Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Geneva Motor Show, BMW
Leakage: BMW M3 Cabrio with "M-DKG"
One enthusiast from the Netherlands described the E93 thusly: "Super vette bak!" We're pretty sure that translates to "super fat barge," though the overly-literal "super oily bake" has its own charm. If you're into cabrios, maybe mutating the phrase to "super phat barge" is more palatable. Our friend from NL was referring to the 200-plus extra pounds the M3 cabrio will be hauling around versus its sedan counterparts. The folding-roof M3 doesn't officially debut until the Geneva Auto Salon in March, but a German magazine jumped the gun and posted images on their website. Embargo apparently broken, the pictures continue to propagate about the internet.
The biggest news with the pending debut of the convertible M3 is the gearbox. The new seven-speed dual-clutch replacement for the SMG transmission, dubbed M-DKG, is reported to debut with the M3 cab and will be available across all bodystyles of the M3 simultaneously. Wheel-mounted paddles will let you blip your heart out, and the new cog swapper will likely outrun cabrios fitted with traditional manuals, reportedly making the sprint in about 5.3 seconds.
[Source: M3Post via Motor Authority]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
YouFaceTheTick 4:32PM (1/14/2008)
One chubby car.
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tommy e 4:46PM (1/14/2008)
You sure he wasn't talking about the ZR1?
"Super Vette is back!" maybe?
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Danny Boy 5:11PM (1/14/2008)
ummm 5.3 seconds isnt fast...did you mean 4.3? The E46 did it in 4.8
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Joe K. 5:30PM (1/14/2008)
No they mean 5.3 as in a full half second slower than the coupe for all of the extra weight.
Here Piggy, Piggy, Piggy, Soo-WEEE!
Jason 5:30PM (1/14/2008)
not sure if it's funny or sad that 0-60 in 5.3 seconds is no longer considered 'fast' to some people...
3seriesisking 6:04PM (1/14/2008)
I suspect that the folks lining up to buy this car won't be terribly concerned with the 200 extra pounds compared to another M3. The fact that it will supposedly go 0-60 in "only" 5.3 seconds should hardly be a huge barrier in keeping people from buying these cars.
Danny Boy 6:11PM (1/14/2008)
Well i mean "not so fast" in knowing that this car is capable, of doing low/mid 4s
cheezwiz 6:14PM (1/14/2008)
Jason: I agree that this used to be fast, but considering the horsepower wars, the bar has been raised.
5.3 sec is slow when you consider how much power it's laying down. There used to be a time that you could hit 5.3 with substantially less power wasted.
Derek 6:56PM (1/14/2008)
Well, first things first... I will def. be holding onto my E46 convo (looks sexy/powerful by comparsion).
But as far as this car is concerned, alot of people by BMWs because they are BMWs and could care less about 5.3 seconds.
And then there are folk like me, I used to own an S2000, but with the birth of my first child I purchased an E46 because it was quick convertible, not as nimble as my S was, but... has a backseat.
I'm not a track superstar but I like to be quick and I like convertibles, I'm sure this itteration of the M3 will see plenty of love.
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Kyle 7:25PM (1/14/2008)
What the hell happened to the EDC button?
They got rid of it for the M-DKG? And why is BMW the only company that still upshifts by pulling down. I know its aesthetically pleasing when you're forced back into the seat to just rip down on the thing but its not natural.
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PM 2:17AM (1/15/2008)
BMW is not the only company that does upshifts down, downshifts up. Mazda does as well. This is the correct orientation, since you want to be forced back in your seat when going WOT and when braking, the car is bucking forward anyways.
BMW made the mistake initially with the steptronics in early e46s but changed it during the e46 build cycle. When BMW and Mazda are doing something that is supposed to be 'sporty' and others aren't, I am inclined to agree with these two manufacturers.
I can't believe Lexus does it the wrong way on the new IS-F or whatever it is called. You'd think they'd have that figured out, but I guess most people think its backwards because they are used to this incorrect standard or it doesn't make sense to them that down could be UP a gear.
Steveash 6:38AM (1/15/2008)
Few people would even notice that half second, even on a track. What is more important is if the extra weight effects how it goes around corners. We'll just have to wait and see for that one.
http://www.convertiblecarmagazine.com
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william tell 8:46AM (1/15/2008)
very ugly car. this car has tooo many lines. check out that side profile.
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rmc 10:37AM (1/15/2008)
Perfect!