2002 BMW M3: Welcome To The Machine

...a fun drive. And an expensive one.

So.. why are there so few blog posts this week.

Because this one is...

My favorite M3 was the 1995 M3 with the 3.0L I6.

"Let's face it - the E46 series M3 is one of *the* greatest cars of all time. BMW actually went back a step with the E90's. Nothing is nicer than the E46."

Meh... the E46 M3 will certainly go down in history as a classic, but the E90 is better than the E46 in pretty much every way. Say what you will about the styling but the E90 just blows the E46 away in almost every conceivable measure.

Great car but in that god awful black visually it's as bland as any other BMW 3 series.

The e90 = isolated, bland, boring, safe no fun. The e46 is by far more fun. An e46 325i is more satisfying to drive than any e90. I've owned both. The e90 is just not fun. The e90 will be remembered as the BuickMW.

I meant to write that I've owned both an e46 and e90. My e46 was a 330i ZHP, not a 325. Having taken an e90 down the autobahn at top speed, whipped through side streets of the alps at ludicrous speeds I can safely say the e90 is a bore - too big, too quiet, too little road feel, too many worthless standard features.

I have always been a huge admirer of the E46 M3 and find it to be the single greatest expression of everything BMW is about. It was an authentic driver's car. The E90 M3 is faster in every concievable measure, but it's too digitized. The driver just doesn't have the raw mechanical connection that they did in an E46. Sure the lap times are quicker, but I plan to drive my car in the real world and the experience is worth so much more. I think BMW is at its best when it builds purpose-built performance machines like the E46, not grand-tourers like the E90. Leave luxury to Mercedes and Lexus, performance is what the blue and white propellor are all about.

Mind you this is based on very limited driving of the E90 M3 and extensive driving of the E46 M3, so I could be jaded.

"When you're piddling around parking lots in first gear and push in the stiff clutch, the transmission clunks like a muscle car's."

Ah, the infamous M-clunk - when I first got my car I actually asked my mechanic to have a look at that for me.

"Great car but in that god awful black visually it's as bland as any other BMW 3 series."

blueguydotcom, I believe that the Edmunds' M3 is actually Carbon Black, which is a stunning color in sunlight where it becomes a deep metallic blue. You can attribute the frumpy looks of this particular car to the OEM 18" wheels that it wears. Upgrading to the Competition Package (ZCP) wheels that were available in 05-06 would do wonders for the overall aesthetics and not hurt the wallet too badly - ~$1700 new, which is quite the bargain considering that they're 19" and OEM'd by BBS. I would also suggest painted reflectors to replace the hideous orange ones on the front bumper (thanks for that, DOT).

Nice Pink Floyd reference!

"The e90 will be remembered as the BuickMW."

lol only in your mind, BDC. Also, it's not entirely fair to compare a ZHP E46 to a ZSP E90 and say the E90 is too soft. Of course it would be. The ZHP-equivalent M Sport option will probably be brought to the U.S. in a year or so.

"The driver just doesn't have the raw mechanical connection that they did in an E46. Sure the lap times are quicker, but I plan to drive my car in the real world and the experience is worth so much more."

You could say the same thing about the E46 M3 vs. E36 M3 and the E36 M3 vs. E30 M3.

I agree with most. My e36 323i has a more connected feel than my e92 328i. Cars just seem to be getting bigger, which is not always better. I like the raw and mechanical feel of my e36 over the cushy and isolated feel of my e92. I like my e92 because its faster and has more gizmos, but it lacks the involvment of my e36.

Bimmerjay, you seem to be falling into the trap of "it is a better performer, numbers-wise, so it must be a better car." I hope you're not, but if you are, I could not disagree with you more.
The E46 M3 is the most scintillating road machine I have ever driven -- when driven as God and BMW intended. The thing left me giddy and wanting more. The E90 M3, while awesome and heroic in its own right, just did not put a smile on my face like the E46, but I am not going to lie -- that V8 is to die for!
Still, there's just something about the way the E46 M3 feels like it is chomping at the bit that I can never forget, and its eagerness to going quickly down a twisty road makes me anticipate driving it.

I like the E46 more because, at its time in 2002, it was far more impressive, distinct, and beautiful than any other car in the segment.

Today, E90 and Audi S5 look similar IMO and the new design philosophy that BMW had adopted in the current generation 3 and 5 series does not impress me. Damn you Bangle...

Sgude - Maybe he genuinely feels the e90 is better at everything, subjectively as well as objectively.

One of my favorite drives was a e90 335i coupe 6-speed w/ the sport package. I didn't feel it was a soulless muffled machine.

One of the most underwhelming (but exceptionally refined) cars I've ever driven was a 2006 BMW 330 convertible (e46 of course) 6-speed...no sport package. It was just....blah.

Joe

bimmerjay that's a good point and I think it is one a lot of people would make. For me, I have always thought the E36 offered no more mechanical feel and a lot less power, weaker brakes, and a far more archaic suspension than the E46. I think the E30 is the most raw and visceral, but it was under-powered from the day it was made. I personally believe the E46 M3 is the best combination of speed/technology and raw mechanical feel of any of the M cars ever made. The new E92 M3 is a phenomenal car, I just think it slants more towards GT than sports car because it has gotten so big.

It all depends on what you want and expect. I tend to agree with mercedesfan in that I consider the E90 M3 to be the spiritual heir of the E24 M6- a car I still regret selling. The latest M3 is fast, comfortable, and track-worthy straight off the showroom floor. I'd look to the 135i if I wanted a more visceral and tossable drive. But then, what do I know? I just bought a 1975 2002 for considerably less than Edmunds paid for a year's worth of reaming from their "friendly" BMW dealers...

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a BMW CS in the Fort Myer commissary parking lot. The car was in good shape -- straight body, decent paint, decent interior -- and it looked like the driver actually takes it out and drives. My co-worker asked "What kind of BMW is that?" I said "It's a CS." Then it struck me that this car is the spiritual ancestor to the E-46, with its fender gill, the shape of the greenhouse and, I imagine, its performance relative to the vehicles of the day. Yep -- I'm keeping my E46 M3, so one day 30 years from now, some kid will see his newer M-car's great grandaddy...