Oh boy, does red leather get hot. I had the M3 parked in my driveway instead of my garage yesterday. I went to hop in around 1:00 PM and when I opened the door I felt a wave of heat hit me. Heat and that lovely older car fragrance of slightly dusty leather...
Usually, when it's 90 degrees in the city, it's not quite so hot at the beach. But I had to air out the car for a few minutes before I could get in.
Fortunately, the air conditioner works really well. So, I directed all vents to me. The car didn't complain at all driving with max A/C on.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 55,119 miles
ahightower says:
11:36 AM, 04/14/08
Totally worth it though, it looks so good in red.
hondacura4 says:
11:49 AM, 04/14/08
I must agree that the E46 interior design/execution is much more inviting and MUCH warmer than the current 3. The red trim just makes it even more interesting.
opfreak says:
12:01 PM, 04/14/08
I know its just me, but in my eyes the red looks tacky.
joefrompa says:
12:12 PM, 04/14/08
I tend to agree with Opfreak on the red...just not my thing.
Nice comment on the A/C Donna...one of my pet peeves is how almost all my cars have changed behavior with A/C on (actually, my new Legacy GT seems to have no difference...and I expected it too, since it's a low compression, turbo engine). My Civic SI changes character alot....significant decrease in power and throttle response and when shifting the rev drop much faster (making it harder to shift smoothly).
P.s. You (edmunds) bought a black car. You are not allowed to complain about the consequences :)
Joe
m_thrizzle says:
12:13 PM, 04/14/08
The black interior in my '01 jet black M3 can get super hot if left outside in the sun with the windows closed. It really helps if you can angle up the moonroof (and crack the front or rear windows to vent out the hot air and use a sunshade on the dash. This dramatically reduces the heat build-up.
dderosa says:
12:29 PM, 04/14/08
The red interior is not as bright in person as it appears in photos. It's a darker, richer red.
desmolicious says:
01:16 PM, 04/14/08
Well, whaddya expect when the leather is the colour of 'hot molten magma'?...
estreka says:
02:45 PM, 04/14/08
I like that red interior more than mine. Mine is TOO red.
roadburner says:
04:36 PM, 04/14/08
I'm currently being tempted by a Lachsilber E30 M3 with the Cardinal Red interior. I love the color combination.
roadburner says:
04:39 PM, 04/14/08
Forgot to attach the picture...
bimmerjay says:
08:08 PM, 04/14/08
E92 M3 gets a +1 here: (with iDrive) you can pre-program automatic ventilate-at-rest times to let air flow in the cabin. Plus, when you approach the car you can use the fob to open all the windows and moonroof before you get in. Both of those features make a BIG difference on hot days.
opfreak says:
08:59 AM, 04/15/08
from general reading. darker colors get hot FASTER, but at the end of the day, no matter the color the car will get just as hot.
louiswei says:
09:17 AM, 04/15/08
A good tint will solve the problem nicely, especially those ceramic tints.
m_thrizzle says:
09:39 AM, 04/15/08
bimmerjay, you can open all the windows and moonroof remotely on the E46 too. It does not have a recirculate feature though.
I really want seats with recirculating A/C in my next car! My back gets sweaty with regular leather seats.
SubyTrojan says:
11:16 AM, 04/15/08
At least you didn't need to use the seat heaters, Donna. :o)
karjunkie says:
07:55 AM, 04/16/08
I leave the moonroof on my 1994 540i tilted up in the back on hot days when it sits outside and that keeps the car MUCH cooler on 90+ degree days. My computer console does allow you to set recirculation of air at a given time, but I have never used that feature.