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On Wed, April 8 Pat Martin writes:
I have the pleasure of driving a very windy road home everyday from work. I have had opportunities to drive many a car on this road. I have driven everything from the 4kqt featured in European car to a Mazda 626 and found compromises everywhere I look. The EC 4kqt is too stiff to take this road comfortably. On the track it is a great car but get it on this road and it skips like a rock on a lake. The 4kqt I own is quicker and a lot more confident on this road. I suspect a seasoned M3 driver would never take the road at the speed I can safely. Would it whip me on the track? Maybe, but we shall see :-). The point is that when this never ending thread started it was about large luxury cars. Would the BMW 7 driver be able to keep up with the Audi on this road? I doubt it. Pat Martin (ignorant, not worldly, and obviously blinded by my flag)864000csq turbo, 2 1/2 cat back, H&R-Boge, MC and loving it. Drilled rotors stopping it. Koenig Cobra 16x7 with AVS Intermediates turning it, K&N and uh.... From my perspective it is this type of post (actually portion of post) that
got these comparison threads going. In the USA stock Audis do not outperform
stock BMWs. The objective numbers clearly show this, the subjective test
reports clearly show this. First, you are comparing a heavily
modified hybrid Audi to a stock M3 that any one can buy. Talk about apples
and rutabagas! How much money and man
hours went into those mods on your car? Let's put every single mod we can
on the Audi - including a whole new engine and then compare it to a stock
BMW. That will show BMW who the boss is. Second, what makes you
believe a seasoned M3 driver couldn't take your road at the same speed (assuming
no snow)? Given my experience there is no question he can take it FASTER -
road or track. Here in the Midwest Craig Jones (manages the performance
department at Schaumburg Audi) has built a 4ktq race car affectionately known as
the "lava machine" which he trailers to track events. Perhaps
Scott can fill in the list on the specifics regarding the upgrades to the car -
they are substantial. I mean the thing looks and sounds like a race
car.
In any case, that car gets passed by the stock (except for steel
brake lines) M3 as does every other Audi. What do you think happens if the
M3 does many of the mods you have done. Let's make it a little more fair,
take the old style M3 (talk about boy racer). My BMW friends tell me that
car is seriously fast (although high-strung)
when modded.
Before I get flamed again about European M3s, let me point out I am talking
about 1) USA Audis and BMWs, 2) only in terms of performance not the grade of
leather on the seat, etc.
Matt Pfeffer - 89 200TQW - Stage II
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