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Verslagje van E93 M3 eigenaar
My wife started complaining about her Porsche Boxster S a couple of months ago.
She loved the Boxster S, especially how it looked(or better said: how SHE looked in it ) but since we have two little kids(age 4 & 7), the Boxster S wasn't just the right car for her anymore.
So a couple of months ago, the search for a 4-seater Cabriolet started, something nice, something fast and something she was looking good in(well... ).
At the end, the BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG was the only car left, simply because the direct competitor in this challenge, the Porsche 997 Carrera Cabriolet FL, was too small regarding the rear seats. The 7 year old daughter didn't feel at all comfortable in the 997's Cab backseat, so the decision was clear: the BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG would be my wife's next car.
From a quality perspective, the BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG has a very high build quality, no doubt about it. What shocked me a little bit was the weight gain compared to the M3 Coupe, around 200(!) kg because of the SLK-type retractable fixed roof. The engine and the brake system are unchanged compared to the Coupe, so you can imagine that 200 kg more weight are asking for some sort of tribute regarding performance, brake performance and fuel consumption.
ENGINE
The engine of the M3 Cabriolet DKG is a treat, no doubt about it. I'm more into turbo charged boxer engines but the sound this engine delivers is just devine. It reminds me of the old american muscle cars, maybe a little bit toned down but still very noticeable, especially to the outside world.
Revving the engine over 5000 rpm starts a real sound inferno, the M3 Cab sounda like a race car and it is fascinating to watch the rev line go past 8000 rpm without a sweat. Unfortunately this is where the additional weight of the retractabke fixed roof kicks in: the car is fast, no doubt about it but it never feels fast.
There is a certain rev range between 3000 and 4500 rpm where the engine feels like it would provide a ton of torque and it also sounds best in this rev range but it isn't fast if you don't rev it above 6000 rpm or higher.
Which brings me to another point: for a Cabriolet, this engine is just too sporty. Not too powerful, not too loud, just too sporty. Cab drivers would prefer to have more torque on the lower and mid ranged rev level but the M3 Cab just comes alive and accelerates like hell only if you rev above 6000 rpm. Now just imagine cruising with the engine at 7000 or even 8000 rpm all the time, this isn't fun at all, especially in the city. A more powerful version of the 335i bi-turbo charged engine would have been a much better choice for the M3 Cab, no doubt about it.
DKG
I wish I could be impressed with DKG but I'm not. I definetely was impressed with Porsche's PDK during my 997 Carrera Cabriolet testdrive but the BMW DKG in my wife's M3 Cab actually reminds me how new this technology is and how much refinement it still needs.
There are also some software glitches(for example: DKG shifts all by itself into "N" position when slowing down or taking a very slow and narrow turn at very low speeds in the first or second gear(auto and manual mode), incl. the very annoying fact for automatic tranny used drivers that the DKG doesn't have that typical automatic tranny "inertia" when releasing the brake pedal. The DKG equipped car doesn't move a bit when in "D"(auto mode) after releasing the brake pedal, on the contrary, it even rolls back after two seconds.
Porsche did a better job with their PDK, it shows the same behaviour pattern like an ordinary auto tranny when operated, incl. the mild inertia when releasing the brake pedal.
From time to time, DKG also refuses to change the gear(manual mode) the first time, you need to try again to make the gear change. It happens very seldom and only at a high rev figure but it is annoying.
According to BMW, the most common software glitches are well known and they're working on a fix due around October or so. This sounds good but still doesn't explain why BMW put DKG on the market without proper testing.
The change to "N", sometimes including a complete engine shutdown, can lead to very dangerous situations like it happened to me once. Imagine you want to make a fast turn into a large street to the right and another car is approaching from the left at some distance. Now imagine you make the fast turn and the engine dies. The car coming from the left almost crashed into my rear because there were no braking lights on my car and nobody expects a sudden stop after a car enters a street.
On the other hand, DKG shifts very fast at higher rev figures and it is fun to drive...as long as it works.
VMAX RAISE
I had BMW raise the top speed on my wife's car from the stock 250 kph to the approved 280 kph. Unfortunately the left hand at BMW doesn't seem to know what the right hand is doing. First I had to talk to BMW several times to make sure I get the Vmax raise WITHOUT the driver training which was supposed to be mandatory(NOT!) to get the Vmax raise. Truth is: BMW actually wants to sell you the driver training lesson, the Vmax raise is just a piece of software which comes on a DVD individually VIN-locked(!) and which needs to be uploaded to the M3's ECU.
This pretty unusual method(a simple "unlock" switch in the software would have done the same job) seems to make sure that dealers don't unlock the Vmax for free for customers. This is just a guess though.
I find it pretty lame that BMW requires the buying of the whole package(driver training & Vmax raised ECU software) and doesn't give away the ECU software only but at least I was able to get the ECU software before the driver training, so it doesn't really matter anymore.
Again a problem occured: after talking to BMW and confirming that the first service can be done at 1850 km instead of 2000 km, incl. the new software upload, I drove around for a couple of hundred of km after the first service, just to find out that the Vmax raise hasn't worked.
Talking again to BMW, they confirmed that the Vmax raise unlock software can ONLY work if the car has already 2000 km. There was no technical information or sidenote, bummer.
So we had to do the whole upload procedure again...a 3 hours job.
The M3 Cab runs now 308 kph on the speedo(GPS-measured 291 kph). This is pretty cool for a car without any kind of rear wing/lip.
BRAKES
The Vmax raise to "official" 280 kph(true 291 kph ) brings me to the next problem: the brake system.
A single braking from this speed down to around 200 kph was enough to create a very strong vibration, strong fading and also some loss of braking performance(the brake pedal was almost at the ground). In my Porsche 997 Turbo with PCCB, braking from 320 kph on the speedo to 100 kph wouldn't cost me a singly sweat, I could do that ten times one after another and the brake would still feel the same.
Which brings me again back to the excessive weight of the BMW M3 Cabriolet.
SUSPENSION/CHASSIS
The M3 chassis is very good considering the weight of the car. The setup is pretty neutral, unfortunately the DSC(ESP) also kicks in pretty fast, even with the S5/POWER setting I'm always driving with. Turning off the DSC isn't a good idea unless you want to shave off half of the tread on your rear tires. The launch control is a nice feature but after using it once, I refrain from using it again. It feels great and it is fun but just imagine a dragster at a stop light in the city and how dumb people would look at you. Well...no difference with the M3 Cab, the rear wheels start spinning pretty strongly, you get a huge white cloud from the rear tires and a lot of squeaking but I agree, it is fun and it really accelerates the M3 like a rocket.
On wet pavement, turning off the DSC can be very dangerous, the rear wheel drive of the M3 and the 420 HP engine really kick it off and you can barely control it.
SUMMARY
The BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG is a great car and a great Cab. It delivers the same comfort and engine enjoyment like in the M3 Coupe with the option of opening up the roof completely.
Unfortunately this car is WAY TOO HEAVY and although it isn't much slowlier than the M3 Coupe in reality(0.4 seconds from 0-100 kph and 1.6 seconds from 0-200 kph), the M3 Cab FEELS slow. Honestly, whenever I accelerate, I get the feeling that the car isn't really moving but when looking at the speedo or in my rear mirror, I realize how fast I've been. The Porsche 997 Carrera Cabriolet PDK felt completely different. With 345 HP only, this car felt very powerful and very fast in almost every driving situation.
The M3 Cab shows a completely different picture, I wish BMW would have chosen a soft top instead of the fixed one.
To make it short: if you're looking for a powerful, well built and fast car with enough comfort for the rear passengers too, the M3 Cab is the right car for you.
If you're looking for THE driving machine in a Cabriolet suit, the Porsche 997 Carrera is the much better choice in my opinion. The M3 Cab always feels very heavy and slow, no fun here for sportscar enthusiasts like I am.
Of course I enjoy driving the M3 Cab from time to time but it isn't as much fun as I thought it would be. My wife likes the M3 Cab more than I do but from time to time, she still misses her Boxster S, simpyl because it "felt" sportier.
Don't get me wrong, the M3 Cab is a fine car and the chassis and even the steering feel direct and very well balanced. However, if you really want the M3, get the Coupe or the limousine instead, the Cab is just too heavy to provide the fun a Porsche does.
For the first time I realize why Porsche is charging more for the 911 compared to the competition, the M3 Cabriolet is the best example how a marvelous engine and a very good chassis/steering setup can be "destroyed" by too much weight. The M3 Cab is a very fast car, no doubt about it but the feeling is important too. It just doesn't feel fast, as weird as this may sound. This fact cuts away a lot from the fun the great engine(incl. the sound) and the very good chassis/steering provide(or could provide).
She loved the Boxster S, especially how it looked(or better said: how SHE looked in it ) but since we have two little kids(age 4 & 7), the Boxster S wasn't just the right car for her anymore.
So a couple of months ago, the search for a 4-seater Cabriolet started, something nice, something fast and something she was looking good in(well... ).
At the end, the BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG was the only car left, simply because the direct competitor in this challenge, the Porsche 997 Carrera Cabriolet FL, was too small regarding the rear seats. The 7 year old daughter didn't feel at all comfortable in the 997's Cab backseat, so the decision was clear: the BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG would be my wife's next car.
From a quality perspective, the BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG has a very high build quality, no doubt about it. What shocked me a little bit was the weight gain compared to the M3 Coupe, around 200(!) kg because of the SLK-type retractable fixed roof. The engine and the brake system are unchanged compared to the Coupe, so you can imagine that 200 kg more weight are asking for some sort of tribute regarding performance, brake performance and fuel consumption.
ENGINE
The engine of the M3 Cabriolet DKG is a treat, no doubt about it. I'm more into turbo charged boxer engines but the sound this engine delivers is just devine. It reminds me of the old american muscle cars, maybe a little bit toned down but still very noticeable, especially to the outside world.
Revving the engine over 5000 rpm starts a real sound inferno, the M3 Cab sounda like a race car and it is fascinating to watch the rev line go past 8000 rpm without a sweat. Unfortunately this is where the additional weight of the retractabke fixed roof kicks in: the car is fast, no doubt about it but it never feels fast.
There is a certain rev range between 3000 and 4500 rpm where the engine feels like it would provide a ton of torque and it also sounds best in this rev range but it isn't fast if you don't rev it above 6000 rpm or higher.
Which brings me to another point: for a Cabriolet, this engine is just too sporty. Not too powerful, not too loud, just too sporty. Cab drivers would prefer to have more torque on the lower and mid ranged rev level but the M3 Cab just comes alive and accelerates like hell only if you rev above 6000 rpm. Now just imagine cruising with the engine at 7000 or even 8000 rpm all the time, this isn't fun at all, especially in the city. A more powerful version of the 335i bi-turbo charged engine would have been a much better choice for the M3 Cab, no doubt about it.
DKG
I wish I could be impressed with DKG but I'm not. I definetely was impressed with Porsche's PDK during my 997 Carrera Cabriolet testdrive but the BMW DKG in my wife's M3 Cab actually reminds me how new this technology is and how much refinement it still needs.
There are also some software glitches(for example: DKG shifts all by itself into "N" position when slowing down or taking a very slow and narrow turn at very low speeds in the first or second gear(auto and manual mode), incl. the very annoying fact for automatic tranny used drivers that the DKG doesn't have that typical automatic tranny "inertia" when releasing the brake pedal. The DKG equipped car doesn't move a bit when in "D"(auto mode) after releasing the brake pedal, on the contrary, it even rolls back after two seconds.
Porsche did a better job with their PDK, it shows the same behaviour pattern like an ordinary auto tranny when operated, incl. the mild inertia when releasing the brake pedal.
From time to time, DKG also refuses to change the gear(manual mode) the first time, you need to try again to make the gear change. It happens very seldom and only at a high rev figure but it is annoying.
According to BMW, the most common software glitches are well known and they're working on a fix due around October or so. This sounds good but still doesn't explain why BMW put DKG on the market without proper testing.
The change to "N", sometimes including a complete engine shutdown, can lead to very dangerous situations like it happened to me once. Imagine you want to make a fast turn into a large street to the right and another car is approaching from the left at some distance. Now imagine you make the fast turn and the engine dies. The car coming from the left almost crashed into my rear because there were no braking lights on my car and nobody expects a sudden stop after a car enters a street.
On the other hand, DKG shifts very fast at higher rev figures and it is fun to drive...as long as it works.
VMAX RAISE
I had BMW raise the top speed on my wife's car from the stock 250 kph to the approved 280 kph. Unfortunately the left hand at BMW doesn't seem to know what the right hand is doing. First I had to talk to BMW several times to make sure I get the Vmax raise WITHOUT the driver training which was supposed to be mandatory(NOT!) to get the Vmax raise. Truth is: BMW actually wants to sell you the driver training lesson, the Vmax raise is just a piece of software which comes on a DVD individually VIN-locked(!) and which needs to be uploaded to the M3's ECU.
This pretty unusual method(a simple "unlock" switch in the software would have done the same job) seems to make sure that dealers don't unlock the Vmax for free for customers. This is just a guess though.
I find it pretty lame that BMW requires the buying of the whole package(driver training & Vmax raised ECU software) and doesn't give away the ECU software only but at least I was able to get the ECU software before the driver training, so it doesn't really matter anymore.
Again a problem occured: after talking to BMW and confirming that the first service can be done at 1850 km instead of 2000 km, incl. the new software upload, I drove around for a couple of hundred of km after the first service, just to find out that the Vmax raise hasn't worked.
Talking again to BMW, they confirmed that the Vmax raise unlock software can ONLY work if the car has already 2000 km. There was no technical information or sidenote, bummer.
So we had to do the whole upload procedure again...a 3 hours job.
The M3 Cab runs now 308 kph on the speedo(GPS-measured 291 kph). This is pretty cool for a car without any kind of rear wing/lip.
BRAKES
The Vmax raise to "official" 280 kph(true 291 kph ) brings me to the next problem: the brake system.
A single braking from this speed down to around 200 kph was enough to create a very strong vibration, strong fading and also some loss of braking performance(the brake pedal was almost at the ground). In my Porsche 997 Turbo with PCCB, braking from 320 kph on the speedo to 100 kph wouldn't cost me a singly sweat, I could do that ten times one after another and the brake would still feel the same.
Which brings me again back to the excessive weight of the BMW M3 Cabriolet.
SUSPENSION/CHASSIS
The M3 chassis is very good considering the weight of the car. The setup is pretty neutral, unfortunately the DSC(ESP) also kicks in pretty fast, even with the S5/POWER setting I'm always driving with. Turning off the DSC isn't a good idea unless you want to shave off half of the tread on your rear tires. The launch control is a nice feature but after using it once, I refrain from using it again. It feels great and it is fun but just imagine a dragster at a stop light in the city and how dumb people would look at you. Well...no difference with the M3 Cab, the rear wheels start spinning pretty strongly, you get a huge white cloud from the rear tires and a lot of squeaking but I agree, it is fun and it really accelerates the M3 like a rocket.
On wet pavement, turning off the DSC can be very dangerous, the rear wheel drive of the M3 and the 420 HP engine really kick it off and you can barely control it.
SUMMARY
The BMW M3 Cabriolet DKG is a great car and a great Cab. It delivers the same comfort and engine enjoyment like in the M3 Coupe with the option of opening up the roof completely.
Unfortunately this car is WAY TOO HEAVY and although it isn't much slowlier than the M3 Coupe in reality(0.4 seconds from 0-100 kph and 1.6 seconds from 0-200 kph), the M3 Cab FEELS slow. Honestly, whenever I accelerate, I get the feeling that the car isn't really moving but when looking at the speedo or in my rear mirror, I realize how fast I've been. The Porsche 997 Carrera Cabriolet PDK felt completely different. With 345 HP only, this car felt very powerful and very fast in almost every driving situation.
The M3 Cab shows a completely different picture, I wish BMW would have chosen a soft top instead of the fixed one.
To make it short: if you're looking for a powerful, well built and fast car with enough comfort for the rear passengers too, the M3 Cab is the right car for you.
If you're looking for THE driving machine in a Cabriolet suit, the Porsche 997 Carrera is the much better choice in my opinion. The M3 Cab always feels very heavy and slow, no fun here for sportscar enthusiasts like I am.
Of course I enjoy driving the M3 Cab from time to time but it isn't as much fun as I thought it would be. My wife likes the M3 Cab more than I do but from time to time, she still misses her Boxster S, simpyl because it "felt" sportier.
Don't get me wrong, the M3 Cab is a fine car and the chassis and even the steering feel direct and very well balanced. However, if you really want the M3, get the Coupe or the limousine instead, the Cab is just too heavy to provide the fun a Porsche does.
For the first time I realize why Porsche is charging more for the 911 compared to the competition, the M3 Cabriolet is the best example how a marvelous engine and a very good chassis/steering setup can be "destroyed" by too much weight. The M3 Cab is a very fast car, no doubt about it but the feeling is important too. It just doesn't feel fast, as weird as this may sound. This fact cuts away a lot from the fun the great engine(incl. the sound) and the very good chassis/steering provide(or could provide).
///M's
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