Quote:
Originally Posted by SE7EN335
So I got a 2020 M340i as a loaner from the dealership whilst my F80 m3 was in servicing. I raced my mate's manual BM3 Stage 2 M4 running CSF top mount cooler, catless downpipes and akrapovic exhaust. My mate was running 295 Yokohoma AD08Rs which are very sticky tyres. He did a 2nd gear launch at around 3k rpm to minimise wheel spin.
On launch, I would destroy him and then on 1st to 2nd gear shift, I would lurch forward on his m4. On 2nd to 3rd gear shift, I would lurch forward a little bit. Then during 3rd gear pull, he would pull on me hard. By the time we are around 130kmh, he would pull ahead of me.
On a roll race, he would demolish me as if I am reversing backwards on him. 
Nevertheless, a stage 2 M340i would destroy a equivalent stage 2 F8X until very high speeds that's when the F8X would reel it in. |
Very good and fair analysis!
I track my F80 M3 CS and my previous stock F80 M3 and I've autocrossed an M340i at the Ultimate Driver Event. I was impressed at how well the M340i handled a short tight autocross. Very impressed! I got 2nd place by tenths of a second, so I put the car through it's paces. I even almost spun out on one of my warm up laps to see where the limit was.
My honest opinion is that it's a very fast car straight and it's very capable on the track, however, driving home in the M3 CS and tracking it the next weekend have me a fair comparison between them. First of all, the M340i is much heavier. I already feel like the M3 could lose a few lbs, but the M340i needs to drop serious weight. A quick search shows 3900+lbs. that's 3-400 lbs heavier than the F8X. It makes sense-the car is bigger and more luxurious. BMW's own internal docs reflect that the M340i is not for the track. It's simply too heavy to be competitive. Does that mean it shouldn't go on the track? Certainly not. I think lots of fun could be had making this car go fast, but it's not really fair to make comparisons to the F80 using only 0-60 times. The F80 wasn't designed to be a drag king just as the M340i was not designed to be a circuit racer. Any track that isn't just a straight line, the F80 is more capable simply because it's designed to be. It's almost like saying that the F80 is better than a Miata because it's faster on the straights... but we all know who's faster on the turns. Let's compare apples to apples.