Quote:
Originally Posted by The HACK
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Is it special? I'm certain to those who bought it, yeah. I mean, I desperately hang on to my MZ4 Coupe despite it's middling performance numbers (for today's car anyway). It's special to ME. But to everyone else? Don't tell me that when you see an M4 GTS pull up next to you, you're going to think "hey that guy drives the SAME CAR as me! An M3/4!"
For years "purists" have been screaming about the dilution of the M brand, and today you have the proof. M cars aren't special anymore. You want the prestige of the M cars of OLD? You'd have to at least pony up for the CS models coming NEXT year.
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Short answer: no.
Slightly longer answer: If it only has 6 cylinders and relies on turbochargers to get its power or it has an automatic gearbox; it's not really special. There's something about a real manual; and there's something about a V8/V10 or V12. ... The BMW Turbo/Twin Turbo I6's are excellent engines, and the current M's are excellent cars; but they're not really special. (I know, everyone rates the 1M as a truely iconic M, and it sports the N54.... and it is... but imagine what that car would've been if they'd equipped it with a S65)
I understand BMW's current tiers of M models; and you can trace it back to at least the e46 CSL. A `M` is a car that you get if you want sporty, but don't want to sacrifice all your comfort to get sporty. If you were willing to do that, you'd be better off in a Lotus or a Caterham or an Ariel. The 'regular M', the competition, the CS and the CSL are all lines in the sand that draw different balances between a sporty family car, and a BMW race-car. Sure, if you want prestige, you have to wait for the CSL - but not everybody can live with a car that has a rollcage instead of back seats, and a cardboard boot liner.
If you want a comfortable car that goes very fast, you really can't go wrong with a modern //M. But if you want iconic, my pick would be a F10 M5 manual, and e90 M3 manual, a 1M a Z3M/Z4M or an e46 - or a modern car from one of BMW's sportier competitors.
... If BMW were still making iconic M's, we'd have a current model of Z4M (that comes only as a manual), and we'd still have the option for a manual gearbox in the M5.