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Spy Shots: BMW M3 sedan and convertible caught
by Dan Roth on Sep 27th 2007 at 10:32AM 
Where do BMW fans go on vacation? The 'Ring, of course. If you're taking that type of jaunt, you'd be forgiven for leaving your pants at home, but should you neglect to pack the zoom lens, woe unto you. With the E92 M3 arriving in the hungry driveways of customers, the Bayerische wizards are readying sedan and cabriolet versions of the M3, and a quick New Jersey BMW enthusiast snapped the cars near the Eifel mountain's most famous attraction. The sedan's looks don't improve, and the 3-series cabrio is already the best looking car they've currently got, so there's nothing outwardly earth-shattering about the new flavors of M3. Performance-wise, though, the four door and floptop flavors of the M3 will share the palpitation-inducing abilities of the coupe, and let's not forget about the upcoming CSL, which sheds weight and ups the ante. More variants of the uber-3 equals more fun for everyone. We're holding out for a wagon, so the whole family can don helmets and go rippin' around. [Source: Fast Lane Daily]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Leaf 10:39AM (9/27/2007)
>and the 3-series cabrio is already the best looking car they've currently got
I disagree. The Z4 coupe has really grown on me, it has a classic fastback look that seems to be getting less and less common among sports cars.
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rmc 1:35PM (9/27/2007)
True.Very emotional concept.
boulderhorn 11:12AM (9/27/2007)
is it me, or do the front ends on these two 3-series cars seem shorter, almost clipped? the long nose of the current 3 is what keeps me from liking it 100% but these seem stubbier. Or perhaps they are the same length and the hood is taller because they are M-cars.
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psarhjinian 11:16AM (9/27/2007)
I agree on the wagon. I mean, sure, coupes are pretty and all, but the wagon has that je ne sais quoi.
Isn't there an aerodynamic advantage to a wagon body as well?
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TrueDis 11:43AM (9/27/2007)
Wow, I thought the M3 convertible was still going to be a soft top ... something about the hard top being too heavy for the M3. Glad to see that info was wrong!
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Jose 12:29PM (9/27/2007)
Doesn't the new M3 sedan have the same front clip as the coupe? If so than its a good upgrade.
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YouFaceTheTick 1:00PM (9/27/2007)
3 series cabrio is a joke. It's a 4000 lbs mess. Adding a V8 will only make matters worse - 4200-4300 lbs anyone? M3 cabrio = poseur car.
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rmc 1:40PM (9/27/2007)
Cabrios are poseur cars - the whole idea of modern cabrios is image, so please why it is a joke???
YouFaceTheTick 2:31PM (9/27/2007)
Why? Because it makes no sense to buy an M3-based Cab when the car's obscene weight, weakened chassis and bad weight distribution negate the benefits derived from M modding. It's like asking Jessica Alba to gain 70 lbs and then you make her a D-cup. Sure she's a d-cup now but she's also one hefty package.
Mark 7:25AM (9/28/2007)
I love the folks who get all puffy chested when someone rolls out a shiny new convertible version of a performance car. Just look at the anger they spew forth in this thread. Nice to see that hate parade still has legs. After all, the more haters there are, the sweeter the reward. Can't wait to pick up that E93 M3. :)
avixe 1:45PM (9/27/2007)
How far the M3 has fallen.
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nastinupe 3:39PM (9/27/2007)
Wow... you guys sure are negative for a car that you have never driven and probably have never owned. I have owned a E46 Converible and it will probably pwn whatever pieve of crap that you have in your garage right now. Heavier or not, the car was kick ass period. And FYI, the new V8 weighs 30 lbs less than the S54 I6 that was in the E46.
Grow up and find another car to pick on... because the E92 M Convertible is the next car on my list and I will be on the waiting list once there's one to get on.
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testa di cazzo 4:11PM (9/27/2007)
you are a retard. that the engine weighs 30 pounds less (i'm not even sure that's true, but whatever) doesn't negate the fact that the vehicle itself weighs hundreds of pounds more... this car is just stupid. they shuold've made it a soft top, dramatically reducing the weight. a hard-top convertible high performance car? that's just about the dumbest thing i've ever heard.
and no, convertibles are not all poseur cars. a lot of people buy little shitty convertibles (miata for example) because they just like driving in the wind.
testa di cazzo 4:13PM (9/27/2007)
oh also, way to try and degrade someone's argument by using the old tried and tested "you're not rich enough to own one so why are you commenting about it." brilliant. you're just a genius...
Dan Roth 4:25PM (9/27/2007)
There's defnitely a subset of poseurs who go for 'verts exclusively, but there is joy to droptop motoring (I'm a tintop guy, thanks, but I have come to enjoy top down driving).
The E92 Coupe is already faster than the E46 M3 - the 335i Cab I had for a week was blazingly fast - E92 M3 cabs are going to be even faster, and I doubt that you'll be thinking about the extra weight once you get the throttle even halfway depressed.
If you're an all out performance junkie, you're holding out for the E92 CSL, anyway. Don't like the car, don't buy it - that's why they're tooling up different versions, and also why they make abominations like the X3; people will buy them.
YouFaceTheTick 4:40PM (9/27/2007)
@nastinupe
I owned a 2003 330i ZHP (which would clobber an e46 cic in every way) and a 2006 330i ZSP. Both cars were overweight. The e90 is ridiculously fat and isolated. The Current e93 is a fat pig at 4000 lbs. Reviews are currently complaining about the girth of the car.
BMW's new V8 is lighter than the 3.2 M engine. But it's still much heavier than the 3.0TT used in the 335/135. So, the e93-based M would definitely break 4k lbs. How much over is hard to say as it'll have to get its chassis reinforced and the M-bits aren't weight-free.
nastinupe 4:21PM (9/27/2007)
#1) The fact that you DON'T already know that the the new V8 S65 weighs 11 lbs less than the S54 shows me that you aren't well read so let me give you a link for that.
" The new V8 weighs 33 lbs (15 kg) less than the outgoing six cylinder for a total weight of 445 lbs (202 kg)"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M3
#2) This has nothing to do with money. Whatever car you discuss... if you haven't driven it, then don't talk about it like you know. I know the E46 Convertible because owned one. And it makes no sense for people to dog the car because it was a convertible. It was still fast as hell and had a great engine. Even though it had an additional 300 lbs from the convertible top, the car still kicked ass. Heck, I ran with a Ferrari 355 and ate it up and my car was bone stock.
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YouFaceTheTick 4:45PM (9/27/2007)
@nastinupe,
In your view the cic e46 was fast and handled well. My experience with a cic says otherwise. It was significantly slower and less agile than the already fat and slow-ish e46 ZHP I owned.
The e93 adds even more weight to the equation. so while it'll be fast like a 335i, it'll still handle poorly. And because the e9x chassis is so isolated, it's gonna remove you even more from the road in convertible form. No thanks. I ditched my e90 because of what BMW made the car: the antidote for fun.
testa di cazzo 6:16PM (9/27/2007)
nobody is dogging it becuase it's a convertible. people are dogging it becuase its a fat porker. any "performance car" weighing in at over 4000 pounds will have trouble in handling , especially when compared to an older version which was much much lighter. they could have saved a few hundred pounds by making it a ragtop instead of a hard-top convertible. plus, the hard-top is butt ugly as compared to the coupe, which i think is dead sexy. the hard-top just looks all wrong - the lines are all messed up
nastinupe 4:22PM (9/27/2007)
I worte "11" and I meant to write "33"
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