2002 BMW M3: Not Completely Irresistible

I agree about the wine. No difference between a $5 bottle and a $100 bottle to me.

I can even see the Professor's point to an extent. I don't floor it from stoplight to stoplight because there really isn't any point, but it's cool just to know that I could blow away almost everyone on the road if I wanted to. And I love taking advantage of all those horses on the highway...

p.s. I hope you don't have any personal experience with the Professor's tea bag. ;)

"a man who thinks that as long as a car will eventually reach the speed limit, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get there."

That sounds like my Father! ugh. Can't stand those people. I bet he is a hypermiler too!

Whaddayaexpect? He's a Bruin!
Fight On!!!

Typical Bruin!

Fight On!!!

superblahman -

Right on!!!

These are the people who just buy a Camry and call it a day! Apparently there are many of them.

Does the M3 still smell like a biology classroom?

"...no one not named after a European country has expressed anything but admiration for it."

Wow, that's like a quadruple negative. It took me a while to figure this one out.

U
Can't
Lay
Asphalt

Fight on...

Oh my god Mr, Sadlier, please slow down!
Think about the environment!
Think about the children crossing the streets?
Think about the young men with no drivers licenses running red lights with their Dodge Ram quad cab extended beds! They can T-bone you and kill you instantly! If you take it slow when the light turns green, you can spot these reckless truck drivers before they sever your car in half!

This Bruin loves the sound of an unbridled engine and would gladly toss Prof. Tea Bag out so I could take his place in the passenger seat behind "the engine of the gods."

U-C-L-A, fight fight fight!

This is why I love USC so much. Haven't met a Trojan yet that didn't appreciate an awesome car like the M3. Oh, that and their ability to stick it to Notre Dame. But that's a different story.

I guess I just innately stay away from people who don't like speed like that. Even my best friend who recently "upgraded" from a 1996 Accord 4 banger 5 speed to a 1997 Camry automatic still can't help but keep a grin on his face when I do a burnout or hard 0-70mph pull in my SRT-4 or LS1 Camaro.

what do you expect?....he's working on his Ph.D....people like that are USUALLY not known for enjoying the finer things in life. No offense to the nerds out there....

I'm with superblahman. tell your passenger to grow a pair!!!

come on now. Even as a guy that loves cars, there is some point to questioning why?

your on a public road, in the city, speed limits are what? 25-35mph, stop signs/ lights every corner. Maybe thats just where I live, but why would you down shift and rev match?

yes its 0-60 in 5secs, but your breaking the law in 2.5

opfreak,

Fair question. If the speed limit's 35, I'll take off in first (obviously), shift at 5-6k and floor it in second, and back off right at 40 mph (i.e., pretty soon). Then I'll drop it into third or fourth to cruise, and proceed to rev-match the (4-)3-2 downshift(s) while slowing to a stop.

When an engine sounds this good, you do what you gotta do.

-Sadlier

I should add that we also took the freeway for a good portion of the trip (405 South to the 10 East) -- so to the Professor's credit, it wasn't just low-speed shenanigans that made him queasy.

I would never try to explain a car like the M3 to a person like the Professor because they only look at cars like an appliance - between the rough ride, crappy mileage, and maintenance costs, the only foothold you would have in the argument is aesthetics, about which there can be no disagreement.

And a new rule, Josh: no more complaining about the rubbery shifter until you guys crack open the platinum-lined alligator skin wallet that funds your trips to SMBMW and your big brake kits, and throw down $160 for the BMW ZHP shift knob and shift boot. I know I sound like a broken record, but this is a problem that can easily be solved.

If you feel like smoothing out the clutch side of the shifting, put in the $3 McMaster clutch stop and remove the CDV (15 min labor at my indy shop).

http://www.zeckhausen.com/CDV.htm

bloodyr, it isn't about price. I've had some fantastic wines that were really affordable, and some expensive wines that tasted like sour grape juice. Same thing goes with cars - there are some cheap ones out there that are more enjoyable than the pricey ones. In the end, the point is the same. Being a car and driving lover is like being a wine lover. If you aren't, then you just don't get it.

jahfakin, I intend to go on to get my Ph.D, and I love driving and nice cars as much as the next guy on here. Then again I know guys with bachelors degrees and MBAs that can afford some pretty nice cars, and they buy the cheapest car they can find because it is only something that gets them from A to B, and why spend more money than you have to on that? Then again I don't have cable and I bring my lunch to work, so it just depends on what you value.

now that explains why every M3 driver drives like an ass! :) sadly, i'll probably do the same.

stovt001,

don't take me comment serious, I was just trying to stir up trouble, gets kinda boring minding the servers on the night shift......I have NO intention of getting my Ph.D...at one point I did, but after getting my BS in Physics/Math, I then realize how much I hated school. But then again, my wife calls me an "uber male", because I like cars, booze, guns, etc....all the things that "men" are suppose to enjoy.
But you are correct....it all depends on what you value. Good luck on your Ph.D

Depressing isn't it?

maybe you aren't as good of a driver as you think and just came across as insane.

I like this writup on great driving:
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/FREE/750278998/1050/FREE

If you drive the M3 like a 16 year old in a Civic then is it the car he doesn't like?

he was likely petrified for fear of his life and the life of others... you were driving like an idiot on public roads. its safe to bet that a professional race car driver wouldn't feel safe in his position either.

Good to see some fellow Trojans chiming in here!

Engine of the gods, Josh? Raspy stock exhaust note FTL (for the loss) in my opinion.

Fight On!

-Loren
c/o 2003

billt9, that was a hysterical post! LOL!!!
You WERE joking, weren't you?

I can completely relate to this post. It's hard work to have my foot lighten up with my non-car enthusiast friends (read:ALL) in the car. A V8's tune simply outdoes whatever's coming out of my Bose sometimes, especially when the road in front of me is wide open, what can I say. Then when I'm dragged to a dinner or movie I really don't want to be at, I forget about that consideration and have my fun (with [speed]limits of course).

And for the record, my USC friends do tend to appreciate the automobile a lot more, and are way more down to earth than my UCLA "friends."

Yep, I recently had a girlfriend just like this. She is with me no longer. Most other women I have dated actually like the fast driving, as long as it is not stupid driving. One I actually taught to drive stick on my 325ci. I was petrified.

So, which model Honda does Professor Tea Bag own?

One thing I always liked about my ex-wife is that she tolerated my driving. Once, when my parents were riding with us, she asked "Why are you driving so slowly?" My son chimed in, "Yeah, Dad, what's wrong with you?" My parents, especially my dad, have never let me forget it.
The lesson for me -- always be true to yourself. Good to see that you are, Josh, despite the lamentation of your friend.

I can see both sides of the argument - speed is nice, engine note is nice, but ultimately its a huge temptation on regular roads. Then again, the speed argument applies for family sedans that go 0 to 60 in 6 seconds too...and this topic has recently been discussed in KoC, so I'll drop it now...

Petrified in an M3? I guess he would be pooping his pants then if he rode in my Z06.

It's always scarier from the passenger seat... there are only two people who I would trust with crazy driving, and both frequent the track. If anyone else tries to show off while I'm in the car, I tell them to slow down. I don't trust them to drive wildly and safely at the same time.

You know, come to think of it, I've never driven with Sadlier. After reading this, I don't see any reason for that to change...although he's no Erin Riches.

-Riswick

I'm in for a ride, mind if i wear a helmut?

I'm curious as to why he's referred to as Professor Tea Bag...wait...never mind.

On another note, he is definitely one of those people who is not a speed demon. Next time, pick him up in the Smart car. No, in fact, pick him up in the GT-R and use the acceleration method that the GT-R is known for. (evil grin)

Carlismo right about it being different in a passenger seat. When you are not in control, speed feels faster, bumps feels harsher and and even gears changes feels worse. Even the pro drivers chicken out when they are not in control. Latest example: search youtube for fifth gear testing the M3 vs IS-F where Tiff and Jason scare the crap out of each other LOL.
Anyway, sudbuttrue, is your friend a motorhead or just an average Joe when it comes to cars? Can he drive a schtick? Or did he just hated the way you drove the car?

Can I repeat professor's words? 'Is this really necessary?'

You want to listen to the engine? Park it next to a 7-11, put it to neutral and FLOORRR! The professor can grab something to eat meanwhile. RRRRight?

Moving away from the exhaust sounds.
0-45 in 4 seconds. 1/2 miles in 30 seconds (or so) with hard braking after that. For 10-15 minutes. How faster did it make your commute?

Let's switch gears for a second. How much more tiresome for a passenger this is? How long a regular person can be trilled and entertained by herky-jerky motion, accompanied by violent acceleration/deceleration? How long until that person becomes sickened and, more to the point, bored?

Let's switch gears again. What have you demonstrated to the professor? The car is powerful. The car is noisy. You can't drive smoothly. You get entertained by repeating the same action numerous times. The routine seems to require minimal skillset at best.

I'm with the professor on this one. I'd be petrified too if I was wondering if you'd find crashing into a pole entertaining too.