Yes, supposedly BMW is dropping the "bangle butt" on all their models for a more attractive deriar*.

It's so easy to get beat with the ugly stick, and yet it takes so long to recover.

Frankly I thought the mid-late 90's models all looked good. These new ones are just to curvy or something.

Boring as hell. No reason to produce any. I am a M5 person myself.

It is just me, or is every M3/3-series driver a total pretentious D-bag? I am not impressed by wannabes whom lease their low end Bimmers. Losers.

I'm not a pretentious D-bag!

At least mine is the higher end model, the M3.

Ohh wait... now I'm a .... :o/

nevermind that these cars are already on the road for weeks...

still apparently news for sleepy dorque report.

Next week, they'll headline: M3 spotted with 'MZZ 4592'

Brian, so true. It has literally taken over 10 years to recover from that god-awful Bangle design monstrosity. Hopefully the 1, 5, 6 and 7 will follow suit asap

While I'm sure the engine in this car is as fantastic as I've read, I am very disappointed in the rear end styling. In the 3-series the 335 and above (M3) have usually had more aggressive taillights and some other slight mods to make them look better. I can't stand the new 3-series rear-ends. The taillights don't look right and the trunk lid is too short. Granted this is the sedan model...I'd stick with the coupe anyways.

@SlowandMellow

Doesn't labeling someone else a "wannabe" establish yourself as pretentious?

I drive an E46-body because the deal was good and it does everything I want. I've considered moving up to an E49 for the size and ride. In the newer body, I think the E9X is plenty big.

Don't get me wrong: I love me that M-whatever (M3, M5, M6), but the MPG is awful and the price premium is pretty signifigant for a vehicle who'se only *real* change over a properly packaged non-M is accelleration. (the suspension changes from a ZCP to an M3 are minor, and the M-LSD is good but overall has little real effect... styling is styling)

So who is pretentious?

@ JerryL

"M-LSD is good but overall has little real effect"
Obviously you're not a car enthusiast or you'd never type such blasphemy. You must have a 1999 323i and think you're the man.

I doubt you've actually driven and compared a 330ci and an e46 M3. They might *feel* similar when you're cruising around impressing some chicks but when you're actually driving (very) quickly there's a difference. Regular BMW are awesome driving cars, but there's a huge difference performance wise between the two. And btw, I average 20/26 in my M. A guy I work with gets 25 in town and 30 on the highway in his non-M with half the power. I'll sacrifice 4mpg for the increased performance any day.

@Porsche Lover

Comparing mpg is like comparing time sheets on a track, a monkey in a m3 could drive a track, and a professional driver could drive it in a 335 and the 335 could get a better time.

I could take your M3 and easily get 30mpg city and 36 highway.

As for the car, it looks like it has already been in a rearend collision.

Hmm, most of these bloggers own BMW M3's, M5's, or some other BMW. I also bet they are also attorney's at the law forums, they have a masters degree in computer science at the computer blogs, and they are doctor's at the Health blogs. In truth, they live in a trailer park, unemployed, and own a ford pinto.

Peter = jealous and spiteful

i see dozens of BMWs on the road every day and know at least 20 "luxury" car owners at work. mind you, i don't flip burgers for a living like you do.

@ MF

No you couldn't. I drive very conservatively(most of the time... :o) ) and rarely sit in traffic. It's EPA rated at 16/24.

Many people on car forums own BMW's because they like cars and BMW's are awesome cars.

@ MF

No you couldn't. I drive very conservatively(most of the time... :o) ) and rarely sit in traffic. It's EPA rated at 16/24.

@ Peter

Many people on car forums own BMW's because they like cars and BMW's are awesome cars.

@Porsche Lover

You've pretty well re-enforced my point; dropping into immediate eliteism (creating classes of people rather than addressing what the signifigant difference is) in response to my LSD comment.

Good for you that you prefer the performance over the economy. I prefer the economy over the performance. They are both valid choices, and I've certainly never said anything disparaging about those who choose to go the M route for that choice.

I cannot offer much response to your assertion that LSD is signifigant (as opposed to the DST in the non-M) as you've offered no support for that claim.

It's interesting that you equate cars with impressing others (your "picking up chicks" comment). I wonder if there is a self-esteem issue there.

For me it's about where to best put my money. I've spent more on a single vacation than I did buying my BMW (heck, from a impressing women, my sex-toy collection is more valueable than my car). I own my car, not to impress anyone, but because I enjoy driving it (I was driving a corolla, but found it too uncomfortable on long trips and found I missed the performance of my Infiniti too much to remain satisfied in it). For me, the added opportunity-cost of an M-series (both in initial cost and ongoing fuel) just doesn't cut it. Ten years ago when driving hard was a more frequent priority, maybe. Right now, the biggesst appeal of trading out is that the new 5s have adjustable suspension settngs.

But enough about me. I spend most of my road time in traffic... illuminate me as to the benifits of LSD in my life.

@ JerryL

Your BMW does what you need it to do. I'm glad you own one, and I'm glad it makes you happy.

I wasn't even driving 10 years ago.

If what you do is just drive around non-performance like then there is little to no benefit in having an M, or an LSD. You and I are the reason they make different classes of the same car. You regard cars as transportation, and a BMW is the best transportation. I think of cars as entertainment and enjoyment as well as transportation.

Performance wise an LSD lets you go faster, in a straight line and around corners. It also enables you to do sweet burnouts/doughnuts and enjoy some drifting, which is completely impossible without one. (You could use a welded diff, but that's a super cheap and crappy way to do things) But, none of this applies to you.

Performance and non performance wise they give you better traction all around, all the time. You should care about this because it makes the car safer.

One nonperformance issue you might have actually noticed is driving in the rain. When trying to turn out somewhere and accelerate in the rain an LSD will help you maintain traction and put down power much more efficiently and smoothly. It's genuinely irritating to accelerate from a standstill up a hill in the rain when your car keeps cutting power to maintain traction. Or, in pre DSC cars, they'll just sit there and spin. With an LSD it won't even turn on the DSC light if you're cautious enough.

The newer M cars have a variable speed diff which does all sorts of fancy things only an engineer could explain. I'm sure it makes a difference. My car corners much better under power than throttle off. That's a trait of all RWD cars, but perhaps that's part of what it's doing, only better. It certainly works better than the non speed-sensing diff on my old E36 M3.

I'd rather impress women with cars than sex toys, but usually I try and do it with my paltry engineering knowledge of LSD's. I'm kidding! Enjoy your BMW.

To Jerry L

My whole point, based on my experience over the last several years, is people whom drive low end BMW/Mercedes, and did not buy them outright with cash, but lease, or finance them, are D-Bags. There of course are always exceptions, but not many. They obviously cannot afford a so called luxury car, but still want to impress everyone.

I am big believer in financial responsibility, and frugality. Cash is king. Maybe I have just seen too many (dozens) 'repos' of these cars in supposed high end neighborhoods, over the last several months. [Repo means could not afford, thus should have never had.]

My slogan: If it is not bought outright with cash, you don't own it, and should not have it.

Is it pretentious to accuse someone of being pretentious? Amusing.

since we're taking score here, ending your post with the one word sentence "Amusing." is very pretentious.

I paid cash for mine. I have for every car I've ever had. Now I sound pretentious don't I...

I put half down and financed the rest. It will be paid off at about 2 years from purchse. I could have paid it off sooner, but there was this rather expensive pair of speakers I fell in love with and had to have.

I can see your argument for "more power than DSC under adverse conditions", but it seems like it won't make me any more prone to loosing traction, just loosing power to keep traction. If so, I don't see the safety advantage under most conditions.

I do see my car as entertainment. That's why I'm not driving a Honda. But, like all of us, I balance stuff. I could sell my house (well, maybe not in this market) and get a Austin-Martin DBZ, or I could have kept the Toyota I gave to my sister and spent nothing on a car. I'm honestly considering at some point moving to a pair of cars: a commuter (perhaps an Acura), and a weekend car (M5, Porshe Cayman, or that Supra I lusted over during my younger years). Dunno. I think for now I've spent most of what I'm going to on "fun car" as I'm more after redecorating my bedroom, putting a brick... thing... in my kitchen, and a horseback-trip I've got scheduled in Ireland.

Maybe you can drive through Tampa sometime and we'll tool around in your M. I'll buy the gas :)

I put half down and financed the rest. It will be paid off at about 2 years from purchse. I could have paid it off sooner, but there was this rather expensive pair of speakers I fell in love with and had to have.

I can see your argument for "more power than DSC under adverse conditions", but it seems like it won't make me any more prone to loosing traction, just loosing power to keep traction. If so, I don't see the safety advantage under most conditions.

I do see my car as entertainment. That's why I'm not driving a Honda. But, like all of us, I balance stuff. I could sell my house (well, maybe not in this market) and get a Austin-Martin DBZ, or I could have kept the Toyota I gave to my sister and spent nothing on a car. I'm honestly considering at some point moving to a pair of cars: a commuter (perhaps an Acura), and a weekend car (M5, Porshe Cayman, or that Supra I lusted over during my younger years). Dunno. I think for now I've spent most of what I'm going to on "fun car" as I'm more after redecorating my bedroom, putting a brick... thing... in my kitchen, and a horseback-trip I've got scheduled in Ireland.

Maybe you can drive through Tampa sometime and we'll tool around in your M. I'll buy the gas :)

THANK YOU !!!

@JerryL:

wow, thanks for posting your whole life story here for me to read. how did you know i was interested? i laughed, i cried, and for a few minutes, felt as though i was a part of your family. thanks for sharing, you complete me.

What the f*** is wrong with bmw???????? That rear end doesn't suite any m-series bimmer:(((((

@cobaltssman

Wow thanks. You know, if there's one thing in this world more important than my recent car experience, it's your enjoyment of it. I'm *so* glad you shared.