911 RS vs E30 M3 Cecotto (archive)

I have a modded e30 Cecotto(Was standard) and a modded 911 C2 RSLightweight (Was standard)

OK mods first, M3 has Full trackmeister suspension kit (Springs, shocks,rollbars, negative camber top mounts, uprated subframe bushes and all new bushes and wishbones, chipped etc, stock wheels and 225/45 Dunlop Formula R 16's)

911 RS has stock suspension but lowered (stock suspension on the RS is awesome with adjustable roll bars, ride height, top mounts etc, etc - On the track it is stupendous) Stock wheels (17" Porsche magnesiums...) and a very unstock engine, with ported heads, larger valves, ported barrels crank case, high lift/duration cams, race headers and exhaust, ultralightweight engine parts, knife edged lightened crank etc, titanium goodies and a trick multi butterfly carbon inlet system. It delivers the majic 100 hp per litre at 360 BHP at 7,400 rpm and revs to 8,000.

Forget about comparing them the stock RS is F... quick and reaches 100 in less than 11.5 secs The modded is simply ballistic you would need to roll out a true DTM to even bother comparing. Throttle response on the 911 makes the M3 seem like a road car.My car has clocked 140 mph in 18.9 secs.....

The RS is a lot different to the standard RS, very light (1150kg) and has C/r box and LSD etc. Turn in and feel (No power steering) is excellent. The balance is very neutral and the levels of grip on smooth roads exceed the modded M3 and are way above the standard M3. a stock Rs has harder suspenion than my modded M3 and has less roll. The down side with an RS (911) is that if you commit to a corner then you had better be right as it will not take stabbing corrections as readily as an M3. I have yet to point the M3 round a track but suspect my RS would be a lot quicker, more power and more grip.

On your average B road, the M3 would feel 'safer' and easier to drive quickly. I suspect I would keep up with any M3 in my RS on a B road as even if I had to be a little more cautious around unknown bends, squeezing the throttle on the exit and opening it up on the straight I can catch most with 325 rear wheel horsepower and no engine intrenal mass (Feels more like 425 at the rears..)

A really choppy country road would be where bravery would allow the M3 to perhaps have the edge. RS's are so stiff they don't always follow bumps they skip over them. Try braking hard for a junction on a bad surface and the ABS comes on too quickly, even though the car comes out of the box with brakes to die for (Huge brembo 4 pots all round and 322x2 F, 300 x 25 R cross drilled and vented discs)

The modded M3 feels like a super fun mini DTM race happening right here and now. Superb grip and balance and feel

The modded RS feels like a true sports car and bullet proof, I have seen 170mph on an A road....
and averaged over 150 for an hour and forty in France a couple of years back...

The steering is sharper on the RS and the levels of grip (Dry) ultimately higher, but it can intimidate and you need a track day to appreciate how much grip you actually have.

I love driving the M3 you can be a real hooligan and even stay within the law but get your head down in the RS and before you know it you have you are pulling in miles perhour what would be seen as excessive in km per hour.

Which is the better drive ?
Mmmm, they are different. But climb over a polished alloy door brace and sit in a triple blue leather recarro bucket, start up six throttle bodies with carbon trumpets and no flywheel to speak of and roll out of the garage is a feeling that's difficult to beat....

But then, the feeling I get seeing those arches reflect the light on an M3 and the scream of the engine at 7,500 is still very very appealing and I would not always take the Porsche given the choice, it is actually hard work sometimes (first gear is very tall and the clutch is a sintered race item, ON or OFF sir ?)

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