A3Floyd Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Ok - whats all this about... tit in an M3 all over my arse yesterday (baby in car so i'm extra sensitive) so i do the wise thing and pull in asap. So tit comes screaming past, engine screaming like a goodun and right behind it is a Clio sport (172/182 style) also screaming but all over the M3's arse. Now i know the Clio sports are quick but i'm reckoning that the M3 driver was probably quite put out by the fact that this cheapo french car was giving his mucho-expensive M3 a good spanking! So whats the deal? are clios really that quick?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Sure it was really an M3 and not a 3-series with a bodykit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterS Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Sure it was really an M3 and not a 3-series with a bodykit? [/ QUOTE ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I could believe it if it was an E36 M3. I used to find it absolutely hilarious how uptight M3 owners got when their pride and joy was soundly thrashed by an Impreza half its price. (Er, purely on proper circuits at officially organised track days of course... ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I could believe it if it was an E36 M3. I used to find it absolutely hilarious how uptight M3 owners got when their pride and joy was soundly thrashed by an Impreza half its price. (Er, purely on proper circuits at officially organised track days of course... ). [/ QUOTE ] Funniest thing I've ever seen was a photo of a BRAND NEW Impreza STI getting overtaken by a Metro GTI in an article they did in Track Day Magazine (or something like that) where they bought a track car for £500. The Impreza owner did not look amused! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 That's the thing about track days - there's alot more difference in the driver than the car. The Scooby modders always made me laugh - they'd spend thousands on engine upgrades and wheels and stuff (the sensible ones would even upgrade suspension and brakes ), but none of them could ever get close to one guy who had a totally standard UK spec Impreza Turbo, only modification being a proper racing harness (and the fact he was a race instructor... ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3Floyd Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 No - it was a proper M3, the V8 one with the bonnet bulge and the chrome bits on the side panel and the Clio looked like a 172/182. They were both seriously going for it, the BMW's engine was screaming a goodun. I was shocked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanG Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] No - it was a proper M3, the V8 one with the bonnet bulge and the chrome bits on the side panel and the Clio looked like a 172/182. They were both seriously going for it, the BMW's engine was screaming a goodun. I was shocked! [/ QUOTE ] Don't tell anyone..... but there isnt a M3 V8 out just yet... Did it have a big V8 badge on the back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tappers Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Cleary a case of how you drive not what you drive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3Floyd Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] No - it was a proper M3, the V8 one with the bonnet bulge and the chrome bits on the side panel and the Clio looked like a 172/182. They were both seriously going for it, the BMW's engine was screaming a goodun. I was shocked! [/ QUOTE ] Don't tell anyone..... but there isnt a M3 V8 out just yet... Did it have a big V8 badge on the back? [/ QUOTE ] Ah stupid me - i thought they were v8's judging by the nice rumble they make it was the last M3 they did - something like an 04 model. No badges other than the usual M3 on the side (chrome bit) and on the back. What engine do they have then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHA Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 3.2 straight 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanG Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 A straight 6 cylinder with variable valve timing... There is a new 4.4 litre V8 M3 coming out at some point, although they are having a few 'issues' with it at the moment. Suposed to be November '06..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] A straight 6 cylinder with variable valve timing... [/ QUOTE ] Mmmm; VANOS Double VANOS on an M3, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveknott Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] No - it was a proper M3, the V8 one with the bonnet bulge and the chrome bits on the side panel and the Clio looked like a 172/182. They were both seriously going for it, the BMW's engine was screaming a goodun. I was shocked! [/ QUOTE ] No offence, but just to re-iterate, are you sure it was an M3? I ask as you seem to think the current M3 has a V8......in fact, as others have mentioned, its a 3.2 straight six. You therefore may have been mistaken in identifying the car as an M3..... I've seen folks who've added the M side-strakes, wheels & bodykit to a bog standard 3 series coupe....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3Floyd Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 No - i definately know what it looks like - i'm just not interested enough in BM's to take note of the engines, etc. They really dont float my boat. I've not yet seen a dressed-up 05-spec M3 as they're a little harder to fake that the others (new wings, bonnet, etc, etc.) - the last incarnations certainly, but not the latest one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Well I had many an encounter with Clio 172/182's - and they were things to play with if I recall correctly. It would have to be very seriouly modified or the M3 would have to have a rather serious problem. The bare bhp/pt statistics alone tell you how far apart they are in performance terms. Renault Clio Sport 182 - 171 bhp per ton BMW M3 - 218 bhp per ton So the M3 has a 47 bhp advantage to begin with, or looking at it another way, 27% more power. It could be that the Clio caught his power band correctly and that he could actually drive reaonably well. By the sounds of it, if they were both racing on public roads and up the rear of your car so tight....then they're both tits anyway. In a straight line, even a 182 Cup would see a very visible gap appear quickly with an M3 - but he'd be right up there in the twisty bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 One last thing - quad exhausts on the M3, yes? The reason I ask is because there is a 330Ci knocking around these parts with an M3 bonnet, M3 wing mirrors, fake wing gills, M3 wheels, the lot - but not the quad exhaust of course (although you can get them). A Clio 182 would keep with one of those. Indeed they'd be quite evenly matched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3Floyd Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 it's possible - i never really got to see much of the arse-end fot he M3 through the shock of seeing the clio bomb it past! Could well have been that the clio caught the power band at the sweet spot. They were both driving like tits, busy road at rush-hour and lots of cars about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woppum Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I can believe it. My mate had a 172 and in a straight line it was even with the R32 when it was stock. It is now tuned but from speeds of between 80 an 130 there is very little difference between my car and an M3 I had a play with a couple of weeks back. At lower speeds im sure the 182 could keep up if it was i the power band... P.S I think the new M3 will have a 4.0ltr V8 with 420bhp+ from what i have heard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] In a straight line, even a 182 Cup would see a very visible gap appear quickly with an M3 - but he'd be right up there in the twisty bits. [/ QUOTE ] A gap yes, but on public roads or a track for that matter, you need a huge difference in performance to be able to put a meaningful gap on another car. Look at the Evo laptimes round a 1.8 mile track, M3 CS 1.29.8, Clio 182 Cup 1.33.1. The gap after nearly 2 miles is 3 and abit seconds. Even in a straight line the gap would not be huge. Another example is the way my diesel could keep your 645 and PG's S4 in sight despite being much slower, and me being completely inept. Like I say you need a massive difference in performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Hmm, well that's probably very true. I guess it'd have to be a decent straight for the M3 to show the gap growing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danksy Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I had a go in my best mates neighbours Turbo'd 172. It's pushing about 240bhp truly scarey Agree that a clio would have to be modded to keep up with an M3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Hmm, well that's probably very true. I guess it'd have to be a decent straight for the M3 to show the gap growing. [/ QUOTE ] Yup at very high speeds. Another really good example of this is when you watch a GT race like the ALMS series or the FIA GT championship. A 600hp GTS (eg Corvette,DBR9, MC12) car is quicker than a 400hp GT (911 GT3 RSR, F430) car, but only buy afew seconds a lap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyds Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I could believe it if it was an E36 M3. I used to find it absolutely hilarious how uptight M3 owners got when their pride and joy was soundly thrashed by an Impreza half its price. (Er, purely on proper circuits at officially organised track days of course... ). [/ QUOTE ] Funniest thing I've ever seen was a photo of a BRAND NEW Impreza STI getting overtaken by a Metro GTI in an article they did in Track Day Magazine (or something like that) where they bought a track car for £500. The Impreza owner did not look amused! [/ QUOTE ] That article was in (now sadly defunct) Car and Car conversions, they compared a group of £500 Trackday bangers, including an 80s BMW, an Astra MK2 GTE, a Citroen BX 16v and a Rover metro GTi 16V. The car was totally standard and had been bought for a few hundred pounds before the event. The test driver made some positive comments especially about how you can outrun a Subaru through the bends When I can afford the insurance and running costs my plan is to build an 1800 Elise-engined Metro, but keep the 1.1 badges on the back and loose the standard bodykit, might raise a few eyebrows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Purely taking bhp is a very crude way of looking at things, especially now we are looking at say circuit work. A mid-80's turbo F1 car, even in 1000bhp+ qualifying spec, would still be slower round the majority of circuits than a ~700bhp present day car. Equally a GTS spec car is significantly heavier and the majority are front engined, as opposed to the lighter GT class cars. Power to weight wise the difference isn't going to be huge and the GT class cars tend to have a weight distribution closer to the optimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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