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      02-21-2020, 04:35 PM   #885
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NathObeaN View Post
Surprised by the amount of people supporting BMW on this thread... really guys? M is supposed to represent the sports side of the brand. Tuned for 'colourful' driving. Sacrificing comfort in favour of rawness. Ultimate fun. That visceral sensation of feeling the road at your fingertips. A 'hell with the luxuries'. It doesn't mean 'fast commuter'. Bit by bit, 'M' is losing its meaning. It doesn't just mean 'fast'. 'My m340i can out-drag X'... I don't care. A Tesla can out-drag most things on the planet, doesn't make it a sports car... does it? Yes, an M340i etc are quick cars, but they aren't designed to be sports cars. I've driven an M240i on track back-to-back against my M2 and it's not the same, at all.

I haven't got an issue with a 'performance' variant of standard cars, but why pretend they are M, they're not. This is just marketing fluff gone lazy. The irony is that diluting the brand like this simply makes it less special and less desirable. People like to aim high, even if they can't get it. People like to dream. People fantasise of 'Ferrari' because it means something. If Ferrari started making commuter cars that were fast, but not 'Ferrari', the brand would die and the enthusiasts would move to a more serious brand. Just take a look at how many M owners are shifting towards Porsche. Says it all really.
Who cares if they're an M?

"Tuned for 'colourful' driving."

Sure because that can't be done after the fact.

"Sacrificing comfort in favour of rawness"

Nope, go and tell Mclaren that (or even Jaguar).. Overly hard suspension isn't necessary..

The two issues you're going to have is weight, size and beatings. A track car is designed to take a good kicking and not bounce around like jello because it's a boat on wheels. That costs money (a lot) in light yet strong materials, R&D and upgraded parts like ceramic brakes etc.

Seen as the M3 weighs 1621 KG's and the M140i (1525KG) / M240i (1587KG) / M340i (1670KG) weigh about the same or worse.. We're not off to a good start on track day requirements.

The M3 is a road car that comes out of the factory with a better setup for track use, mods can fix the gap but everything factored in you might as well bought the M3. Well, if you care about warranties etc.

"If Ferrari started making commuter cars that were fast, but not 'Ferrari'"

Ferrari make a "performance" SUV's don't they?

Anyway, when it comes to modern BMW's my perception is that of upgrades not highly designed specifically focussed vehicles. An M3 isn't an Ariel Atom, Zonda or even a Lotus, so again in my view an M3 is just the next leg up from the M340i.. Call the M3 an M350i for all I care..

It's a matter of preference, not branding.

P.S Not saying the M3 / 4 are bad cars, more multi-purposed which is a good thing.
P.P.S The M brand still retains desirability amongst car nuts at least.
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