Now that I can actually see the picture (company blocks my shit), black wheels would ruin this car. Then again, I am not a fan of black wheels when the wheels are as beautiful as the new ZCPs.

 

what a color!!! it does look a little like audi's sprint blue, which is also an awesome color. beautiful.. waste that it isnt 6spd

 

All my cars are stick shift, including the now departed E90 M3.

So let me say this, the clutch in the E90 M3 sucks all manners of dead animal appendages.

It's like BMW tries to appeal to the barely able stick drivers by first sticking a CDV which makes precise clutch take up impossible so people that can't drive stick well won't stall the car, then they put so much assist that any semblence of foot movement will put the clutch pedal through the floorboard.

In conclusion, the clutch in the E90 sucks, DCT would have been much better, but the mrs wanted manual becuase "not having to rev match to downshift is lame."

 

With all due respect, I sometimes think that you are trying way too hard to be a 'purist'.

I've put 53k miles on my manual M3 and I'm on my second clutch. I replaced the first one around 45k miles, which was a pretty good run for as hard as I run that car as a daily and track car.

I have a ton of experience with the hallowed e39 M5. Is the e39 M5 clutch less effortless? It most certainly is. Is the car that much better for it? I really don't think so. What made the e39 M5 so special was that it was a saloon that offered thrills on par of many of the sports cars of that era. And fyi, the e46 M3 wasn't a true sport car either. Was it the most raw and entertaining M car built? I'd say yes, but in the end it was classified as a saloon or sports coupe.

Lately people have been trying to judge the M3 on GT3-esque terms and to those I say, you may have lost focus with what M cars provide. They offer thrills with everyday convenience. My track car also has a set of golf clubs in the back at all times. If you ask me, its daily usability is one of the main reasons I've kept the car.

In the end I am not trying to say the manual in the e9x M3 is better then the DCT, b/c it is the preference of the driver. I never meshed with the DCT, and that was probably due to ignorance on my part. Lately, I've been reading a lot of hate about the e9x M3s and the direction of the M brand. I think a lot of it is founded upon the same ignorance that has kept me from enjoying the DCT box. Haters want to hate...

 

I'm basing my opinion of DCT on having owned several dual-clutch cars. It just takes too much of the human-machine interaction away IMO. I guess I shouldn't say I hate DCT, it's just not for me. The only cars in which I'd desire an automatic would be big sedans and SUVs. For everything else, I prefer a manual.

 

Don't want to take this thread further OT, but well said. I've had an e36, e46, and e92 M3 in addition to an e36 M Raodster, e39 M5, and e63 M6. I will say that each generation of M3 has been, in my opinion, better than the previous one. Maybe not lighter, or more pure, but as an all purpose daily driver, the cars are definitely getting better. No hate for the e92 here.

 

90k on the '08 clutch without changing it.

if you were gonna sell the 911 for that blue m3, then yeah, def had to be manual.

 

Remember that I had an E90 M3 as well, and I was very excited about that car, and tried to really like it.

Of all the manual cars I have had, E36 M3, S4 Avant, GT2, Turbo, E30 325is, CTSV, E39 M5, E46 M3; the Turbo takes the cake as the worst clutch bar none. Occupying the place of the second worst clutch is the E90 M3.

It is way too soft for no good reason, the take up is imprecise especially compared to say, the E36 M3, which, is up there with the GT2 clutch goodness. And now having put a couple thousand miles on the E46 M3, I firmly believe that the clutch in the E90 M3 is a step in the wrong direction.

If I could have talked the mrs into it, I would have spec'ed it with DCT. Hated that clutch in the E90 M3, it sucked.

 

hmmm this thread took a left turn

 

^They always do. No matter, I'm sure someone will scoop this car up very soon, if it hasn't happened already.

Geoff, was this a dealer ordered car or did a potential buyer back out of the order? Fantastic color, reminds me of my nogaro blue s4.