2011 E90 M3 M-DCT: 1-year (or rather 1.33-year) review
I’m a little bit overdue on this (well 4 months but who’s counting?), but rather late than never. I’ve had some opportunity to think back and reflect on the past year and a bit of ownership, and subsequent drives after this introspection have confirmed a few thoughts and findings, and highlighted some new ones. Anyways, on to the review…
Exterior and Design:
I still enjoy looking at this car. I find myself having an appreciation for the straight-forward design, not overly complicated with flicks and huge grills or intakes, massive wings or diffusers and so on. Every design element has a purpose. This is pure Q-car material. When comparing to a regular E90, it’s great to see how things are the same, yet subtly different. I’m a fan of the bonnet bulge, that’s a constant reminder of what lies beneath. Also, more recently, I much prefer the transition from the rear doors to rear fender of this car compared to the new G80 M3. On this car, the rear doors are actually flared out to blend in seamlessly with the swollen rear arches. On the G80, the doors are regular 3 series, followed by a huge jutting out of the fender, not a fan.
I’m glad I went ahead to fit the Style 359s, IMO they suit the car perfectly. Also, when the car is parked next to another vehicle, it’s great to see just how much tyre is squeezed under the arches, both front and rear. Even 17in or 18in rims in 205, 215 or 225 widths look remarkably small in comparison.
The only thing that I still have not warmed up to is the titanium tips of the Akrapovic exhaust. For me they are just too big, and look too aftermarket, too in your face. I’ll see with time, as I’m arranging for titanium tips, so will see if that changes the look for the better. That will only be in the new year though.
Interior:
A very nice place to be. I haven’t been left disappointed or missing out on anything in particular. The seats are great, plenty of adjustment, and even at 1.9m tall, I find that the seat does go low enough for gangsta driving if the need desires (this should also be suitable for occasions where a helmet needs to be worn). The Harmon Kardon sound system is good, with nice clear vocals and ok bass notes. Again, it’s not a pavement pounder, but suitably improved over the rubbish stock setups in these cars.
Being an older car, there is not a touch screen in sight. Can I get an Amen from those in agreement? Adjusting functions on the go is intuitive. If you want to adjust the sound, you reach for area X, if you want to adjust the climate control, you reach for area Y. Perhaps I’ve not been exposed enough to the newer cars with these systems, but I honestly don’t see myself warming up to these anytime soon. I’m proud to say I fail miserably at multi-tasking, so I don’t see me doing well driving and navigating various menus and sub-menus whilst on the go. Long live the humble button.
Also worth noting, is that the buttons are not showing any noticeable signs of wear / graphics rubbing off. I think from the F-series cars this became a hotly debated issue. The only thing which is bust is the Power button on the centre console, it seems as if the hinge piece has cracked off, so the button can lift up away from the centre console.
In terms of space, this is also adequate for our needs. The kids are able to comfortably get into the back, and there is enough legroom for them when using the car seats, and still enough for us up front to drive comfortably. That being said, the X3 is still king of convenience here. Reaching in to fasten seatbelts is a breeze. In the M3, it’s a bit more of a not-too-graceful exercise. You end up mooning fellow soccer moms and dads for a good period of time whilst strapping them in.
Ride and handling:
The ride is firm but comfortable, nothing out of the ordinary. I can’t complain in this area. Sure, the Competition model with the adjustable dampers, or even other manufacturers with there new electronic / magnetic dampers will cater for a broader spectrum of driving circumstances, but that also comes at a price. I’m happy that this car has a simple, straight-forward setup. In and around my area, the roads are also far from ideal, but the car remains settled and composed at all times. I haven’t noticed any tramlining either. I’ve also hit some fairly bad bumps and dips, and the car did very well in these instances, with no bottoming out or touching of wheels on the wheel arches etc.
The one area where I can commend this car is how stable and direct it is, particularly at speed. I’ve had to respond to a few medical emergencies during the lockdown period which required some rather spirited driving antics, and at no point in time did I ever feel unsafe, or out of my depth in being able to control the car. This car is properly planted. The steering is nicely weighted, and IMO does provide good feel. Whichever way you point the steering, that’s the way the car will go, no mess, no fuss. As a comparison, the M3 makes the 130i feel positively floaty by comparison, and I didn’t think I’d ever say that based on the hard setup in the 1-series. I haven’t really driven other E90s at speed (in recent years anyway), but I think this is where the benefits from the M Division are apparent. I’m really looking forward to taking this car onto the track at some point in the future.
Engine and Drivetrain:
Starting off with the gearbox, the 7-speed DCT has performed well over the past year, through a combination of mixed driving styles. Whether you are plodding along doing the school run, doing the weekly shopping, or just taking it for a hooning session, it has performed as expected. If I leave it in D2, I like to think of this mode as “American V8 mode”, responses are fairly lazy, and it stays in higher gears for what can sometimes be longer than desired.
Something else which I have also noted is that there is a jerk / wobble when changing 1-2 and 2-3, literally just before the gear change takes place. I’m not sure exactly what this is, but it can be annoying. I haven’t seen much information around this, but what has been well documented is the jerking motion when coming to a stop, almost like the gearbox doesn’t know exactly what is happening. Now and then it will also do a throttle blip when you least expect it to, or when trying to remain as incognito as possible. Nevertheless, these are quirks of the box, and not a deal breaker. It’s still on my to-do list to arrange the GTS flash with Danny from DSC Motorsport. Will see what changes that brings about….
At partial throttle, the gear changes take place around 1800-2400rpm give or take. Progress is relaxed. Unfortunately, though, right at 1800rpm, there is noticeable exhaust drone, which is more prevalent when all the windows are open. As much as I have tried to dismiss it in the past, it is still there, and confirmed as much by the Mrs.
However, this problem can be quickly eradicated. When circumstances allow, press the button on the centre console to speed up the gear shifts. D3 is a little better than D2, whilst retaining the same easy-going characteristics. If you select D4 or D5, rev matching on downshifts is also added, and the car instantly adds about 10points to your Racing Driver credentials. Shifts both up and down the cogs become razor sharp and super quick. Forward progress is relentless, and in the higher modes, each gear change is accompanied with a satisfying thud to the back. On the downshifts, the car makes you feel invincible, matching engine revs to wheel speed, and preparing you blast out of the next corner. The exhaust tone also seems to change, from when it’s warm, to piping hot after a few blasts. In either instance, that’s where the sound comes into its own, when you are pressing on. One thing to note though, when pressing on, the car lets you know that you are consuming dinosaur fuel at a rapid rate. The lack of primary cats mean that you are enveloped with the fumes of spent 95octane whenever you are slowing down or come to a stop. It can seem odd at first when you are used to other modern cars which clean and purify the exhaust gasses. Nevertheless, it’s one of those things that you learn to accept. It’s actually a good way to determine whether you (or someone else) has been driving the car nicely, or like a complete yobbo.
The engine is great. A cold start in the morning is supported with all sorts of mechanical clicks and clunks, some whirring and the lovely ping from the exhaust headers as the gasses pulse through from each cylinder. It is certainly very un-appliance-like. As it completes the warm-up cycle, it eventually settles into a smooth, steady idle. The engine is smooth and responsive, and goes about its daily duties without much fuss. As mentioned previously, I would say daily driving characteristics are mostly governed by what mode the gearbox is in.
From my experience, I’d like to think that the engine essentially has 3 power bands / operating windows. From idle up to about 3000rpm, it sounds fairly mellow, not making itself too obvious to those in the surrounding areas. Then from 3000-6000rpm, it has a healthy beat, very satisfying and never intrusive. This is also the typical V8 sound which many of us Petrolheads love. You’ll also get this sound from many other V8s in the market. But then what makes this motor special, and different, is it’s high-revving nature. From 6000-8000rpm, it becomes a lunatic. There is a distinct increase in urge in this rev range, and it sounds like its ripping apart a telephone directory. It’s definitely an occasion to get the motor into this rev range, but it must be said, you need a lot of road to enjoy it at these RPMs. As much as it really wakes up in the upper rev ranges, it must be said that it is not found wanting or lacking in the lower rev ranges, but I suspect this is also largely due to the full Akrapovic Evolution system fitted (with primary decats) which helps the motor to breathe better. It can probably also be argued that the Eventuri intake also helps with breathing matters, although this will be more noticeable in the upper rev range.
Let’s do a quick comparison to the N55 motor in the X3 35i. This is also a great engine, and delivers a great big wad of torque from low down in the rev range. The motor pulls cleanly, but then at around 5000rpm, the urge begins to ease off, and it doesn’t make much sense to rev it beyond 6000rpm, unless you want to hear the glorious 6-cylinder wail. Along with this comes some fairly rapid progress, it is actually deceptive how quickly the speed accumulates in that car.
Now the M3 on the other hand, it has a fairly flat torque curve throughout most of the rev range, and a linear power curve all the way to the top above 8000rpm. Accelerating from standstill gives a constant urge, as opposed to the surge you get in the turbo motors. But this constant urge stays there for as long as you care to rev it. 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 (hello!), 7000, 8000…. It just revs and revs and goes and goes. This, accompanied by the fantastic sounds coming from the induction and the exhaust make spirited drives an event. I initially thought the X3 would be faster than the M3, but driving them back to back, apart from the torque surge low down (which is deceptive), the S65 is much faster. The pace that the X3 exhibits say from 3000-5000rpm, the M3 continues on this trajectory all the way to 8000rpm. Immense fun. To end off though, they are both great cars and I am in no way putting either of them down, they are different driving experiences and I am blessed to be able to experience both of them.
Summary and Conclusion:
So then, what is my overall verdict? Well I’ve come to the realisation that I am probably getting old, lol. Those who are more senior than me will laugh and scoff at my thoughts. But the fact of the matter is that I am gravitating more towards the older model cars, than the newer ones. I’m also not dismissing the accomplishments of the modern cars. They are fast, safe, refined, comfortable, fuel efficient and full of tech and gadgets to make daily duties a breeze. But ticking all these boxes means that they have also become more clinical, more generic, more acceptable by the masses and satisfy the accountants by ticking more boxes in a single product.
The M3 IMO is one of the last great performance cars of it’s time. It executes its design brief with aplomb, that being the pinnacle of the 3-series range. It has all the creature comforts you could need, and goes about the daily driving duties without much fuss. Some would argue that a base 320i or 320d would do things better day-to-day, and they are probably right, but it’s not like the M3 is skewed towards the other side of the spectrum. I love the subtleness of the car’s design elements, that it is not in your face as a Civic Type R for example. It’s not trying too hard to make its presence known. It’s an athlete in a business suit.
Where I believe it excels, is on those occasions where you want something more than what will suffice to do the daily grind. It will entertain you to no end, and if you’re pressing on, the speeds become ridiculous. Handling is top notch and you never feel out of your depth with the car. It’s a car for all seasons and for all occasions. In my experience, that’s where the car becomes special, and that is where I have warmed up to the car in more recent months. If you’ve followed my posts over the past year and chatted to me in person, you will know that I have been fairly objective and sceptical about my ownership experience, questioning how long it will remain in the household.
Has my opinion changed at all? Not just yet, but it sure is softening from being a pure sceptical and objective view of things. Some emotion is starting to creep in, and every now and then I have a bit of a wry smile thinking about the car.
So, based on this, I’m pleased to say that I look forward to growing the relationship with the car, that the bond will continue to develop. Forthcoming drives will continue to unlock the depth of capabilities of the car and I am sure the feelings will grow.
<Can we have a slow clap for the M3>
My final thoughts: they are not about the M3, but rather my 130i. That car ticks all my boxes, makes me fizz and tingle, and gives me goosebumps
every single time I drive it. (You may have also noticed I made no mention of getting goosebumps in the M3 – well it would be unfair to say they are absent, but it is more an occasional experience as opposed to a consistent experience). The M3 may reign supreme amongst the 3-series range, the 130i reigns supreme in my thoughts and in my heart as a Petrolhead. Having been in the family for 14 years means countless memories have been made with the car. This is not a relationship I would want to end anytime soon. My love and loyalties are not that easily swayed, but there is always room to grow and share the love.
Now please excuse me, it’s time to go and be weird and give the 1er a hug and a pat on the roof…
