Public Enemy

Who will win from 0 and rolling 40 km/h for 1/4 mile?

Shinkaze

Well, if it's a fully optioned M3 with SMG I would imagine it might be close from a roll. Stripper M3s run in the high 12s to 13 flat, but that little rev-motor is torqueless and it shows by how deeply excess weight affects it. Convertible M3s with SMG are lucky to touch the 13s! I think the best stock times I've seen for an SMG M3 were 13.3 or so but I think they average more 13.6-ish.

Now with the $15K you save over the Bimmer by getting the GTO you can even things up no prob. Might be more difficult to get around the weight issue to address handling, but everything is doable with money right? I'll put my money on a modded car over stock any day!

TriShield

M3, no contest.

A little money in the GTO's LS1 could even things up though.

whitt1

There's no way a stock M3 even with a 6spd should run with a GTO I 've outrun a 03 M3 with my superchaged Tahoe.At the time I raced the M3 I was only running 7 1/2 lbs of boost.I had him by about 3 truck length when I lifted at about 90mph.There's no way they are a 12 sec car in stock form.

Shinkaze

...and making a GTO faster is _MUCH_ cheaper than making an M3 faster. About the only "reasonably" cheap mod I've seen for them is the new AA Supercharger for $8K (450 crank HP). Other than that everything for that car is stupid expensive ($1,000 for an intake from DINAN)

Shinkaze

If the "Wine and Cheese" drivers at Motor Trend and Car and Driver can get an M3 to pull 13.3@107, then I hope to god someone that can actually drag race can get an M3 to pull high twelves. Go check out www.m3forum.com and you'll see there are a couple of guys with stripper M3s in the high 12s in stock form. Here is a guy got his M3 to hit 12.63 with bolt-ons
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=24872

Tom@SpeedInc

iTrader: (5)

Motor trend made the GTO run 13.62 and for 15k less then an M3 no big deal. Couple years ago C&D ran a story M5 vs. Holden HSV GTS the 400hp aussie sedan. Found the M5 was quicker by a tenths but the HSV had better seat of your pants grunt and torque, more fun to drive they said and for being 50k cheaper when converting aussie dollars said they almost made the HSV GTS no1 but didn't in fear of a big cry by some big ego bimmer owners.

Shinkaze

...and Car and Driver got a 14.0 from a GTO. FWIW though 13.6 sounds about right for a M3 SMG, they tend to run a bit slower. FWIW though they got a 13.1@107 mph from a non-SMG car (2001 model).

Racing magazines though really is a poor substitute for real world numbers, I'm sure we'll see competant drivers get M6 GTOs in the mid to high 13s with little effort as the Wine and Cheese Rags tend to run a little slower. Either way though on an even playing field I don't see the stock GTO being competitive against the M3.

-Adam

whitt1

My Tahoe that turned a 13.23 at Memphis Motorsports,walked all over a 03 6spd M3 from a rolling start and was at least 3 truck lengths ahead at 90mph when I let off.There's no way that M3 was any faster than a high 13 sec car.

Shinkaze

I beat a 2001 Viper GTS with my TA off-nitrous. Doesn't mean Vipers are high 12 second cars, it means I hole shot the guy and drove better. Go to M3forum.com and you'll see tons of people that have pulled low 13s and even high 12s with their bone stock M3s and mid 12s with minor bolt ons. Even the slower SMG cars pull mid to low 13s. If you don't believe me though check the link above and you'll see Car and Driver got a 13.1@107mph.

I find this rather funny we're focusing on this narrow aspect, since even though the M3 is faster than the GTO at the strip, it's in the twisties the M3 really comes into it's own. The M3 is one of the best handling cars ever made, especially among those with a back seat and real trunk.

Here is a link to Car and Driver's 13.1
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=4

Tom@SpeedInc

iTrader: (5)

The GTO isn't built to go strait like a Fbody, so comparing the two on the race track puts the GTO in its domain

LSs1Power

iTrader: (5)

The M3 will outrun the GTO easily. Some stock F-bodies have problems against E46 M3's and they are lighter than the GTO. My stock 02 Hardtop camaro ran 13.4 at 106 stock. I have a friend who ran 13.1 at 107mph in his stock SMG. I got a LID and Catback which gave me 33rwhp 24rwtq to outrun him. I ran 13.0 at 109mph with the LID and Catback. The slowest M3 trapspeed i have even seen was 104mph. The highest trapspeed for a GTO i have seen soo far is 103mph and alot of 101 and 102.

jrp

iTrader: (16)

evan smith ran a bone stock e46 m3 to 12.8. 'nuff said

steve_c

not bad for a 3.2 inline six outputting 114hp/liter...

Shinkaze

well in the GTO's favor, the M3 is maxxed out and there is very little power left in that motor. Even in racing applications BMW has abandoned it in favor of a V8 in the Form of the M3 GTR.

Street version left, race version on the right.

steve_c

Now those are some serious cars there Adam !

Shinkaze

To be honest I'm a bit disapointed with BMW's V8 M3. They don't perform well at Le Mans, and the few they built for the street aren't that much faster than a "regular" M3 especially considering they're more than twice the price. They only built and sold the car for homoligation purposes. Once they're able to spread R&D costs by making the V8 standard in the next Gen M4, we'll see a more affordable and more cost competitive car. Here is a spy shot of the 2006 M4. (Note: the next gen 3 series will be 4-doors only, the 2-door 3 series will become the 4 series, so thus the next gen M3 will be a "M4").


2006 BMW 4 series






-Adam

CammedTA

when the M3 GTR first came out the the 4.0L V8 It kick everybodys asses in AMLS Gt class, but since it did so well the next seseson it had extra weight and a lager air resticter in the intake, less hp, more weight means slow.

whitt1

Damn guys is this a BMW M3 forum or a LS1 forum.I build a 5400lb sleeper Tahoe that rubs a M3 owners nose in it,and you guys don't think a 3800lb GTO can do the same with just a little coaxing.I thought you guys were about going fast in a LS1 powered GTO,not talking about how much better the"Ultimate driving machine"was.Not only did I beat the guys M3 right in front of Roadshow BMW,I pulled into the dealership behind him to ask what was the matter with his german piece of Sh$t,there's nothing like rubbing a little salt in the wounds.

LSs1Power

iTrader: (5)

It’s all about being realistic. An E46 M3 will outrun a GTO most of the time. It will unsual to see a GTO that beats a E46 M3. Usually M3's traps between 104-107mph. Now show me a GTO that run those trap speeds. I know that there is a GTO that trapped 102-103mph which is still not enough to beat an E46 M3. Unless ur truck traps 105-107mph, I just don’t see how u pull on an E46 M3. Are u saying u beat the M3 from a stop or a roll? And if from stop, how long did u guys race? Don’t tell me u got the jump on him until 40-50mph like most trucks say.