While the Z4 does have more fear in it, not like driving a 911 but it does keep you more aware because it's fun but you can't have too much of it or else.

I really hate it when reason comes to play but the Z4 because is cheaper and has more option while the Cayman could come bone stock and still cost more. Not to mention BMWs 4yr free maintenance cost (oil change, tires, wipers, etc...), it'll be nice to not have to worry about that ****. Downside on the Z4, the Sdrive28i I am considering is a 4cylinder turbo, about the same power as the boxer 6 the Cayman has.

I'd love to hear opinions on both cars?

 

[A Y]

Which Z4? Coming from an E46 328Ci, I looked at the E85 MZ4 Coupe and the 987 Cayman, and picked the Cayman. Both are fine cars that are very fast, with the BMW offering more value on paper. The BMW maintenance is really not a big deal since the service intervals are stretched out so far. If you are serious about the car, you'll be doing maintenance halfway through the service intervals anyway. As for parts prices, everything on the Porsche is more expensive than the BMW.

The E85 ergonomics are worse with bad sightlines and pretty much unusable storage space, whereas the Cayman is surprisingly practical (to a point).

Dynamically, I haven't really driven a Z4 at the limit, but the Cayman is amazingly comfortable and predictable at the limits. With PSM (traction control AKA Please Save Me) on, the Cayman is still much looser than any BMW I've driven, allowing significant yaw. It also gives you far more feedback than any BMW I've driven, and will let you know every time you're screwing up.

Both cars offered unique capabilities (the Z4 had the amazing S54), but ultimately I wanted a mid-engined sports car that I could drive to and from a racetrack a few hundred miles away in comfort, perform well on the track, and the Cayman was really the only car that ticked all the boxes.

The current generation 987.2 Cayman uses direct injection with the bigger engine, and there have been reported issues with carbon buildup on the valves (just like the earlier VW DI engines), and the factory LSD looks really cheap. If you fit them, be sure to get the carbon fiber sport bucket seats from the factory as they are immensely expensive as aftermarket parts, and usually available only in black.

 

[RFX45]

I'm looking at the E89, the newest Z4 Sdrive28i with their new 4cylinder turboed engine that will be their standard from now on if I understand correctly. It should be on the next 328i & 528i.

I believe the carbon buildup seem to only occur when the car is tracked at least that's what read. I probably wouldn't track these cars anyways, at least not while it is still under warranty since I am planning to buy new.

 

[WBuffettJr]

I'm lucky enough to live about 5 streets down from an Aston Martin dealership. Every single evening I jog past some of the most mouthwatering beauty in the world. Its tough not to plan a break in....

I'm lucky enough to live about 5 streets down from the large city park and hike and bike trail and outdoor yoga area. Every single evening I jog past some of the most mouthwatering beauty in the world. Its tough not to plan a break in....

 

[Dizzle77]

My baby!

Normally I'm not keen on modded cars, but I like the look of yours. Those CSL alloys?

Oh and great choice of colour too - I drive a 2006 E90 330 MSport........

 

[A Y]



I'm looking at the E89, the newest Z4 Sdrive28i with their new 4cylinder turboed engine that will be their standard from now on if I understand correctly. It should be on the next 328i & 528i.
I believe the carbon buildup seem to only occur when the car is tracked at least that's what read. I probably wouldn't track these cars anyways, at least not while it is still under warranty since I am planning to buy new.

The carbon buildup doesn't depend on track use. Why no track while under warranty?

The E89 Z4 is quite a different animal than the previous one. I don't think it is comparable to the Cayman as it is more of a GT than a sports car.

 

[RFX45]

From what I understand, bringing the car to the track pretty much voids the warranty. It'll only be a problem if something breaks down but these delaerships always check the car for over revs these days and what it has been through. If anything happens, I really rather not take a risk.

Plus the insurance doesn't cover running on tracks either. I use my friends E36 a couple of months ago and pretty much scared the **** out of this guy driving a Gallardo. I think he was taking it slow but I was trying to keep up with him and trying to pass him so after the second lap, dude just exited because he knows if he gets hit, it'll be all out of his pocket to fix it. So to me, I rather not risk that on a new car. Plus my friends selling his current E36 for a '97 E36 M3 so that'll be a lot more fun to trash around the track.

I think I am starting to lean more towards the Z4 because it is a roadster and pretty much perfect for California. It can be a weekend cruiser with the top down and should be a decent daily driver. I also love how it looks both with the top up and down. To be honest, if the Boxster just came in a hardtop convertible, there wouldn't even be a dilemma but you know Porsche, they prefer to stick weight savings as much as possible.

 

[HRoi]



I appreciate that, thanks. I was actually hoping that you'd come out of nowhere and surprise me and say the M3 is the better car for some unforeseen reason, but reason is reason. I still haven't gotten my license transferred yet, I've been busy and the car isn't so important, but I had a stint for the past couple weeks where I thought the M3 would be good for me based on the purchase terms, but the Porsches come back stronger than ever with their residuals over here, just really hard to ignore. Considering how much sluggish city driving this car is destined for, and the very few trips out of the city and rare Suzuka $20 laps it might get, I am almost tempted to get some sort of 200hp rice burner that I can really wail on....

my pleasure. let me know if you have more specific questions. are you in Tokyo? i heard traffic there is horrendous and the GT3 has a pretty heavy clutch. i am wondering if you might be more interested in a Carrera or GTS with a PDK ******. it's still a fantastic driver's car that is more big-city friendly.

Speaking of BMW & Porsche, I want a 2 seater and contemplating between the Z4 or the Cayman.

i would go with the Cayman. i'm a BMW fan, but not a Z4 fan. i know you specifically said no Boxsters, but did you see the redesigned Boxster? tasty...

That is sick! post up some pics man! I love the colour of Space grey personally it's not as dark as Sparkling graphite and i would have opted for that if it was available back than.

here's a family pic. the M is still stock and i like how your bumper gives the front end a little something extra. i might do something similar with the bumper and also tighten up the suspension so it feels more like the 911.

 

[RFX45]



i would go with the Cayman. i'm a BMW fan, but not a Z4 fan. i know you specifically said no Boxsters, but did you see the redesigned Boxster? tasty...

Yup saw it, posted a few pics a page back actually. I like how it looks but the back really kills it for me. I don't like how there is a horizontal strip of the spoiler that crosses through the taillights and it looks ever worse when the spoiler raises up and that line through the taillights are cut off. Love the front, somewhat dislike the back. I'd have to see how the new Cayman looks though.

And man, love that GT3.