RE: A4 "Better" than an M3 for 6K?

[Dave Eaton <dave.eaton@minedu.govt.nz>]

re: the a4 vs m3 question

i have spent quite a lot of time in the euro e36 m3 (286hp) as my business partner used to have one.  beautiful engine and brakes.  poor steering feel and poor quality in paint, panel fit, and  interior trim quality mar the car.

back to back against the s2, the m3 was faster, decisively so over 160km/h.

in real world conditions, there'd be no contest, the s2 would eat the m3, driven by a mere mortal.  driven by a professional, the m3 would win, but the driver would be earning his wages.  paramount to doing a good "a" to "b" time in the m3 is the ability to balance the car against relatively sudden oversteer.  in the s2 you have to be doing pretty silly things to get into an oversteering slide.

i tried to organise an auckland to wellington "test" between the s2 and the m3 driven by myself and my business partner.  600km of travel with occasional wet patches in the road, twists and turns etc are much more relevant to "real world" performance than straight line speed. btw his wife intervened and reminded him (us) that we're getting too long in the tooth for this sort of thing, so it never happened...

the m3 against the mtm 286hp a4 which i've driven a couple of times would also be a close thing.  i'd venture the same conclusion as i have with the s2.

my $0.02.

-dave.
'93 s2
'90 ur-q