Send to a friendSteve April 22nd, 2008 5:34 PM Link
Gentlemen, this is outstanding. Great idea.
Ask It - Answered: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan
Written By: Seyth Miersma
WINDING ROAD readers seemed especially keen to know, with good reason, how our 2008 BMW M3 sedan compared dynamically to its M3 coupe stable mate. While that question is certainly a valid one, it’s a bit difficult to answer without doing a head-to-head comparison (our M3 coupe arrives when the sedan leaves, unfortunately), though many of the questions are touched on in our own Matt Davis’s excellent review of the sedan.
We can say that the M3 proved to be perfectly tractable while in low-speed traffic and offered strong acceleration in pretty much every gear, though the addictive engine sound high in the rev range often left us choosing the lowest ratio. Editor-In-Chief Chris Paukert averaged about 16 mpg in spirited driving, mostly on freeways, but claims 10-12 mpg (or even single digits) would be easily possible if the driver was given to speeding around town.
Click on the video above for a few more answers to reader questions about the M3 sedan and make sure to check back this Friday, when we post our next Ask It choice.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
10 Comments
ZeGerman April 22nd, 2008 6:15 PM Link
I’ll show some honesty by declaring this reponse to Ask It to be somewhat of a let-down. Only the easiest questions were chosen for a response. If I wanted to know how much it costs, I’d simply go to BMW USA’s web site and build one (which would also clue me in to the available options…). If I wanted to know how it sounds, I’d watch the movie Winding Road made for the M3 coupe, which has the same engine/exhaust as the sedan. I’m not trying to be a hater, because I like Winding Road, and I’m not saying that people don’t have a right to having these questions, either. I’m just saying that the more technical questions should have been addressed.
Jeff April 22nd, 2008 7:47 PM Link
Alright. So I know it’s tough to do a real head to head comparison between the coupe and sedan without both present, but surely someone drove each one, right? I wasn’t looking for very, very specific changes when I asked how they compared a few days ago- I’m looking for overall feel, since I don’t care about 0.02 g’s on the skidpad or .3 seconds in 0-60 times- I just want to know the feel of the sedan over the coupe.
Anyhow, please take some of the more difficult questions next time- basically I agree with ZeGerman. It’s a great idea, but the first execution here was a little…. underwhelming. I mean, you revved the engine, looked at the tach, and talked about some tech features. That’s a good start- go deeper next time! That said, you guys are still my favorite. 
Austin April 22nd, 2008 10:46 PM Link
Buy a tripod. Or a monopod. It will help the camera work immensely.
Also, a good USB mic for tracking audio.
Winding Road » Archive » Ask It: 2009 Bentley Brooklands April 25th, 2008 4:03 PM Link
[…] At roughly $367,000 and shinier than the Hope Diamond, the Brooklands certainly doesn’t lack for features to inquire about; just don’t ask us to wind it out on the local dirt track, we like our jobs too […]
Winding Road » Archive » BMW On the Brain, In Pictures April 28th, 2008 6:49 AM Link
[…] it’s because of the launch of the M1 Homage, or perhaps it’s because of the recent spate of M3s we’ve had in the office, but for some reason we’ve been a little-BMW happy lately. We thought that it’d be only […]
Winding Road » Archive » WR Fleet: 2008 BMW M3 Coupe May 1st, 2008 12:01 PM Link
[…] devil arrived in our test fleet, we knew we’d be in for a good week. Having recently tested an M3 Sedan, we were eager to spend more time with BMW’s 414-horsepower V-8 bomber, and boy, did we enjoy […]
Greg May 1st, 2008 4:10 PM Link
But where’s the hood latch?!
Diesel with Attitude: The Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro
Report: Volkswagen Working on Driverless Self-Parking System for Production
More Spied Images of New Camaro Interior
Early Scoop on Volkswagen Tiguan's U.S. Launch, Diesel Delayed? Not Coming? 
Report: Mercedes-Benz to Leverage Aluminum for Next E-class
HTML Formatting Tips
- To make something bold: <strong>Text to bold</strong>
- To make something italic: <em>Text to italicize</em>
- To make a hyperlink: <a href="URL">Text to link</a>
- To quote something previously said, you can use <blockquote>text</blockquote>
Markdown Formatting Tips (advanced)This site also allows use of Markdown formatting in the comment section. This accomplishes the same formatting as HTML but is typically easy to use.
my code* Second item
• Second item
1. Second item
2. Second item
<email@add.com>