M2 VS M2 Competition VS M3(e46) VS M4 Review

[Dave]

Dave I think every reviewer agrees that the m4 feels a lot faster than the e92. I certainly found this. The fact the m4 comes underrated as standard helps, but I know the stats are close enough and was careful to proviso my post as a "feeling". But I think the average driver on the average road in average conditions will be a lot faster in a s55 engined car. I certainly am, because firstly I dont have to be revving the nuts off it all the time, and second I am a crap driver.

You cant stick 100bhp and 100 torque on the e92 with a stage one tune, and the 0-100kph are a little more than 0.1s different, I had a couple of runs against a manual e92 at the runway club event last year and totally monstered it, not even close (e60 m5 on the other hand got away above 200kph)....every generation of m3 has been a big improvement on the previous albeit that some aspect of the previous cars beloved character was lost in the new one.

Cars now have become so fast, powerful and so technical that its really only how they feels that differentiates them. One of the problems I have with fast Audi's (and possibly the new m5) it that is doesn't feel like anything at all. I am a bit nervous about the 2020 m4, as the m3/4 is becoming more like a m5, and the m2 has been introduced as a "sportier" car

The seduction of torque
Generate a lot of torque at low RPM and everything feels effortless and easy, but that's more the nature of the torque, the power is easily accessible, there's no huge noise and the torque is consistent as the revs rise. Compare this with the naturally aspirated V8 and the fanfare of it revving it's head off as you approach peak torque, but you absolutely need to work it.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on the difference in pace, in stock form there was 13 seconds difference between the E92 M3 vs the M4 around the Nurburgring, the DCT E92 M3 is veraciously quick from a standstill and you have the closer stacked rations of the DCT box.
Everyone talks about the lower torque of the S65 being an issue, the E39 has nearly 100 lb/ft more torque than the E92 and it wasn't evident at all.

I'm not in any way bashing the M4, I think it's an awesome car, I see Marks one quite regularly and always find myself geeking out over the details, they are gorgeous.

However, I don't believe BMW went to the S55 because it was a better engine, it was all about economy and making the car more efficient which you simply couldn't do with the existing V8.
The end result is a car that is a objectively, vastly superior all rounder to its predecessor.

As you say, it's all about what you want, I've always loved NA engines, you need to dial into them over time to get the most out of them, it's a process that I love, I guess it has a lot to do with riding bikes as you can balance a bike and alter it's lean angle with the throttle, I just find it much more rewarding than boosted engines, but there's no arguing with the effectiveness of the S55.