2009 BMW M3: Open Thread

My questions are fairly simple: Is this a car worth waiting 3-5 years for it to depreciate sufficiently to allow for normal human purchase?

If so, why?

Is it a better car than, say, the previous generation BMW m5? (which had similar horsepower, more torque, and a similar overall weight). Again, if so, why?

If your answers are no, then why not?

Joe

I have seen 2 or 3 sedans and maybe 5 coupes. I have driven a previous generation M3 and loved it. I've sat in a new M3, but alas I have never driven one.

Something that bothers me about this car is the super hard rev limiter, especially in first gear. The car revs so hard that it seems like the tachometer can't keep up! Of course that means that you run smack into the rev limiter. It takes a lot of concentration.

Have you IL editors noticed this or am I just a poor driver?

I was coming from Dayton, Ohio, to Cincinnati, and I followed a black on on the highway. It still had dealer tags, and four people were in it. He and I were on the highway and created an alliance and weaved through traffic together.

It was kind of hard keeping up with him a GMC Envoy.

I only have one question: Can I have it, please? :)

I've only seen coupes and convertibles. The local BMW showroom doesn't have an M3 sedan, either.

would love to see performance testing (unless I've missed it, all I've really seen is the dyno test)

would anyone on staff prefer it without the moonroof?

I often see a white (surprise!) E90 M3 sedan here in Indy near Ft Ben. There's also a ridiculously modded E92 M3 coupe that I know resides here in town, but I have yet to come across it in the flesh. check it out user KKSigua on m3post.com:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272532

Cheers!
T

I have only seen coupes on the road. I saw the exact one I would want in a best buy parking lot. Non-metallic black, red leather, manual trans, 19" wheels, carbon fiber roof. The carbon fiber roof just looks exotic to me. Some people think its gimmicky but I love it.

I own a 2009 E90 M3 remarkably similar to the test vehicle. AW exterior, standard 18” rims. I chose black interior because the red is, as one reviewer put it, “borderline bordello”. Gets old REALLY quick. I also opted out of the Technology Package because I don’t like the double hump dash. Have Premium, Winter, sunroof and EDC. Almost bare bones – MSRP under 60k . Owned the car since November. 3 month after delivery switched the rims and tires to winter setup (Blizzaks). Cannot say enough good things about how this car behaved in snow. Once, in a snowstorm, I drove to my local IKEA, loaded a dresser through the flipped down back seats, and drove home safe and sound. With the return of warm whether in April, the Michelins PS2’s are back and so is ability to push it a bit. The ride is smooth (much smoother than in my old 2006 E90 330), the road holding is beyond any comprehension. The magic happens when the engine is wrung out above 5000 rpm. In order to compete in the all-important red-light drag races, one really needs to spin the engine. But then we all new that this car was not for drag racing. Also, on a highway, I usually drive with the POWER on, while in a city – POWER off. The reason is that when this button is ON, it dumbs down the throttle response: it seems like the first 30% of the gas pedal travel is remapped to the first 50% of the throttle response. As a result, the engine spools faster, but the driver is left with little control over the throttle. This is fine in a straight line driving, as a drag racing or on a highway, but is deadly around a curve. I spun this car faster than you could say “Oh, s**t!” when attending an advanced driving school.

My Wife and I are looking at replacing her '01 330Ci. She has her heart set on an M3 but for price I prefer the acceleration of the 335i especially at our altitude, 6500ft. I loved the response of the M and driving them back to back there is no comparison. I think we will wait till they get in the high 40k's and pick one up.

I think the M3 sedan looks great. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to see it in person yet. I've seen the coupe a few times in a person and I think its beautiful. How does it feel to drive? Since it is obviously heavier than the coupe, does it "feel" heavy overall when driving?

Well, I have I am told the only M3 Sedan in France and it is a great car to have here (and even better when driving to Germany). In a country where the average car has 1 liter displacement, the M3 is off the charts. Because it is so rare, it tends to get more attention than exotics (I have a funny photo being parked next to a couple of 911 and a lambo and there's a guy taking a photo of...the M3 (?).

If you check out M3Post.com, you can see a write up of taking delivery of the car in Munich last October year with photos.

@corollasman. The sedan is not much heavier than the coupe. There are 200 lbs of difference with a carbon-fiber roof'ed coupe, but almost zero difference with sun-roof equipped coupes. In fact, there is some data that shows that sedan is better in a X-cross due to slightly better weight distribution. Too lazy to look for a link right now.

I want one with a gutted interior as my dedicated track/fun car.

The new m3 is pretty heavy. How does this affect the handling? Of course it handles brilliantly, but can you always tell you are driving a heavy car or does BMW make that weight magically disappear? When I drove an X3 i thought it handled well, but I could always feel that there was just too much weight too high up. Does the m3 lower center of gravity make this heavy car feel light and nimble or is it just a heavy beast with grippy tires?

Doug, you can't compare a 3-series on stilts with an M3. Doesn't get much more apples to oranges than that.

I've test driven two M3's (a 6-speed sedan and DCT coupe), including some time on windy backroads and it never feels as heavy as it is. It feels very nimble. I think every car should offer Electronic Damping Control as an option.

I've also driven the M3's German, V8 powered rivals, and they can't compare (and I'm an Audi fan).

I want an M3 sedan so badly..

@ddoouugg - The car is about as heavy as its competitors. One cannot easily tell the weight: there is no body roll (at least in my EDC-equipped car) and the car does not "plow" through corners. M3 might lose to an Elise in X-cross, to Z06 in a straight line acceleration or to Cayman in corner carving, but there is no other 4-door car in the worls that offers the same combination of features as the E90 M3.

I've seen quite a few sedans and convertibles, but not many coupes here outside of DC. The sedans seem to be the hot ticket.
I too wonder if it will be worth it to wait four or five years then pick one up. I'm reconsidering getting an E46 M3 now.

The first M3 of the new generation I saw was a silver coupe in Westwood. It was being piloted by Superbad's McLovin and sounded badass as it roared into the parking garage.

Per Jeremy Clarkson: "M3 drivers have no friends." I don't know if that is accurate enough, God knows my friends don't have enough money for a used 325. However, has the IL crew had any problems with people bugging the M3? Like ricers wanting to play or Prius owners flipping them off?

myfirstM3: M3 is actually the lightest car in its class. M3 sedan weighs 1622 KG and the coupe weighs 1608 KG. They both give identical performance as shown in drag racing and track racing comparisons. C63 is a heavy pig at 4100 pounds (1863 KGs). The RS4 weighed 200 pounds more than the M3 (which is roughly 100 KG more).

All in all, considering how heavy cars are these days, M3 is featherlight in its class. Not to mention, it is the most exciting and best handling M3 ever. It just does not get any better than this.

now that summer has slowly (intermittently) infiltrated Boston, i see an M3 about once a week (i drive maybe 3 times a week). most of these are coupes; seen a few sedans and convertibles.

once i was cut off by a red coupe. i was angry not so much because he cut me off so close that i had to slam on my brakes really hard (the door handle barely cleared my bumper when he cut in), as much as he used his beautiful M3 in such a reckless manner just to gain a car length in traffic. but BOY that thing has a great throttle response!

question: compared to the G37, which has a stiffer ride?

@DLu - Keep in mind: ride quality depends on tires tremendously. M3 does not wear RFTs. Does G37? At least compared to RFT-equipped regular 3-series, M3 is MUCH smoother.

If it were your money, what options would you get and why? Is the EDC worth it or do you just leave it in one mode? M drive is a gimmick or useful? 6MT is really that bad? How about installing a short shift kit?

How about some smoky burnout pics..

@ddoouugg: it magically disappears

@fuhteng: I had two guys pull up next to me at a red light and ask me to rev the engine so they could here it. But that's about it.

I've got an 08 E90 M3 with 6 speed and it's a great car overall, but I've had to make some compromises. The seats don't go low enough and the dial for speedometer gets hidden by the top of the steering wheel at my preferred seating position. I am only 5'10", but the person sitting behind me already needs to be fairly small in stature. The back seats seem to be really deep, but the foot well for the passengers are not very wide.

I do rev match and heel-toe everywhere in town. I know some people find this wasteful and useless, but it is more fun this way. To accommodate this, I had to keep my throttle setting in Sport all the time. The Sport Plus setting which makes it super responsive does not give you clean starts. Your car will buck off the line.

Other than these objectionables, the car is super smooth. As comfortable the suspension is, you would not believe the speeds you can hold at corners.

I've had an Integra GSR, RSX-S, S2000 and the M3 follows the high revving Honda philosophy. Best car I've ever had!

@pyo_s65:

Rev matching on downshifts isn't wasteful or useless. It extends the lifespan of your gearbox's syncros.

@angioman1: "If it were your money, what options would you get and why? Is the EDC worth it or do you just leave it in one mode? M drive is a gimmick or useful? 6MT is really that bad?" - It WAS my money, and I went with Premium, Winter, sunroof, EDC and iPod adapter. All well worth it, imho. I do vary EDC modes between Normal and Comfort (for pothole-ridden New England roads). Noticeable difference. Can't comment on M-drive. 6MT is the second best MT I ever tried (after the 2006 GTI), and certainly the best BMW MT I ever tried. No comments on short shifter.

@sherief: Ah yes, forgot about that benefit!

@angioman1: M Drive is no gimmick. M Drive allows you to preset certain settings to give you a different driving experience. When my daughter and wife is in the car, I use the default comfort mode, Sport throttle, soft steering, and full traction control. When I am alone, I hit the M button and it calls up: Sport suspension, Sport throttle, Sport steering, and M dynamic mode (less traction control intrusion).

On my M mode, it's almost like a different car altogether. The turn ins are way sharper and the car becomes a bit more reactive to bumps and leans less. Love it when the traction control starts to blink in corners. If you know what a Macro does for spreadsheets or databases, M Drive is like a shortcut to preferred settings.

Short shifter is a $600 part with a $300 labor item; not worth it.

A lot's been covered, but I'll add my few thoughts. My only experience with the E90 M3 is on the track - I attended the BMW Performance Driving Center's "M School", where students rotate between the E90 M3, E60 M5, and E63 M6.

The M3 was the class favorite, nimble, hard-revving, good brakes. It was the only car at the school that didn't make me wish I had my M Coupe instead. Under track conditions we had a few M5s overheat in the 90-degree temps, but none of the M3s.

The interior was nicer than I expected, a serious upgrade from the E46 M3. At 6'1", I found the rear seats cramped and my head touched the roof, so adult passengers be warned. The lines of the sedan work better, to my eyes - if I went with an M3, I'd pick the sedan over the coupe. I think the bonnet bulge works better on it. The 328i/335i coupes are the best-looking BMWs in production right now, without the M-division additions.

I've owned my E90 M3 sedan for about a year now. Coming from (2) E46 M3 the E90 is an amazing everyday car. The EDC is awesome for the little ones here on the broken Michigan pavement, as the suspension in comfort mode soaks up the bumps. Better than my wifes E350 Benz. Then hop over to sport mode and its tight on the track conditions. The sound of the V8 is intoxicating, a welcomed improvement over the E46 "rasp". While I do miss the look of the E46 and E39 M5 vs. the "sleek" look of the new E90, overall it is a much improved owership experience. If you're looking for a sedan that does it all - cart 4 adults, kids, fold down seats, comfortable highway, feel like mario andretti on a whim - there is no better car.

Track times, photos, and videos please! K thx buh bye :o)

Get it in a dark color. Black, blue, red ,etc. White and silver do not accentuate the styling properly IMO

two people down the street from me have them 2009, both coupes, one light blue and one dark blue, someone else has a 2009 silver one not too from from me, my friend has a white E46 M, my other friend has a White E85 M my other friend has a E36 white M and my other friend has a E36 purple M wheww.

and lets see i see a black 2009 Sedan M3 every once in a while. there's just alot of M's where i am.

I just dropped my 2006 CTS-V off lease two weeks ago and picked up my 2009 Lemans Blue / Silver Extended Leather E90 M3 (after a 10 week wait for the order). I ordered it with every option (including the DCT --- solely due to my wife's problem with stick shift performance anxiety).

The silver extended leather with brushed aluminum trim really solves the problem of the Darth Vader BMW interior and I think the interior is really light and pleasant.

It been an amazing car so far to drive although I am keeping it easy untill I hit 1200 miles as per BMW's instructions as I bought this car and am expecting to own it for quite some time.

This is one of the best all around performance cars out there for someone who needs four doors and can only have one car (my case as a city dweller). I test drove just about everything in the segmnet multiple times before I settled on the M3 and I am gald I did.

@indy_mistert: We did a post a while back with the performance numbers. -- Donna

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2009/04/2009-bmw-m3-the-first-test.html

Would love to know the best way to launch the car from a standstill. This is my first manual transmission and while I'm getting the hand of heel and toe rev-matching, I still haven't got the hang of launching. Thanks!

The only sedan I have seen was a Interlagos Blue / Black + 18" wheels in Muenchen.

For that matter, where I live ANY M3 is a rarity.