The job they did with the exhaust system isn't bad, just open to one's taste in engine noise. But the sound you hear in the cabin isn't the engine at all. It's an electronic synthesization played through the speakers that rises and falls with the revs. It's not designed to "fake out" the listener or sweeten the sound.… Read more

I lifted. I'm not going to be THAT guy. Read more

That's true about the interior sound. It's not as if it sounds like one of these.

It has nothing to do with whether the M3 sedan is any good, but to the fact thst the M3 has always primarily been a coupe. Read more

Oh, good question. Sorry I left it out, because it's kind of important in context. It's 7,600, so they kind of split the difference. Sounds like you may be a little disappointed. Read more

Ha. Yeah, those aggro shifts in SportPlus feel better than they sound. Read more

We'll have to revisit this when we get one to drive for a while on public streets. But it really feels buttoned up on the track. Read more

I'm holding back a bit, because it's been a while since I drove an E92, whose steering wasn't quite up to par with the E46's. But the new system has good feel for a new car of its weight and tire size, etc. Of course it's no 997 GT3, but a comparo with Porsche's latest EPAS cars is in order. BMW may have reached par. Read more

Indeed, this is the dilemma of our age. Read more

CCBs are ridiculously expensive right now, to be sure. But we're talking about stock BMW M compound brakes, here, which traditionally haven't been up to snuff for serious track work. The new ones may be better, but none of the track cars had them. Read more

No, it's always there. It doesn't affect the quality of the audio system's sound, though. Read more

Hmm. From outside, standing along the front straight at Road America, it probably sounded like 70% induction, 30% I6 growl. If I had to guess, I'd say the E92 was louder from the outside, in stock form. Hard to say about the inside. The volume was just about perfect with the synthesizer. I'd have to get back in an E92… Read more

Hmm. They only had one or two manuals to cruise around in, but none for the track. Hopefully we'll get a manual in the media fleet later on to test. Read more

Well, if the "essence" of an M3 is the S65 than yes, it sort of did. Also, considering the M3 is like 60% different than a standard 3-Series, I'm afraid you make a compelling point, which either indicts BMW's approach to the car business, or the majority of BMW's customers for demanding something other than the… Read more

The M-DCT is very, very good, though I do wish we could have at least tried the manual on the track. Either way, it feels like a million years since SMG II. Read more

I love that place. I want to live there. Right at the kink. Read more

Hmm. I hadn't considered that. It actually sounds a lot better than the taste of congealed fat. Read more

Read the book. A.J. didn't forget them. Read more

Stop it! You're making a mockery of Bell Day!

Spelling jokes always seem like a good idea at the time. Read more