S4 vs. M3 (E36)

[F20C]

Originally posted by mastachi
Are you saying you could beat an M3(E46) in a race?...

Mods and I'll list the price I pay too. However I haven't include in the tax, labor and shipping charge yet.

1.0 Bar ECU Upgrade $600
Cat-Back Exhaust $1000
Air Filter $50
Engine Snub Mount $50
BiPipe Kit $350
Shocks and Springs $500

Just the parts itself cost $2550.

Mods good for 320 hp with 370 lb-ft torque.

[F20C]

Originally posted by mastachi
But i do stand by the other things i said, about price range, The thing about the chip is something off the top of my head, but also, there is no way people can keep up with the latest tecnological developments because the field grows too fast to know about every breakthrough they make for the M3 in racing chip technology. The errant comment about the chip does not mean i do not know about engines. Engines are some of the most complex machines in existence. I doubt that anybody heres knows everything there is to know about engines.

Audi S4

Base MSRP: $38,900
Destination Charge $645
Premium package $1,200
Cold weather package $600
Bose® premium sound system $650
Price as configured: $41,995

BMW M3 Coupe

Base MSRP: $45,900
Destination Charge $645
Cold Weather Package $700
Premium Package $3,200
Bi-xenon headlights $700
Harman Kardon premium sound system $675
Price as configured: $51820

You can see how those 2 compare when loaded up to same equipment.

Actually you will if you are on the waiting list for a M3.

The part that tell me you don't know about basic engine mechanics was this quote.

you can squeeze more power out of a Bimmer cause you havent even begun forced induction

Like I said before high C/R engines are not suited for big boost. Without big boost you simply don't gain that much.

[blowhard99]

'if you were to compare the a new S4 to an old M3 (E36), that would be unfair' -mastachi

that's the only place that you've mentioned the original topic. even in your "apology" post, you are still talking about the e46. i was just suggesting that we stay on topic. apology accepted, btw.

[mastachi]

all im gonna ask is this. do you accept my apology? thats all i wanted to know. Im still standin by what i said. As i said earlier, I dont know everything about engines okay. The majority of the time, if you havent put turbos on a car yet, you can still make more power from that car, than a car already with turbos. Apparently this is another case. If you are going to keep criticizing me, thats fine, ive let it go. Im done with this, and i just dont care anymore. I apologized whole-heartedly, without holding back anything. You stick to what you believe, an Ill stick to what i believe. Im done with this post..it makes no sense to me anymore. There are too many underlying factors in what we are trying to prove, an i dont feel like discussing this anymore..Please, can we leave this alone and get on better terms? Is that alright with you?

[F20C]

Apology accepted.

[mastachi]

thank you.

[flylwsi]

wow... that was kinda funny...

however, f20 does know his shiet... and what he said was true in general....

and with the money saved on an s4, it would molest an m3, if mods were allowed.

dollar for dollar, cheaper to mod an s4.
more power per mod, etc...

and whoever said it was unfair to compare the s4 and the m3 b/c the s4 was "never", then go and buy a 98 of each, and compare those. just so we have the baseline.

either way, i would take the s4, possibly over the e46.

[NISSANSPDR]

Thank you...I agree w/FLYLWSI...they both co-existed at the same time...the E36 and the S4 that is still around...so it is totally fair....need I remind you that the S4 beat the M3 in a C&D comparison test...there were 2 other cars but I cant recall...point being...1st place S4, 2nd place M3...it was a big deal since C&D always put the 1st place trophy in the Bimmer's trunk since it was always wrapped up and no contest...but this time it was not so.

[crayzayjay]

If all youre concerned with is modifying the S4 so it can outrun the M3, then fine. But the simple fact is that the S4 isnt as involving nor as much fun to drive on the limit. Thats why ive only ever seen a handful in a city drowned in A4's.

cheers,
jay

[blowhard99]

word.

[flylwsi]

hmm... b/c it is an underground style car. how many people really know what it is? and for all practical purposes, you cant tell unless you are really familiar with them that its an s4. and who said it was modded to catch an m3? they are pretty equal as is. have you driven both? the s4 is very fun at the limit. get seat time in both... the m3 felt kinda disconnected to me, i was spinnin the tires but i couldnt get the feedback im used to in other cars that are more mechanical.

and not that the s4 is mechanical, but be fair. drive both, and if you have, do it again. i drove the s4 in the rain too, so you get a real idea there, b/c i wouldnt drive the m3 like i did the s4 in the rain.

[Watchdog]

Originally posted by mastachi
the fact is he was talkin about a brand new S4, not an earlier one, so the new M3 is the E46 platform, if you were to compare the a new S4 to an old M3 (E36), that would be unfair, that chip thing was off the top of my head. Plus, dont go around acting like your the all-knowing God of cars, cause your not. F20C, someone will always be there to correct you also, dont go around admonishing people unless your absolutely sure. The character of certain people in this forum has gone down.

I think price is the most important criteria in comparing car A to car B. Prices will vary by region, but a new M3 costs about $15k Cdn. more where I live. If you're talking used, then a used 2001 S4 is about the same money as a used 98 or 99 M3 which is the E36 platform.

I think if you equalize price then its fair. To use an extreme example, no one would realistically compare a new M3 to a new Civic would they? I see what you're saying about the years, but I think the way the pole was set up (new S4 vs. E36 M3) its fair and the original intent of the pole.

[PFCfutrell]

Hmm... this whole forum sounds like a bunch of magazine-racers. By that I mean you judge who will win a race by the statistics you read out of Motor Trend or download off the internet, times that were gotten with a professional driver behind the wheel. I've taken my car to the track and I can tell you that it takes practice to get your car through the quarter as fast as the drivers of most automotive magazines. Has anyone here driven their E36 at the dragstrip? I'd be curious to hear what your times were, whether they correspond with what you've read or if they're faster/slower than what you thought. A modified S4 would have an advantage over a modified M3 at the dragstrip being that it's AWD and could launch very consistantly with virtually no wheelspin where a modified M3 would have to fight for traction and might lose even though it weighs less and has the same or more HP. Put your magazines down, head to the track and get some timeslips that prove how fast/slow your car actually is. I swear people, just because your computer tells you your car runs a 14.1 doesn't mean YOU will run a 14.1 behind the wheel.

[crayzayjay]

with a little practice, its not so hard launching your car off the line. But then again, thats not what driving cars is about. in my opinion, those times mean jack sh*t.

cheers,
jay

[PFCfutrell]

Those times mean jack shit until you get dusted by a rice rocket who knows how to launch his car better than you. You could be sporting a brand new M3 and get embarassed by a fixed up Honda, you'd probably win even if you launched horribly but it'd be embarassing to be playing catch-up after he got a good launch and you didn't. I raced an Integra GSR at the track and he one, he was upset that I kept up with him 'till the 8th mile and didn't want to believe that my car was mostly stock. He didn't launch well and spent the first 8th mile passing me, pissed him off, made my evening.