[powder]

my friend has a BMW M3. its an '02. between the GTO and the M3... which would win? im planning on buying a GTO in the very near future and am just curious.

 

[Whiteshadow]

It would be very close. I believe someone has recently posted that they beat up on an M3 on the highway, but I'm not positive.

The '05 should beat the M3 pretty well, though the M cars from BMW aren't slow...

 

[powder]

It would be very close. I believe someone has recently posted that they beat up on an M3 on the highway, but I'm not positive.

The '05 should beat the M3 pretty well, though the M cars from BMW aren't slow...

no they aren't... ive ridden in my friends and drove it for about 2 miles and they are impressive. id have to say that if i had a choice between the GTO and an M3 it would be a hard one... id probably go w/ the one that provided a cheaper payment but it would still be one of those decisions that you dread making. we went to a large deserted parking lot and he started circling real slow w/ "race mode" on (advanced timing and feels like a rocket underneath you) and traction control off and then punched it, started doin doughnuts then shifted into 2nd, kept on going. then he quick shifted into 3rd and kept on spinning. but for the sake of his tires he stopped after than... very impressive though. but then again it doesn't take much to impress a guy who couldn't do that in his car if his life depended on it...

 

[LarryM]

... very impressive though. but then again it doesn't take much to impress a guy who couldn't do that in his car if his life depended on it...

Another person that'll want to goto the Bondurant drifting school ?

---Larry

 

[Groucho]

Boy...if I had a "choice"-- meaning that I had the financial means-- I would take the M3 over just about any car, let alone over the GTO. The M3 has a sure-footedness and feel to it that the GTO just can't match...and the next model of M3 will have a 300hp V-8.

That being said, I'm convinced that the GTO is very hard to beat in terms of the fun-to-drive metric of SPD- smiles/dollar.

 

[powder]

Another person that'll want to goto the Bondurant drifting school ?

---Larry

damn right...

 

[lambertgoat]

all i have to say is, look at the price tag.....***BMW*** alone says it all........

 

[79TA&04GTO]

It was me who beat the M3 on the road...it was easier beating that than the modded Mustand I did today. I've also been on the highway when these happen, it's nothing from 0-60, which really doesn't amount to much in my book. So, for me, my races have only started at 70 mph, and went up from there...today being 145.

 

[IwantmyGoat]

M3 is a very hot car. However, that is all it is. It is a Luxury/Sport Sedan. A GTO on the other hand is more. Granted, it may not have all the luxurious stuff, (or for that matter, even a damn outside temp display..lol), but, it is pure muscle. A GTO is a Muscle Car for the new generation. If you want something that has american heritage, bold, albeit some say bland, styling, and 350 screaming horses (soon to be 400), then get the GTO.

 

[jerhofer]

I sold my 2002 M3 this past summer after having owned it for a little over two years. The M3 would be faster than the GTO, has better brakes, and would undoubtedly be faster on a road course. Quality wise, the M3 had better paint and the fender and door lines were better. Interior wise, I don't see where the M3 had an advantage as I am most impressed with the GTO's interior. However, it was much easier to get to the rear seat in the M3.

While I loved the way the M3 engine revved, it is hard to beat a good ol' American V8. Where the M3 may be faster in a straight line contest, the torque of the LS1 makes it more enjoyable in day to day driving. Not to mention that the exhaust soundtrack is infinitely better on the GTO. I replaced the M3 muffler with an aftermarket exhaust in a quest to get rid of the raspy tone with no luck. I am not even thinking about changing the GTO's muffler as the sound is a perfect blend of classic V8 sound combined with the unbeatable soundtrack on the overrun when you back off on the throtle.

I fixed the lack of exterior temp gauge by installing an aftermarket mirror. However, my M3, which was fairly basic at a $50K plus sticker, did not have power seats. While the M3 seat was very comfortable and had many manual adjustments, it was MANUAL! Considering that I paid a little over 25K for the GTO, I could have two of them for the price of the M3.

Which brings up another issue. I have had two Corvette C5's and loved both of them. How can Corvette justify their prices compared to what you get with the GTO. Not to mention, the GTO has to be shipped from Austrailia!!