Best competition for M3 in GT4

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windom

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What do you guys think would be the best competition for the BMW M3 (regular) in GT4?

I've tested the following cars (all stock) against it so far on the Seattle circuit:

Audi S4
Nissan Skyline GTR M-spec Nur
Subaru Impreza STI
FPV F6 Typhoon
Holden Monaro

I was trying to find fair competitors by picking the sporty sedans in the game. Didn't bother including any of the uber fast sedans (ie M5, E55). Anyways, based on my driving skills and track knowledge, the only car that came close to the M3 in this test was the Skyline (it's only got 2-doors but it looks kinda like a sedan).

Was a bit disappointed that the S4 and the STI didn't do better. And was really surprised that the FPV and the Holden couldn't hold a candle to the M3's lap times.

Any thoughts?
 
windom
What do you guys think would be the best competition for the BMW M3 (regular) in GT4?

I've tested the following cars (all stock) against it so far on the Seattle circuit:

Audi S4
Nissan Skyline GTR M-spec Nur
Subaru Impreza STI
FPV F6 Typhoon
Holden Monaro

I was trying to find fair competitors by picking the sporty sedans in the game. Didn't bother including any of the uber fast sedans (ie M5, E55). Anyways, based on my driving skills and track knowledge, the only car that came close to the M3 in this test was the Skyline (it's only got 2-doors but it looks kinda like a sedan).

Was a bit disappointed that the S4 and the STI didn't do better. And was really surprised that the FPV and the Holden couldn't hold a candle to the M3's lap times.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

use the car quick reference thing on this forum (in the FAQ section) to find a car with an equal spec.

that should help (hopefully)
 
M3 is a coupe, not a sedan, so the Skyline GT-R would be a very good comparison. In the Sedan/Coupe segment, I would say the Audi S4 or RS4, the Skyline GT-R, one of the Mercedes AMG cars, the Holden Monaro, and I am sure there are a couple of others.
The Impreza not doing as well doesn't suprise me. Its 4WD system is 50/50 at all times so it gets off the line well, and it can handle, but it will understeer more. If you include the Impreza, you should also put in the Lancer Evo's. The Lancer's 4wd system is more intelligent than the Impreza's so it might fare better.
And wouldn't using the Skyline GT-R M-spec Nur be too specific of a model.. I would think just using the Skyline GT-R Vspec would be a better comparison since it would be a more readily available car, as available as a regular M3.

Also maybe try the comparo at a course other than Seattle. Since Seattle has the jumps and the railroad tracks that can really mess up a car, do something smoother with more variety.. like Apricot Hill or one of the Fuji Courses. Apricot Hill is usually where I do mine since it gives you a section of twisties with elevation changes, a hard breaking zone after a long straight, a pretty long straight, a good tight chicane, a hairpin curve, and a long fast curve.
 
i used the b-spec driver to compare laptimes on the nürburgring in various (incl. the M3) cars. take a look...

 
Yeah, I think Apricaot Hill is a good test track. And you might want to look at the GTO instead of the Monaro--its actually got more power, not that it will bring it that much closer to the M3, but every little bit helps. And since the Skyline is routinely lined up against Supras, I dont' think that any of the sportier cars (Mustang GT, 350Z, Supra TT, RX-7, etc. Maybe even a Z06) would be out of place, and I think you'd find that those cars are much closer to the M3's lap times. They are certainly a lot sloser in spirit to an M3, and besides the Skyline, the other cars you listed were way out of their league against an M3.
 
I do most of my (stock to stock) grudge matches at Infinion Sport Car Course with N2 tires. I find that the Z06 and the M3 have some good races. I forget if i race the baseline M3 or the CSL but its still a good race.

As for the Mustang being any compitition. Bring back the Supercharged SVT Mustang in GT3 'cause the GT in this game doesnt cut it... Atleast a Infinion vs the M3 or ZO6
 
PerfectCorner
I do most of my (stock to stock) grudge matches at Infinion Sport Car Course with N2 tires. I find that the Z06 and the M3 have some good races. I forget if i race the baseline M3 or the CSL but its still a good race.

As for the Mustang being any compitition. Bring back the Supercharged one in GT3 'cause the GT in this game doesnt cut it... Atleast a Infinion vs the M3 or ZO6
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The 2000 Ford Mustang Cobra "R" is in the game. It is under the used car lot "II". But if the realism in the game is just as in real life, the M3 would win hands down against the 'Stang. I have driven both an M3 and a 2002 Mustang GT (my car) and well...on a course such as that, the M3 just outperforms in the handling.
 
spazzyfry123
The 2000 Ford Mustang Cobra "R" is in the game. It is under the used car lot "II". But if the realism in the game is just as in real life, the M3 would win hands down against the 'Stang. I have driven both an M3 and a 2002 Mustang GT (my car) and well...on a course such as that, the M3 just outperforms in the handling.
Click to expand...
yes the m3 wins against a Normal Mustang GT, but vs the '00 Cobra R or the '03 Mustang SVT Cobra. they would both beat it in handling and straight line speed.
and especially in real life the Z06 will beat an M3 easily.
 
In my personal real life comparisons. I would say the STi, my friend has one and I of course was driving an M3, the car's are pretty similar in different aspects. I'm angry that Kazunori didn't use the 19" wheels with the M3 either, and the sound, the M3 and M5 sound nothing like that in real life.


/me is very saddened.
 
yea...the Z06 isnt good competition. in real life, it'll stomp pretty much any production car that isnt named ferrari, lambo, or porsche around a normal sized track. and i dont wanna hear a list of rare cars that could beat a Z06 cuz i said production; like 500 or so made or else we can get into lingenfelters. even a modena cant hang on a track. 12 second qtr mile and a G on the skidpad. u know the M3 cant hang.
 
if your talking about the new z06 then yea, im pretty sure the porsche gt2 wont be able to hang with the C6 z06.
i cant wait till the mags do comparisons, even though we all know who the editors favor.
Z06
430 Modena
Viper SRT Coupe
997 Porsche Turbo
dare i say new m3?
 
I wonder if the M4 and M6 will be on GT5.

By the way, (possible insider information I have)

BMW is totally renaming/revamping the "series".

The 3 Series will be now split into 3 and 4 Series, Odd numbers will have 4 doors, even numbers will have 2 doors. For example, the 4 door 3 series will stay that way, but the 2 door (330ci/325ci) will now be 4 Series, so the name should be similar to 430ci? I don't know if they will include the ci bit, but the new M3 will have a V8 engine, and will be renamed to the M4. I've known about this since just last year but it's pretty interesting and sometimes confusing.

As you know they already have started with the whole Odd/Even thing, the 5 series has 4 doors, along with the 7 series. And the 6 series has 2 doors. I can't wait until the new M6 is made, might be a while but it will be a hell of a sports car.
 
I used the M3 GTR in the Motegi 8hr endurance race - I started it off last night - went to bed and got up this morning to find it had won but only by 12 secs from the Opera S2000.
 
Chris Criswell
I wonder if the M4 and M6 will be on GT5.

By the way, (possible insider information I have)

BMW is totally renaming/revamping the "series".

The 3 Series will be now split into 3 and 4 Series, Odd numbers will have 4 doors, even numbers will have 2 doors. For example, the 4 door 3 series will stay that way, but the 2 door (330ci/325ci) will now be 4 Series, so the name should be similar to 430ci? I don't know if they will include the ci bit, but the new M3 will have a V8 engine, and will be renamed to the M4. I've known about this since just last year but it's pretty interesting and sometimes confusing.

As you know they already have started with the whole Odd/Even thing, the 5 series has 4 doors, along with the 7 series. And the 6 series has 2 doors. I can't wait until the new M6 is made, might be a while but it will be a hell of a sports car.
Click to expand...

So what are they going to call the 5 door (touring) versions of the 3 and 5 series? :indiff:
 
Messiah
So what are they going to call the 5 door (touring) versions of the 3 and 5 series? :indiff:
Click to expand...



The change in names is mainly for production cars, if they have at least 4 doors, that is the 2 on each side, then they should still be 3 and 5 series cars..These name changes won't take place for a while, but it is in the works.
 
svtsnake
if your talking about the new z06 then yea, im pretty sure the porsche gt2 wont be able to hang with the C6 z06.
i cant wait till the mags do comparisons, even though we all know who the editors favor.
Z06
430 Modena
Viper SRT Coupe
997 Porsche Turbo
dare i say new m3?
Click to expand...
C6 is the racing varient right? In terms of road cars however not much can touch the Z06 or M3 CSL.
 
Ok, to answer the Main Question this Thread was made for; I decided to do some testing of my own.

I went to Arcade Mode, Selected Mid-Field Raceway (Normal). I chose 6 cars for the test (I tried to get cars from different countries). The Transmission was set to Automatic, The Tires were on Sports/Soft, and the Driving Aids were TCS & ASM. (I only did a quick one lap test and didn't try my hardest.)

The results were:

BMW M3 '04: 1'22.461
Subaru IMPREZA Sedan WRX STi spec C: 1'22.876
Jaguar XKR R-Performance '02: 1'23.041
Ford MUSTANG SVT Cobra R '00: 1'23.179
Toyota SUPRA RZ '97: 1'23.470
Mazda RX-7 Bathurst: 1'23.6-- (I know it was in the .6 range but it wasn't on my Top-10 in the Rankings.)

Well, that sums up a few cars that would be close competition for the BMW M3 '04.

I currently have plenty of time on my hands so luckily for you I felt like testing my own :D
 
Chris Criswell
I wonder if the M4 and M6 will be on GT5.

By the way, (possible insider information I have)

BMW is totally renaming/revamping the "series".

The 3 Series will be now split into 3 and 4 Series, Odd numbers will have 4 doors, even numbers will have 2 doors. For example, the 4 door 3 series will stay that way, but the 2 door (330ci/325ci) will now be 4 Series, so the name should be similar to 430ci? I don't know if they will include the ci bit, but the new M3 will have a V8 engine, and will be renamed to the M4. I've known about this since just last year but it's pretty interesting and sometimes confusing.

As you know they already have started with the whole Odd/Even thing, the 5 series has 4 doors, along with the 7 series. And the 6 series has 2 doors. I can't wait until the new M6 is made, might be a while but it will be a hell of a sports car.
Click to expand...

and that would mean that the M3 not the M4 as you stated would be a 4 door like the M5? that would be just strange in my mind because when someone says M3 i think 2 door.
 
You know, in '97 and '98 BMW made Sedan M3's, so it wouldn't really be THAT weird.

The C6 is the new corvette (6th gen). The C5 Z06 and C5R (Corvette Race car) are in GT4, the C6 and C6 Z06 are not (the C6 Z06 is the 500+ horse monster). And the new Corvette race car is the C6R. The new Z06 due out this fall has a better power/weight than the Ford GT, is na (giving it a flatter torque curve and opening the door WIDE open for tuners), and has been tamed DOWN to 500 horses to avoid a gas guzzler tax in the US. And it's speculated to cost between $60k and $70k. And if a CHEVY can do that, the exotics are expected to take their ball and go home. Check out this month's winding road ( www.windingroad.com Read the letter from the Editor on page 3 titled "The End is Near." It isn't especially flattering in any way, but makes the point that the exotics might just go find a new game to play now that insane power isn't their sole domain.

And in my opinion, this is all indicative of a larger trend to bring power to the people. Witness the 300C and the new Charger--300+ horses for the stock HEMI, and 425 hp for the SRT8. AND they have 4 doors. Manufacturers are finally realizing that normal people love being able to get the (almost) best of both worlds, and BMW would do well the offer a 4 door M3 again, especially in today's climate of 4 door performance cars for the family man enthusiast.

There, I didn't go too far off topic, and I tied it all in.
 
Anything ending in STi should crush the cars that you listed.

Although the reference to the WRX you were using was kinda vague, I can only assume it's the Type-R, and that thing would defeat the M3 with power:weight alone.

I don't see where the big mystery is..
 
skicrush
You know, in '97 and '98 BMW made Sedan M3's, so it wouldn't really be THAT weird.

And in my opinion, this is all indicative of a larger trend to bring power to the people. Witness the 300C and the new Charger--300+ horses for the stock HEMI, and 425 hp for the SRT8. AND they have 4 doors. Manufacturers are finally realizing that normal people love being able to get the (almost) best of both worlds, and BMW would do well the offer a 4 door M3 again, especially in today's climate of 4 door performance cars for the family man enthusiast.

There, I didn't go too far off topic, and I tied it all in.
Click to expand...

Yep, I have driven a '97 Sedan M3, still felt sporty.

I'm sure they would offer a 4 door M3, but not with the Inline it currently has, I think BMW liked the GTR LM Race Car a little bit, the new M3(M4) that's in the plans will use the Previous to '05 M5's V8 engine. Again it would make the M3(M4) a bit heavier, but lots more power and surely a lot more fun.
 
As much as I love the M3, I wouldn't say it's a competitor to the Corvette. They're simply too different classes of cars. One is a pure sports car, the other is a family car with copius amounts of power, handling, and braking capabilities. Yeah it's faster than a lot of sports cars, but at the end of the day, it's still a 3-series.

I think the GTR is an excellent competitor for the M3 (on any track long or short) because it was also derived from someone's everyday family car.

I thought the new V8 in the S4 would finally bring the M3 down, but all that extra curb weight really didn't help. And as fast as the STI and EVO are in acceleration, their top speed suffers.
 
I don't see how an M3 is a family car, that's quite funny :D

It's definitely a sports/performance/semi-luxury car. Trust me, I drive them all/every day.
 

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