[1MORELAP]

I have both. M3 is a much better car. Much. It's faster, handles better, feels more exotic. I8 is cool, and it looks crazy. But it feel like a Toyota or I guess i3. Keep the M.

[orion1977]

As far as drag races go, this is what I could dig up.

Stock v stock:

Stock v stock:

Tuned m3 vs stock i8:

Tuned i8 vs stock m4:

Tuned i8 vs various cars, including an m4:

[kkhurr]

Both are great cars

I have a E92 M3 supercharged making about 650 BHP 6 speed and then the I8. The i8 is my daily and the M3 is the weekend. The M3 is much more engaging and loud but also tiring to drive after a while but WAY MORE FUN for when you are in a more spirited mood. The i8 is much more relaxed and comfortable over long distances, less drama (on the inside and driving wise). The i8 looks like a hypercar but drives like a luxury car and overall feels more high end and classy.

[ImGoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by 1MORELAP

I have both. M3 is a much better car. Much. It's faster, handles better, feels more exotic. I8 is cool, and it looks crazy. But it feel like a Toyota or I guess i3. Keep the M.

question how is the ride quality compared to the M? I find my m3 to be really harsh even in comfort mode, what can i expect with the i8?

[ImGoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by 1MORELAP

I have both. M3 is a much better car. Much. It's faster, handles better, feels more exotic. I8 is cool, and it looks crazy. But it feel like a Toyota or I guess i3. Keep the M.

What do you mean the m3 feels more exotic?

[Ghetto2315]

Below was my response to somebody in the forum when they asked me what I thought about my previous M4 vs the i8 that I am currently in and how I liked each for my daily driver duties:



I did have an M4. It was my daily driver.

I currently still have my 01' E46 M3 (now that Hagerty said it's a future collectable, I don't think I'm getting rid of it). Had a 12' E92 M3 for 3 years and then I gave that up for the M4. Drove the M4 for only a year and a half before I made the switch to the i8, which is also now my daily driver. The two M3's and the M4 were all 6-speed manuals. I'm an M guy through and through but I figured I would give the i8 a try since the timing was right (I'm 33 years old so I'll explain below).

My M4 was tuned with full bolt-ons so it was an immensely fun car. The M4 stock struggled with putting all that power down to the rear tires so you can imagine how more frustrating AND enjoyable it was once it was modified. I won't go in to the small facets like exterior/interior/storage/usability.

RIDE/HANDLING: For my daily driving, I purposely ordered my M4 with the Dynamic Damper Control to utilize the comfort setting. Even in comfort, the suspension was harsh. It was something that I was very used to and didn't mind but if I had a passenger, it did cross my mind about how they were feeling when going over unpleasant bumps but no passengers ever complained so I guess it wasn't that bad. The i8 is compliant in comparison. As it should be considering it's more of a grand touring car than a sports car. I guess it's the "kid" in me but I love oversteer. The very first thing I did when I fired up my M4 was turn off the traction/stability control. I have plenty of track time under my belt that I am confident enough in my driving so any chance I get to get my rear to kick out for a controlled oversteer, I did it. It's what makes RWD and torque such a joyous combination. In the i8, if you push it around a turn, you actually get understeer but that's normal with AWD. I still can't get over the fact that there are 225 section tires upfront. The i8 is severely under-tired and I would sacrifice some MPG for better grip. Although at it's limits, I am surprised how buttoned-down the i8 feels.


PERFORMANCE: Stock vs Stock, I know the i8 has more torque than the M4 but it sure did not feel like it. The torque/power comes on like a nuclear bomb in the M4 while in the i8 it feels like a steady climbing missile. Part of why it felt like a nuke in the M4 is because of the RWD and it's propensity to oversteer. I don't have to explain how the i8 launches from a dig with it's AWD. It's no fuss or drama and leaves clean, which is obviously more efficient since the car is doing it for you. In the M4, you have to modulate the throttle. Almost like playing a game and that kept me entertained. From a roll, the M4 is much faster. My modified M4 was a monster from a roll and would put a bus length or two on the i8 doing a 50-120 MPH roll runs. One thing that I do love about the i8 is the fact that there is literally no lag when it comes pedal action to engine/throttle response. Obviously has to do with the electric power since it's immediate. The M4 has such little turbo lag but when compared to the i8, it tends to feel pretty long.


TRANSMISSION: So this was a tough one for me. I knew that I would be giving up my manual transmission in the i8. I battled with this for a long time before I made the jump. Knowing that my E46 M3 and my E39 540i were also manual trans, it made the jump easier. The M4's manual trans is one of the best feeling manual trans I have ever driven. Not as short and direct as the Honda S2000, which was the best in my book. But it wasn't rubbery and the throws weren't long by any means. The i8's transmission is a tricky one with the hybrid set-up. In manual-shift mode, I really HATE the fact that it will downshift for you on deceleration and it will not let you upshift until the car feels it's right to. There are times that I have gotten my i8's transmission confused when in Comfort Mode where I would mash the throttle for max acceleration but it would not shift, causing the ICE engine to kick on but no power and my RPM's surge. It's odd. Needless to say, if the i8 ever had the capacity for 3-pedals, I would opt for it.


SOUND: I'll keep this one short. The i8's sound leaves a lot to be desired. Too calm for my personal taste but it fits the car's personality so I won't complain. For the M4, the sound it makes is fantastic. And I had a custom exhaust on my E92 M3 so I know what sounds good. The only complaint that I had was at cold-start. The M4 then sounded like a weed wacker and a John Deer tractor having sex. Thank goodness that when I got my M4 tuned, I was able to delete the cold-start so that took care of that. On downshift on my M4, the exhaust burble and braps were awesome.


The M4 was everything I wanted in my daily driver. Fast, great-styling, manual transmission, loud exhaust and the visibility was much better. I'm not sure with you guys but in my i8, there is a small blind spot on both driver and passenger-side A-pillars. Even more so at night. But the i8's styling, technology and comfort is what attracted me. I wanted to see what BMW's latest and greatest had to offer. I suffered knee injuries from years and years of playing competitive basketball so bending is tough for me at times. I wanted to be able to experience the i8 while I physically still could and I am glad I did. The i8 is brilliant for my daily driving needs but I want more excitement my next go around. I miss that visceral feel that only an M car can bring.

Different strokes for different folks but put a gun to my head, I am picking the M4 because that is what suits me while I'm still in my 30's. Perhaps my views will change as I get older.

EDIT: The pre-conditioning to warm up the car has been absolutely fantastic as I live in the Northeast and the temps have been quite cold. I can obviously live without the function but it's nice to have. Something I couldn't do with my M4.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

Below was my response to somebody in the forum when they asked me what I thought about my previous M4 vs the i8 that I am currently in and how I liked each for my daily driver duties:



I did have an M4. It was my daily driver.

I currently still have my 01' E46 M3 (now that Hagerty said it's a future collectable, I don't think I'm getting rid of it). Had a 12' E92 M3 for 3 years and then I gave that up for the M4. Drove the M4 for only a year and a half before I made the switch to the i8, which is also now my daily driver. The two M3's and the M4 were all 6-speed manuals. I'm an M guy through and through but I figured I would give the i8 a try since the timing was right (I'm 33 years old so I'll explain below).

My M4 was tuned with full bolt-ons so it was an immensely fun car. The M4 stock struggled with putting all that power down to the rear tires so you can imagine how more frustrating AND enjoyable it was once it was modified. I won't go in to the small facets like exterior/interior/storage/usability.

RIDE/HANDLING: For my daily driving, I purposely ordered my M4 with the Dynamic Damper Control to utilize the comfort setting. Even in comfort, the suspension was harsh. It was something that I was very used to and didn't mind but if I had a passenger, it did cross my mind about how they were feeling when going over unpleasant bumps but no passengers ever complained so I guess it wasn't that bad. The i8 is compliant in comparison. As it should be considering it's more of a grand touring car than a sports car. I guess it's the "kid" in me but I love oversteer. The very first thing I did when I fired up my M4 was turn off the traction/stability control. I have plenty of track time under my belt that I am confident enough in my driving so any chance I get to get my rear to kick out for a controlled oversteer, I did it. It's what makes RWD and torque such a joyous combination. In the i8, if you push it around a turn, you actually get understeer but that's normal with AWD. I still can't get over the fact that there are 225 section tires upfront. The i8 is severely under-tired and I would sacrifice some MPG for better grip. Although at it's limits, I am surprised how buttoned-down the i8 feels.


PERFORMANCE: Stock vs Stock, I know the i8 has more torque than the M4 but it sure did not feel like it. The torque/power comes on like a nuclear bomb in the M4 while in the i8 it feels like a steady climbing missile. Part of why it felt like a nuke in the M4 is because of the RWD and it's propensity to oversteer. I don't have to explain how the i8 launches from a dig with it's AWD. It's no fuss or drama and leaves clean, which is obviously more efficient since the car is doing it for you. In the M4, you have to modulate the throttle. Almost like playing a game and that kept me entertained. From a roll, the M4 is much faster. My modified M4 was a monster from a roll and would put a bus length or two on the i8 doing a 50-120 MPH roll runs.


TRANSMISSION: So this was a tough one for me. I knew that I would be giving up my manual transmission in the i8. I battled with this for a long time before I made the jump. Knowing that my E46 M3 and my E39 540i were also manual trans, it made the jump easier. The M4's manual trans is one of the best feeling manual trans I have ever driven. Not as short and direct as the Honda S2000, which was the best in my book. But it wasn't rubbery and the throws weren't long by any means. The i8's transmission is a tricky one with the hybrid set-up. In manual-shift mode, I really HATE the fact that it will downshift for you on deceleration and it will not let you upshift until the car feels it's right to. There are times that I have gotten my i8's transmission confused when in Comfort Mode where I would mash the throttle for max acceleration but it would not shift, causing the ICE engine to kick on but no power and my RPM's surge. It's odd. Needless to say, if the i8 ever had the capacity for 3-pedals, I would opt for it.


SOUND: I'll keep this one short. The i8's sound leaves a lot to be desired. Too calm for my personal taste but it fits the car's personality so I won't complain. For the M4, the sound it makes is fantastic. And I had a custom exhaust on my E92 M3 so I know what sounds good. The only complaint that I had was at cold-start. The M4 then sounded like a weed wacker and a John Deer tractor having sex. Thank goodness that when I got my M4 tuned, I was able to delete the cold-start so that took care of that. On downshift on my M4, the exhaust burble and braps were awesome.


The M4 was everything I wanted in my daily driver. Fast, great-styling, manual transmission, loud exhaust and the visibility was much better. I'm not sure with you guys but in my i8, there is a small blind spot on both driver and passenger-side A-pillars. Even more so at night. But the i8's styling, technology and comfort is what attracted me. I wanted to see what BMW's latest and greatest had to offer. I suffered knee injuries from years and years of playing competitive basketball so bending is tough for me at times. I wanted to be able to experience the i8 while I physically still could and I am glad I did. The i8 is brilliant for my daily driving needs but I want more excitement my next go around. I miss that visceral feel that only an M car can bring.

Different strokes for different folks but put a gun to my head, I am picking the M4 because that is what suits me while I'm still in my 30's. Perhaps my views will change as I get older.

Thanks for that feedback. I'm not sure if it's going to make me decision any easier, but at least I have something to chew on. I'm surprised to hear that the i8 locks you out of upshifting in certain situations. I currently have a DCT M3 and I find it a very good alternative to a traditional manual. Jumping backwards to a ZF8 doesn't sound too appealing.