Having said that I recently went out in my neighbour's E46 M3(fantastic drive!)and then he had a go of mine...He reckoned if we took them to Knockhill (our local track) there probably still wouldn't be a lot to separate them.

But this brings me to my 'point' (I know you guys are probably debating 'track' comparisons but let's face it a lot of people here and on the other M3 boards never put their cars on a track.... well not in 'earnest' and by that I mean actually racing each other. So in many respects those type of comparisons are actually futile and irrelevant). However, many more of us drive 'fast' on public roads (whether we should or not is another debate....but most of us do it at sometime?).

On a public road it is not possible to safely take a 'racing line'. Huge compromises have to be taken to avoid using that part of the road conventionally reserved for on-coming traffic (whether that be on the right or the left depends where you are!).Given that scenario then there are no substitutes for Power/Torque/GRIP and Stopping Power...Grip is required to stay on a less than 'ideal' line and stopping power is needed when Granny pushing her grandchild's buggy steps out infront of you round that blind bend. The E36 and E46 M3's have more of all of these than the E30..that's an inescapable fact! They are, therefore, faster road cars. It is ridiculous to suggest that BMW, with all of it's expertise, could have done anything else for their 'road-going' versions of the M3.....no way were they ever going to make a 'less capable' road car.

Whether these later versions of the M3 are more 'enjoyable' to drive for enthusiasts is, of course, a different debate and having driven the E46 I'd say the E30 still wins in that challenge.

Just my 2 pence/cents worth!

The scenario you just outlined pits an inferior machine against a ringer. Why don't you just compare a 500HP big-block in a Chevy pickup to an E30 M3? Of course the truck will walk the M3 on the straights, but the M3 may still come out with faster lap times.

How is an E36 M3 turbo with near 50/50 weight distribution a front heavy beast?

The M50/S50 engine doesn't weight that much more than an S14. Even with 50 more pounds up front, that STILL does not make an S50 powered E30 a front-heavy beast. The weight distribution difference between an E30 325i and E30 M3 is about 1-2% F/R. An E30 M3 has 52/48 (stock), 325 has 53/47.

Balance is good, but that turbo M3 at the track *still has it*. The DRIVING was not as good as what was going on in the E30 M3. That was the original scenario.

I rest MY case.

JamesM

Take two decent drivers. Take two cars, one a front heavy beast with loads of power and tourque, and a nice light beautifully balanced car. I absolutely guarantee a good driver will be able to exploit the balanced car better and lap faster than the beast. BMW Motorsport did all the sums before they built the M3. Remember, in the early days of the DTM when they still allowed the Mustangs in for novelty value. Where were they ? Propping up the back of the grid. I rest my case.

Roops.