[bmedude]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

So I just wanted to share some observations that I've had with my car.
1. The exhaust noise is a bit underwhelming. I miss the pops and crackles from my 991.2 c4s. The induction noise is substantially more satisfying on the m4. I don't hear any turbo spool on this car either.
2. The car is ridiculously fast when you set the sport plus settings
3. The car is much more practical on a day to day basis. Much more interior space, more storage, real cup holders.
4. The steering wheel is much bigger
5. It doesn't turn the way a 911 did on the twisties but it's much more fun when driving spirited
6. I think the phone key and the smart key card are a waste of time. I will be carrying a regular key and will use the phone for back up purposes.
7. The my bmw app is great, very "Tesla" like
8. The parking cameras are excellent
9. Shifting through the gears using the actual shifter is very satisfying
10. Honorable mention. Women seem to like this car more than the 911

[RPM33]

Does the M4 feel a lot bigger and heavy compared to the 911?

[Flying05]

I'm coming from a 991.1s. So will be very curious on what's different when I actually get my base M3 as it's about to get on a boat and have yet to drive one. My Porsche was a PDK so going back to a manual almost brings me to tears. Very excited, but the handling of the Porsche will be hard to beat and in no way am I expecting it to be close.

[bmedude]

Originally Posted by RPM33

Does the M4 feel a lot bigger and heavy compared to the 911?

The m4 is a MUCH bigger car than the 911. Two average sized people can fit in the back without an issue. It takes up more space on the road and I find that all the driving aids help quite a bit especially when parking. I only had parking sensors and a backup camera on my 991.2. Overall I think it's a nice change of pace. Will get get another 911 in the future? Absolutely. Am I in a rush to get another one? Nope. Not by a long shot. I miss my 911 less and less as the days go by. This car so far is a keeper in my opinion. I could see myself taking this thing on really long drives and feeling very comfortable. My 911(it had cooled seats) got tiring after about two hours. Cooled seats make the seating area much less comfortable which is why I would never get that option again. This car will absolutely roast most 911's on the highway. I can only imagine what some minor mods will do to this thing(I'm not going to do any). Also, another quick thing is like to add is… the 911 was a lot of fun to drive at low speeds because of all the random pops and burbles whenever I hit the brake. The m4 is absolutely brutal when you step on it a bit. The upshifts make me grin hard!

[Dr. Ice]

I just took delivery of my 2022 XDrive after selling my 2017 C2S with all the expected performance pieces, including RAS (rear axle steering). A fantastic car and will probably get another one at some point. With that said, the M3 is very impressive. I would say in straight line performance it’s very comparable to my past 911. It certainly exceeds the 911 in technology and practicality. Also, quieter inside on highway driving which is a plus to me. However, after being on the track with the M3 and coming off of a 2,000 mile rally over some very challenging roads, you do feel the weight and higher center of gravity. It does not corner like a Corvette, 911 or any other dedicated sports car. If you are looking for a highly capable street sedan with tremendous performance, technology, daily driver comfort….this is a machine hard to beat. Steering and chassis feedback is very good, but not quite to a 911 level. In summary, I love it and it’s going to make a lot of people very happy with their purchase.

[Soylent]

Originally Posted by bmedude

The m4 is a MUCH bigger car than the 911. Two average sized people can fit in the back without an issue. It takes up more space on the road and I find that all the driving aids help quite a bit especially when parking. I only had parking sensors and a backup camera on my 991.2. Overall I think it's a nice change of pace. Will get get another 911 in the future? Absolutely. Am I in a rush to get another one? Nope. Not by a long shot. I miss my 911 less and less as the days go by. This car so far is a keeper in my opinion. I could see myself taking this thing on really long drives and feeling very comfortable. My 911(it had cooled seats) got tiring after about two hours. Cooled seats make the seating area much less comfortable which is why I would never get that option again. This car will absolutely roast most 911's on the highway. I can only imagine what some minor mods will do to this thing(I'm not going to do any). Also, another quick thing is like to add is… the 911 was a lot of fun to drive at low speeds because of all the random pops and burbles whenever I hit the brake. The m4 is absolutely brutal when you step on it a bit. The upshifts make me grin hard!

A midpipe will give you plenty of pops and burbles.

[bmedude]

Two more things I forgot to mention. I have the standard headlights which have a DRL on the bottom instead of the "halo" style. I think it looks awesome at night. These headlights are night and day compared to the LED headlights I had on my 991.2. Auto high beams are much more useful with this headlight too. A close friend of mine has an m3 with laser headlights and we couldn't tell the difference when sitting inside the car. My friend always keeps his HUD shut off. Yes it looks cool but it does absolutely nothing for the driving experience. Save the 3K if you could live without the halos.

Secondly, visibility in a convertible is crappier than a regular coupe but if you get the opportunity to scoop one up, you really should. It's actually a ton of fun when you're on the backroads.

[unseen orko]

Originally Posted by bmedude

So I just wanted to share some observations that I've had with my car.
1. The exhaust noise is a bit underwhelming. I miss the pops and crackles from my 991.2 c4s. The induction noise is substantially more satisfying on the m4. I don't hear any turbo spool on this car either.
2. The car is ridiculously fast when you set the sport plus settings
3. The car is much more practical on a day to day basis. Much more interior space, more storage, real cup holders.
4. The steering wheel is much bigger
5. It doesn't turn the way a 911 did on the twisties but it's much more fun when driving spirited
6. I think the phone key and the smart key card are a waste of time. I will be carrying a regular key and will use the phone for back up purposes.
7. The my bmw app is great, very "Tesla" like
8. The parking cameras are excellent
9. Shifting through the gears using the actual shifter is very satisfying
10. Honorable mention. Women seem to like this car more than the 911

Thanks for this post. I've always dreamed of a 911 but with kids and all the school duties, I can't see myself enjoy the 911 on a daily basis. Have ordered myself an m3 x drive. Hopefully it is a lot of fun as you say.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Interesting how you praised BMW cupholders

[bmedude]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

Interesting how you praised BMW cupholders

Cup holders in a 911 are there as a formality. Everyone talks about how beautifully engineered they are and blah blah blah but they are completely useless the moment you hit a bump. I don't allow anything other than bottled water in my car now.

[nearwater4me]

Originally Posted by Flying05

I'm coming from a 991.1s. So will be very curious on what's different when I actually get my base M3 as it's about to get on a boat and have yet to drive one. My Porsche was a PDK so going back to a manual almost brings me to tears. Very excited, but the handling of the Porsche will be hard to beat and in no way am I expecting it to be close.

Oh man, I didn't know you were coming from a 911.
The M3 has some big shoes to fill!
I hope the 6MT will bring a little more joy to fill the void coming from a Porsche

[HNSKP]

Originally Posted by Flying05

I'm coming from a 991.1s. So will be very curious on what's different when I actually get my base M3 as it's about to get on a boat and have yet to drive one. My Porsche was a PDK so going back to a manual almost brings me to tears. Very excited, but the handling of the Porsche will be hard to beat and in no way am I expecting it to be close.

Coming from a 997.2 GTS PDK to base M3. Shifting myself does make the daily commute more fun. However, I miss the visceral noises and sensations of the 997 (which was enhanced with a center muffler bypass). The M3 exhaust sounds decent from the outside but the inside is so insulated that I can barely hear it, even in Sport Plus. Honestly I was a bit disappointed jumping into the M3 at first but I realize it's the price to pay for modern tech and comfort. I'm liking it more every day.

I'm hoping to get a 992.2 T in a few years as a forever car.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by bmedude

Cup holders in a 911 are there as a formality. Everyone talks about how beautifully engineered they are and blah blah blah but they are completely useless the moment you hit a bump.

or take a turn at a decent speed (like over 20 MPH).

I had a 991.1. It was a horrible disappointment for me, previously having had a 997, 993, 996 and 964. The 991 was the only new 911 that I owned, which was a custom order and the wife hated it.

I love my M4. Nothing matches Porsche steering or brakes, but these cars come darn close, and as mentioned, are much easier to live with.

FWIW-my 991 was in the shop for a repair, and they gave me a Boxster loaner. After a week of driving that, I realized that it is a better car, sold the 911 and bought a Boxster. Both were "S" with a manual transmission, as God intended all sports cars to be.

[frankiebones]

Appreciate the feedback and write up. I personally prefer the way 911's drive but have never owned one. I absolutely love M3's and have owned 3 in a row. I prefer the way The G80 looks compared to most 911's (excluding GT cars and turbos).

However, given the pending elimination of the ICE and manual transmission, I will be buying a GT3 in manual in the next 3 years.

[Flying05]

Originally Posted by nearwater4me

Oh man, I didn't know you were coming from a 911.
The M3 has some big shoes to fill!
I hope the 6MT will bring a little more joy to fill the void coming from a Porsche

It's a great car, but here's the deal for me. While it was my second "weekend" car, I missed being able to take my family with me and I was always the only one to drive it which was not much. Yes we have 2 other cars for that, but this was important to me. I also had a 2019 Panamera 4s right after the 911 and that thing was just too big and sold it within 4 months with a profit thanks to Covid. but I was able to take take the family in it and my 5 year old loved it. So that's where I am now. 4 door, very sporty, better tech, and a manual. Choices in my book were limited.

Secondly, car is boring to drive slow. Maybe not if it were a manual, but these cars are meant to go fast and I did not track it. Fun on the road during the times you would go to jail if pulled over.

I might do another 911 someday, but to be honest, I don't really miss it even if it was a fantastic car.

[Flying05]

Originally Posted by HNSKP

Coming from a 997.2 GTS PDK to base M3. Shifting myself does make the daily commute more fun. However, I miss the visceral noises and sensations of the 997 (which was enhanced with a center muffler bypass). The M3 exhaust sounds decent from the outside but the inside is so insulated that I can barely hear it, even in Sport Plus. Honestly I was a bit disappointed jumping into the M3 at first but I realize it's the price to pay for modern tech and comfort. I'm liking it more every day.

I'm hoping to get a 992.2 T in a few years as a forever car.

That's the thing, the tech in these cars are nice. I feel like In this car vs the 911, you can feel sporty and drive that way or also relax and take it slow in comfort. Never felt this way in the Porsche. Going slow was just not fun to me and felt that I had to drive fast to really enjoy.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by bmedude

Two more things I forgot to mention. I have the standard headlights which have a DRL on the bottom instead of the "halo" style. I think it looks awesome at night. These headlights are night and day compared to the LED headlights I had on my 991.2. Auto high beams are much more useful with this headlight too. A close friend of mine has an m3 with laser headlights and we couldn't tell the difference when sitting inside the car. My friend always keeps his HUD shut off. Yes it looks cool but it does absolutely nothing for the driving experience. Save the 3K if you could live without the halos.

Secondly, visibility in a convertible is crappier than a regular coupe but if you get the opportunity to scoop one up, you really should. It's actually a ton of fun when you're on the backroads.

I only look at the HUD while driving. Especially in M Mode. How does your friend tolerate the awful digital gauges?

And the halo's give the car presence. The $3K is absolutely worth it.

[6speed_M2]

Can you elaborate on why the cooled seat option was annoying to have? Also, has anyone experienced this on the M3/4?

[NightWriter]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

And the halo's give the car presence. The $3K is absolutely worth it.

The laser lights are a $1k option?

[Mperor]

Originally Posted by bmedude

So I just wanted to share some observations that I've had with my car.
1. The exhaust noise is a bit underwhelming. I miss the pops and crackles from my 991.2 c4s. The induction noise is substantially more satisfying on the m4. I don't hear any turbo spool on this car either.
2. The car is ridiculously fast when you set the sport plus settings
3. The car is much more practical on a day to day basis. Much more interior space, more storage, real cup holders.
4. The steering wheel is much bigger
5. It doesn't turn the way a 911 did on the twisties but it's much more fun when driving spirited
6. I think the phone key and the smart key card are a waste of time. I will be carrying a regular key and will use the phone for back up purposes.
7. The my bmw app is great, very "Tesla" like
8. The parking cameras are excellent
9. Shifting through the gears using the actual shifter is very satisfying
10. Honorable mention. Women seem to like this car more than the 911

Good post! I came from the similar experience and do agree with you on most of your points...

I agree on Item 1, and may I suggest a couple "simple" fixes... get a x-pipe and remove 2 of your resonators - in sport plus (AFTER your first service ), it would sound as it should. For the turbo spool, get the Burger intake... now, you can really hear the spool every time you step on it! Did both for under $1,800 and worth every penny and much added driving experience. As I said in one of my posts, I "enjoyed" my 911S but I LOVE this M3!

[edofloat]

Originally Posted by NightWriter

The laser lights are a $1k option?

They are now, but were packaged not long ago. BMW has normally packaged the laser lights which was the case on my X5, you had to buy the executive package to get those lights.

[Sedan_Clan]

Thanks for the observations O.P.