"E90M3" (e90m3)
01/21/2018 at 13:41 • Filed to: None
7
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"E90M3" (e90m3)
01/21/2018 at 13:41 • Filed to: None | 7
| 11 |
The M3 is an extravagance; it is excessive.
What 24 year old needs on? I did. That’s who. Three and a half years later I’m still enamored by it, it never fails to put a smile on my face or brighten my day. This is not about that car, this is about my 3.
When I was car shopping for my second car, I wanted something that would be cheaper than my M3 to run and something that would also be fun. The 3 fit the bill perfectly.
I’ve now put about 23,000 miles on it since I got it in mid-March 2017. Most of those are monotonous highway miles, and, as a consequence, I had begun to wonder if I had gotten the wrong car. I was thinking I should have gotten something for half of what I spent that would run on regular unleaded and have cheaper maintenance costs. Something like a Honda or a Toyota with a stick in it.
That was until Saturday.
I was in Greenville South Carolina for a pair of interviews. The first one was just with a recruiter basically to make sure the job was a fit for both parties. Since it was not a formal interview, I didn’t wear a suit. The afternoon interview was a formal interview and I would have to change into my suit before hand. My friend, whose house I was staying at, offered to let me go there and change.
Right before I’m about to leave the house to go to my second interview I look at traffic and I-85 is red. There is a backroads option that will take the same time as it would to sit on the interstate in traffic.
Backroads it was. This is where I was reminded of why I got the 3.
There is a reason these cars are know as drivers cars. Hustling along twisty roads in an E9X is a wonderful experience. The car wakes up from highway cruiser and turns into a different car. The hydraulic steering is sublime; it is one of my favorite parts about the car. I no longer care about the anemic I6, I don’t think for a second it needs more power, I just hold it in gears longer and let it sing. For the first time in a while, I was reminded of why I bought the 3.
The interviews seemed to go well, and was once again faced with a choice: backroads or interstate.
The 3 was begging to see some more twisty roads, so I obliged. I drove back to my friends house with gusto. Once again just enjoying the drive. Yeah, I made the right choice for my second car.
Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> E90M3
01/21/2018 at 13:55 |
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What road?
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E90M3
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
01/21/2018 at 14:01 |
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Not really sure, on that had curves, unlike all the road ms near Savannah
WilliamsSW
> E90M3
01/21/2018 at 14:14 |
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Lower powered 3 series BMWs sometimes get hate from people, but with a manual they are an absolute blast to drive on windy roads, with limits you can explore without drama.
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E90M3
> WilliamsSW
01/21/2018 at 14:23 |
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Exactly that.
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WilliamsSW
> E90M3
01/21/2018 at 14:36 |
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That’s why I’ve kept mine almost 18 years now!
> E90M3
01/21/2018 at 20:04 |
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Do standard E92s really have hydraulic steering? I always thought that all except the M3 moved to electric after the E46, but I’ve never been able to find a definite answer on the internet.
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E90M3
>
01/21/2018 at 20:06 |
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All E9X cars have hydraulic steering; the F3X only had electric steering.
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> E90M3
01/21/2018 at 20:18 |
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Wow ok. I’ve been back and forth over upgrading my E46 to a E92 but I’m afraid to give up the steering feel.
My dad has an F10 that I drive often, and the steering in that has been numbed so much that there’s no fun left in it.
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E90M3
>
01/21/2018 at 20:23 |
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One reason I got my E92 was because of steering feel. It is fantastic.
The F1o M5 retains hydraulic steering, and it is amazing. The regular F10 is numb in comparison.
dannyzabolotny
> E90M3
01/21/2018 at 20:59 |
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That’s kinda how I feel about my 540it. On the highway it’s a pretty solid car, nothing exceptional. Any modern car can do 85mph for several hours without any issues. But when I get into some twisty fun roads, I’m consistently amazed at how well it handles for a 4000lb wagon. The heavy steering works perfectly, offering just the right amount of feedback and weight when handling on a fun road.
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
>
01/22/2018 at 15:08 |
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It’s hydraulic with an electronic system that can adjust the amount of assist. I have a tune on mine that actually adjusts the Servotronic levels for less assist/more feel.
“It achieves this by an electromagnetic valve which accurately controls the amount of force applied by the steering hydraulics when the driver is turning the wheel.
For instance if the driver needs to turn the wheel quickly in order to park in a tight space the valve distributes more assistance and therefore allow the steering to become much lighter, the reverse effect being the case on the motorway when steering input is reduced to a minimum value by the driver, this in turn boosts stability and allows for a much smoother drive when gathering speed.”