E92 3 Series Coupe VS F32 4 Series Coupe - Which styling do you prefer?

Originally Posted by beden1

I was looking at your signature picture. How are you able to race your Z4 M Roadster without a frame mounted roll bar?

Fixed!

I've autocrossed the car twice since I bought it and have another autocross coming up next month.

I can't track the car at any BMW CCA track event (or more correctly, "High Performance Driving Event" or "High Performance Driving School") because BMW CCA does not allow open top cars regardless of any rollover protection they have. However, I tracked my S2000 many, many times at other non-BMW CCA track events. At this point I'd want dedicated track tires and wheels like I had on my S2000 and we have for our 335is (the runflat tires on the 335is didn't work so well for autocrossing). Maybe next year.

I naturally like the 4.

But prefer the look o'this Japanese car:

Originally Posted by CALWATERBOY

I naturally like the 4.

But prefer the look o'this Japanese car:

I saw this at the IAS in Detroit last January. It was absolutely gorgeous, really stunning! I always loved the original NSX, and I still have a tiny bit of love left for Honda at this point, but I'm guessing that this will be out of my price range!

Originally Posted by SD Z4MR

I'll be doing ED on an M4 in a few years no matter how it looks.

So you would be okay with a 450 hp clone of the Nissan "Cube"? I am presuming the fact that it might wear a BMW Roundel is incidental?


(Ah, I saw your post about the Aztec that you composed while I was composing)

Originally Posted by beden1

No, I would certainly not buy a car if I did not like the way it looks. I think most people would not.

Seriously, I think most consumers are primarily driven by looks and marque, performance and engineering are secondary. Just go back to the Bimmerfest archives and read the posts about "is the 1 series FWD or RWD?"
http://wwww.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...713&highlight=

For that matter look at all the 1 series posts about it looking like a "girl" car.

Originally Posted by beden1

I also would not buy a car that I liked the way it looks but does not perform very well.

This is where the discerning consumer steps in. Just as in my absurd example above, the looks have to go hand in hand with the performance. Does anybody remember the "no-go-Show-Boat" Camaro in the 70's? Looked great, fell flat on its face.

That being said, with regard to the F32/F33 I am more disturbed by the move away from an NA I6 than I am by the cosmetic metamorphism that is bound to occur with model changes. I am a long term keeper of cars, so my next car buying cycle will probably occur with the G or H variant, and by that time Turbos vs NA will most likely be totally irrelevant.

Originally Posted by Nordic_Kat

So you would be okay with a 450 hp clone of the Nissan "Cube"? I am presuming the fact that it might wear a BMW Roundel is incidental?

Seriously, I think most consumers are primarily driven by looks and marque, performance and engineering are secondary. Just go back to the Bimmerfest archives and read the posts about "is the 1 series FWD or RWD?"
http://wwww.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...713&highlight=

For that matter look at all the 1 series posts about it looking like a "girl" car.

This is where the discerning consumer steps in. Just as in my absurd example above, the looks have to go hand in hand with the performance. Does anybody remember the "no-go-Show-Boat" Camaro in the 70's? Looked great, fell flat on its face.

That being said, with regard to the F32/F33 I am more disturbed by the move away from an NA I6 than I am by the cosmetic metamorphism that is bound to occur with model changes. I am a long term keeper of cars, so my next car buying cycle will probably occur with the G or H variant, and by that time Turbos vs NA will most likely be totally irrelevant.

Already asked and answered in Post #24!

Agreed that most consumers aren't very discerning or even very knowledgeable about their car purchases, or for that matter, most of their purchases.

This same woman who used to own a purple minivan because of the color now drives a 550i. She knows nothing about it, her husband bought it for her because "the 535i didn't have enough power". She calls it "her Beemer" and it's got those pretty blue and white emblems on it. He drive a "Porsh", but neither of them has ever driven either of the cars at any performance event of any kind, even a Car Control Clinic, so I'm not sure why he thinks that the 535i "doesn't have enough power" because neither of them would even know what to do with that power. His car also comes from Germany and has that pretty gold crest on it. They both look really good driving in their cars.

Originally Posted by Nordic_Kat

That being said, with regard to the F32/F33 I am more disturbed by the move away from an NA I6 than I am by the cosmetic metamorphism that is bound to occur with model changes. I am a long term keeper of cars, so my next car buying cycle will probably occur with the G or H variant, and by that time Turbos vs NA will most likely be totally irrelevant.

As much as I like my 335is, I would like it much more if it were NA or if it had a super charger. The notchy turbo performance takes away from an otherwise very capable and enjoyable car.

Our S4 with a super charged 6 cylinder engine has super smooth performance by comparison. Unfortunately, It looks like gas powered engines with turbos are here to stay, at least with BMW, and possibly in time, they can get the turbos to perform as smooth as an NA engine. Until then however, I will not be buying any cars with turbos anytime soon for my personal rides at least.

I don't mind turbo diesel engines, and in fact, I really enjoyed test driving a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S last month when I was there for service. I would just have a real problem paying that kind of money for an SUV.

Originally Posted by SD Z4MR

Already asked and answered in Post #24!

Agreed that most consumers aren't very discerning or even very knowledgeable about their car purchases, or for that matter, most of their purchases.

This same woman who used to own a purple minivan because of the color now drives a 550i. She knows nothing about it, her husband bought it for her because "the 535i didn't have enough power". She calls it "her Beemer" and it's got those pretty blue and white emblems on it. He drive a "Porsh", but neither of them has ever driven either of the cars at any performance event of any kind, even a Car Control Clinic, so I'm not sure why he thinks that the 535i "doesn't have enough power" because neither of them would even know what to do with that power. His car also comes from Germany and has that pretty gold crest on it. They both look really good driving in their cars.

Now, now, don't be a hater. You live in CA and should be used to status seekers by now. Your neighbors do sound like they would be perfect candidates to be on a "Housewives of San Diego" Reality TV show.

Originally Posted by SD Z4MR

She calls it "her Beemer" and it's got those pretty blue and white emblems on it. He drive a "Porsh". . . . They both look really good driving in their cars.

OMG, don't get me started on the "Porsh" and for that matter "Beamer" thing. I almost made mortal enemies of in-laws this summer over those details.

Originally Posted by Nordic_Kat

OMG, don't get me started on the "Porsh" and for that matter "Beamer" thing. I almost made mortal enemies of in-laws this summer over those details.

My wife and I had this very discussion last month about Beamer versus Bimmer. She loves BMWs and is on her second and drove my previous BMWs whenever she could get her hands on the keys. So, we were taking a drive in the country and she commented about a "beamer" that drove by. I asked her where she heard that terminology and she said that is what everyone from work and her other friends calls them. I straightened her out, nicely of course, but it is what it is.

She knows that a Porsche is a Porsche and not a Porsh, fortunately.

Originally Posted by beden1

She knows that a Porsche is a Porsche and not a Porsh, fortunately.

Lucky you.
My curse is that I was taught correctly at the tender age of 5 that it is "Por-shuh".

Unfortunately for me, this summer our 26 year old niece tried to 'educate' me on how "hip" people pronounce Porsche. More unfortunate, is her stepmom who probably really doesn't have a clue what the difference is between a Ferarri and Ford Focus chastised me for being "pompous" for making the effort toward correct pronounciation.



(Thank you for letting me vent that among folks who understand.)

If it has a hood delete i'm in!! Better yet if it resembles it's brother the F30 I'm out!! Get the E90's while still available and save your soul!!

without seeing the front, i like it so far, though i still think the timeless lines of my e46 are really tough to beat..

I think the F32 looks better than I thought it would. The new roofline seems more "Porsche-like" to me, and since the vent on the front fender is functional, I don't really have a problem with it. I am more interested in seeing how the new F33 cabrio will look since if I replaced my E93 (which is doubtful) it would need to be replaced by another cabrio/convertible.

way too early to tell, but if I hadto say based on this picture i would say e92 because i hate those stupid ford mustang looking side vents.

For what ever reason or make of car a solid chunk of the current owners always "hate" the new model.

Its especially interesting to watch the hate build up in car lines that are very evolutionary like BMW. Maybe it makes some sense in a car like the Acura TL that went from the 3G to 4G beak but it’s a real stretch in the 3 series.

f30 deserves the hate, and whoever designed should have gotten canned

I'm surprised by how similar the two are from the side. The Hoffmeister kink is a bit too severe for my tastes, but I don't hate it.

What's interesting is how the panels fit together. How the hood opens is different in the two models. In the E92, the running board panel has a bit of a swoop shape; in the F32, it's straight all the way. In the E92, the shape makes room for the swoop of the M Sport running board. In the F32, they won't be able to handle that. So it will be interesting to see how the running board is modified for the M Sport option.

On-topic: I will not vote because "no preference" is not an option. With the front and rear of the F32 masked, the remaining cues are insufficient for me to decide which I prefer. Unlike the E46 coupe, the E92 never really "grabbed" me; that may have a lot to do with why I am still neutral on the F32--it's an evolutionary revision. I don't yet see anything dramatically better, nor do I see anything offensively worse.

I don't care for the featureless rocker panel of the F32. I do like the wheels. I think the Hofmeister kink is too small, approaching vestigial, but it may work within the overall design. The F32 appears to have addressed the "heaviness" of the rear 3/4 view of the E92, looking somewhat better-balanced in the photos...need to see it unmasked to be sure. Overall, I do not see enough positive or negative points to tip the scales yet...it's just different.

(One thing's certain: If I see "sleek"/"sleeker" used a few more times to describe the F32 I may start mailing out dictionary and thesaurus excerpts. For one, find another adjective already. For another, if anything I find the F32 less sleek than the E92, based on what's visible so far.)

Off topic (and more fun ):

Originally Posted by Nordic_Kat

OMG, don't get me started on the "Porsh" and for that matter "Beamer" thing. I almost made mortal enemies of in-laws this summer over those details.

Originally Posted by Nordic_Kat

My curse is that I was taught correctly at the tender age of 5 that it is "Por-shuh".

Unfortunately for me, this summer our 26 year old niece tried to 'educate' me on how "hip" people pronounce Porsche.

Oh, that must have been rich. It would almost have been worth the airfare to have been invited to listen in at that table!

I usually manage to bite my tongue and simply use the correct pronunciation at every opportunity. But on the rare occasions when someone has challenged the distinction, even after being told they are mangling a person's name, I start mispronouncing their name until it sinks in. That's guaranteed fun.

(I suspect your in-laws would have thrown me out before dessert.)

My Lease will be up in Oct of 2015 so it will be interesting to see what the F32 will be then but I wonderd what the N55 sucesser will be. Here's a quote from the F30 forum: "but the 435i (or 440i) may very well usher in the successor to the current N55 twin turbo inline 6 engine." I herd rumers of a 3 turbo engine. So that begs the question; Will that be a little too close in performance to the M4? At any rate I'm very pleased with my E92 for now but in 3 years I will have to part with my belovd Msport coupe. Oh well, onward and upward!
John

The triple turbo rumors were in relation to the M3/M4 but those have been debunked. The M3/M4 will be powered by an N54 derived 3 liter twin turbo inline 6. The new N55 replacement will be single turbo.

Tim

Tim, please excuse a newbee but I thought the N55 is a single turbo but with 2 scrolls thus giving it the name "twin powered" (but its still a single turbo" At least that is the info I was given from my dealer. I of course differ to you sir.
John

You are correct. If I implied that the N55 was twin turbo that was not my intent.

Tim

I was hoping for more HP on the 2014/15 F32. You can never get enough SEX, $$ or HP. So to stay on topic I would have to say I vote for the F32
John

Originally Posted by Lufthansa

IIRC, the new coupe won't have the NA six, but a turbo 4 as the base engine. I don't do turbos and I don't do fours.

I'm not sure what you will be driving, in the entry premium segment going forward, that doesn't have either or both.

I'm reserving judgment until I see one in person. The F30, to me, looks way better that way than in any picture. The air vent surround does look a little troublesome.

Originally Posted by chris328

f30 deserves the hate, and whoever designed should have gotten canned

Damn straight!! BMW though will admit to no wrong doing.