Has anyone seen this.........Car and Driver is sooooo Bias......I have seen this every year and it gets tiring...anyone got another comparison I can send my "mouthy BMW" friends

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/09q1/2009_porsche_911_carrera_vs._2009_bmw_m3-comparison_tests

 

It`s just Porsche does not need to pay C&D as much as BMW does, plus 911 car does not really need so much publicity to make people 'believe' it is worth buying.

 

haha this is so BS, thats why they call M3 "Bimmer" and 911 "Porsche",
big difference between GUESS vs. GUCCI

 

They actually have a video of the test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9k5Lo_ja_w

 

who cares what they have, claims that M3 had better grip in corners and had better overall lap times than 911 are ridiculous - it does not match with reality known to me at all.

 

The M3 coupe is a great car but it drives like a refined sports sedan. The 911 is an all-in-the-rear go-kart that some prefer. I have no qualms w/ C&D, as it is their choice. I differ when they say that the 11 is nervous and twitchy... an indication they do not know how to drive it.

 

Here we go again, this is a repost?

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...w-m3-09-a.html

 

"As undulating pavement works the suspension and the weight transfers around, the steering can respond with surprises. Sometimes a gentle plow suddenly locks into a vicious bite, which spirals quickly into tail wag if you lift,"

WTF?

Where did this crap come from? Utter and total BS. A base 997.2 is so progressive and predictable as it approaches the limits.

What a joke!

Car and Driver has long been the anus of automotive journalism. This shows nothing has changed. If I were Porsche, the next time they asked for a car I would tell them to go suck a donkey.

 

By the way I agree with you completely. Haven driven both vehicles C&D got this one wrong.

 

Old info...

 

1) At 1 min 2 sec you can see that the Porsche has PDK but lacks the sport chrono which makes the PDK test flawed in that its NOT the complete config .

2) They tested a base 911 Vs a loaded 73K M3 with every computer option.

3) The M3 does look nice in silverstone .

I have both cars . The M3 is NOT my number 1 .
So there

 

Isn't this comparison like saying "we're going to test a Prius against a Bentley, but because the Bentley is so much more expensive, we're going to remove the engine, seats, dash, wheels, and electronic system - because the Bentely did not move, the Prius is the better car." You have to compare apples to apples. An M3/5 vs 911 C2S would be a more accurate comparison.

 

I'll play the devil's advocate. The base 911 without sport chrono indeed. But the car is still a good $15k more than the M3 loaded. BTW, that's over 20%. If they said it's twitchy, I would tend to agree. An M3 is incredibly easy to drive. Pitch it into a curve and it tracks - it doesn't understeer severely. And then it's neutral unless you romp on the gas to induce oversteer. The 911's gotta be driven "gently" into a turn and then you can get on the power as the tail starts to come around, but progressively gets more bite as you get on it. I would not consider it easy to drive. I'm having a blast in mind, but it has taken a few thousand miles to come to grips with. I also know why the German magazines are huge Porsche fans and small BMW fans. They've taken the time to figure out how to drive them and can run circles around the BMW's with them.
If they compared an S with sport chrono, you'd be comparing a $100k car with a $73k BMW. You can own the M3 and the Civic for the price of the 911. Not the deciding factor, but it is a factor.

 

I actually agree...

The fact is you can get into a M3 coupe with all the performance hardware for under $63k before any discount.

Dave

 

Since I have always had both of thse cars simultaneously (beginning mid 90's) I didn't face some of the transitional driving issues that some have posted about. As you point out the M3 costs less and my observation is that more M3 owners trade up than 911 owners downsizing.

I find the M3 is not necesarrily easier to drive but it is different. Also it has massive low end torque but 3rd gear starts the weakening process and by 4th gear it's out of steam. The 997.2 S has a little more juice . I am not sure on the base 997 (haven't driven one) .

Running it through curves the M3 really seems to defy is heavy weight . It's quite impressive for such a heavy and almost luxurious type of car . The 997.2 S on the other hand feels more nimble . Now it is true that my 997.2 S is on Coilovers and my M3 is stock but I feel much more road confidence in the Porsche .

Of my cars I seem to get the most overall enjoyment out of the Turbo . Even though I feel the 997S has this light and seamless drive I am less into the twisties concept and more into the low level flying appeal of the modded Turbo .

Unlike both of the cars the Turbo comes alive in third gear . By then the Turbos are spooling and pulling into warp mode . Plus the modified Turbos do NOT let off at all . 3rd is scrary enough and 4th just picks up where 3rd left off . That's why I feel that these one mile Texas Mile type of events just hurl these cars . If there is any disadvantage I would place it at the start . 1st gear is not a lengthy process . The car thrives the most on a rolling start . Highly modded there isn''t too much competition on a roll. It will smoke the M3 and the 997S plus the sensation of the AWD and the Turbo sound is unreal. That's why i hardly drive the car . I want to keep it and savor it forever. Just knowing I have the car with those once in awhile drives is enough to hold me over till the next Turbo meal.