I was going to say the same thing. The "M" engines are known for their high redlines and pulling hard above 5K. I had a E60 M5 and it was a dog below 4k. From my conversations with E90 M3 owners they claim the S65 motor is better but still a little logey down low.

I find my 997.2 much more tractable at lower rpms.

 

Simply put, base 997>m3

btw- m3post is one of the most fanboy-ish garbage forums youll find. the members there have no insight to reality (although a few are quite knowledgable). anything on there turns into a bashing fest unless its a GT3 or Scuderia or lambo.
they would fight and dispute a civic getting better gas mileage let alone any other car having better performance. there are also a few honest guys, who like yourself in your post are willing to acknowledge the superiority of a base 911 let alone anything higher in the 911 range. other than that, all those guys are ***-hats driving in a wanna-be sports car that is more akin to a quicker better handling s5 than 911/f430. they can justify their purchase all they want, but look like complete morons to the enthusiat and automotive world doing so. i think its a Porsche envy thing. they want it, but can afford one/or the maint so they get the 'most technologically advanced v8 in the world'. too bad it still wont compare to a GT3 engine or Ferrari V8.
also, m3post guys will swear by this C&D article (even though its BS and they know it), but if the m3 loses, they will discredit C&D as a terrible mag. pathetic!

 

Thats's why I loved Roadfly...after the die out of the E46 so has the board there.

 

Very good post and pretty much the way I feel all the way around. I need a more suitable daily driver and I'll be getting an E92M3 in the next three months. It is not the sportscar that my 997S is and I know that going in but I do think it's the best choice out there when it comes to a DD GT car.

Please guys don't bring the whole M3 owners just wish they could have a Porsche thing in here. If they wanted one they could pick one up a year or two old for the same price as an E92M3. Now, if they think have a better sportscar than a 997, then they need to put the pipe down and step away.

 

Funny thing is, myE46 M3 was solid as a rock for the 7 years I owned it and tracked it and autocrossed it. (I admit, I had the 'harmon kardon rattle that took a wadded up t-shirt to fix..LOL!) Oh, and my rubber door trim fell down on one side a month before I traded it in. That was it for issues!
My virgin 997.2S with 5K miles has rattles on top of the rattles.
Gotta keep pounding on plastic bits to get rid of em'
Go up driveway...creeeeeek goes the sunroof.
If I pull my steering wheel towards me, it pops out 2-3 mm and clunks.
Not to mention my alignment went off at some point and my special "soft glass" windshield gets a new chip every day. I am getting worried about how this car will be in 6 years. My wife is already on me to get an E93 M3, but I have not tracked the 911 yet and that may be it's salvation!
Also, we gotta admit, the 997 base chassis can do some stupid things. Without the aid of PASM, It see-saws on/off throttle and can plow right off the track if you don't manage the weight transfer adequately. The testers have a Vid of the thing looking pretty stupid while they were doing some skidpad work. (I think they did it on purpose to show the weight transfer) Anyway, The statement C&D made about the front tires grabbing and letting go , is an observation of this flaw. But, when you hang an engine outside of the rear axle, you got to expect some interesting traits. The beef that I had with the article is that they never mentioned the 'intangibles' like the steering feel and brake feel in the 911. It is very much the opposite of the european mags that prize the tactile quality of the 911.

 

absolutely right....+1 for that

 

That and "work up a sweat" ? I have never felt that driving the 911 was a laborious process, and with push button shifting, i can't think that claim was anything other than creative writing.

 

I mourne the slow death of Roadfly as well. M3Forum is not bad, but isn't close to 6speed.

My windshield seem to chip every other day as well. I made sure to get full glass coverage because I'm sure it will crack eventually. Indeed, the handling is tricky, as I've said. It is really a special animal to learn to drive near the limit.
I rode in an E90 M3 (sedan) on the street with a BMW test driver. That car is unbelievably fast with incredible handling. And it is a really smooth, comfortable car. I was blown away how smooth, yet fast it was. The wider stock tires than the E46 really add a dimension of grip to the new chassis. THing I love about my 911 is that it is really hot even without mods. I still look at the new M3 and realize it needs a new suspension and wheels, etc., etc. I'm really happy with the 911 and only a few changes. Ah, you can never resist the mod bug!

 

The 997.2 has addressed all of the bobbing/see-saw concerns of the front end. It is as composed as youre going to get unless you step into a car like the GT3 where everything is perfect and balanced from a handling perspective.
I always hated the way the e46 m3 seemed to build and build up before over/understeer. the e92 m3 has fixed that issue well, but it still feels like a heavy car and if pushed hard enough will STILL understeer, though not nearly as bad as the e46 m3. its a great car, but still has its MANY flaws, from the horrible servo steering, to the bland and economy looking interior, to the ****ty paint job, and the boringness of the car unless you keep it spinning at 6K rpms+. the 911 will still thrill you at low mph (and up high of course), whereas the m3 wont.
i had ordered an e92 coupe, my dealership even threw in a 2 day all expenses paid to the M driving school for me...but it wasnt enough to make up for a car that just isnt all that thrilling compared to whats out there, esp for the price. my Z4M coupe is the best driver's bmw we have gotten here in the US IMO...its a more focused car that thrills on level that no other M car out can come close to.

 

I don't reckon they have actually. This week I took my 09 C2S for a 200+km blast up my favourite road - first time there since I traded in my 08 - and I was actually quite dissappointed with how it rode through bumpy corners.

We're talking 5-6000rpm in 2nd and 3rd type roads. Quick but quite tight and steep climbs/descents.

 

I just bought a 997.2 C2 a few weeks ago... I've had it for 3 weeks and absolutely amazed and the tactility and feel of the car.

Prior to choosing the 997, I test drove a manual E92 M3. Now of all the cars I test drove (M3, C63, Cayman S) the M3 was the disappointment of the lot. I'll re-iterate what I wrote in my intro thread: It was a slug under 4,000 RPM. That V8 is highly strung and honestly felt my R32 Golf had almost the same amount of delivery. I conclude that the HYPE is centred all around its track ability, the ability to go sideways and hang it there, and its adjustability.

It's a fantastic car, but around town it sucked. The interior asymmetry is weird and the over-complex computer crap gave me the ****s. It's a SPORT-Y car, NOT A SPORTS CAR.

In Australia, the E92 costs around $190,000 AUD. A base C2 Carrera $230,000 AUD.... I was happy to pay the extra. It's in a league of its own.

[inserts self pity on how much Howie had to pay for a base 911 when realising he could've bought a Turbo in the USA]

 

For those that say the interior in the E92M3 is spartan/bland/economy looking, I'm curious what you say about the interior of the 997.1 or 997.2? I have the full leather in my 997.1 and it doesn't hold a candle to the BMW. Take a look at the tons of plastic bits/pieces in a 997 (see rear console around shifter/ebrake area especially). Not to mention the fake aluminum around the center console, air vents and interior door handles. The E92M3 is far superior in that regard. As far as paint goes, the Porsche is better but neither compare to an Audi.

My 997 had some rattles. I've fixed a couple in mine but still have a vibration coming from the passenger side front speaker area.....drives me f'ing nuts.

 

You're probably right about the look and finish of materials of the 997, but I find that the E92 has odd combinations of asymmetrical shapes. I prefer the symmetry that the 997.2 has. It has a scant interior but it's simple and elegant.

My new 997.2 rattles a little bit but I no longer care about rattles in any car I buy... I've come to realise that ALL new cars rattle no matter which manufacturer makes them. So I no longer pay any attention to them and neither does it bother me, so I'm happier for it.

 

I was quite impressed with my 997.2 PDK pulling 1,200rpm @ 40mph in 7th gear on a flat bit of road.

 

Actually, I prefer the layout of the 997 as well. It's easier to understand/operate that's for sure. Just not a fan of the materials used.

I complained about the complexity of the Idrive in my former E60M5 and is one thing that I will keep in mind when buying the E92M3. Admittedly, I did not give the Idrive in the E60M requisite time to understand either. That was probably out of stubborness on my part as I feel it shouldn't require an IT lesson to learn how to operate a car audio/nav system.