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I noticed that many of the 997 drivers have had a BMW on their curriculum (often in an M(otorsport) version) and I wondered what explains this affinity with the cars from Bayern?
Is it because both are typically RWD, German, high(er)-performance cars?
Because they have a sporty image?
Because of the heritage (but then Mercedes Benz would need to be right up there)?
Feel free to enlighten me
(ps. I have never been very loyal to a specific car brand, but the last one before the Porsche happened to be a BMW as well... a 6-series E63. Thought it was pure coincidence... until npw )
I've been a long term BMW owner. From the 2002tti, E30, E46, E90, I found out that every generation of the BMW models, the quality has gone down drastically. I still have a BMW daily driver and it just cannot compare to my 997.2. If you pop the hood of the current BMW and compare it with the E30 series, the current ones, except for the engine block, everything else under the hood are plastic. It is becoming to be a disposable car because if you work on it, everything you touch on, it breaks. Just a few years owning it, you'll have oil leaks, snapped aluminum bolts, coolant bottle cracks, water pump gave up,.... the list goes on and on. I still able to put my BMW to good usage because I know a thing or two to keep it up. For those relying on dealers or indys, you are at their mercy.
I sold a BMW 740, 997.1 GT3 and 997.1 Turbo in September to buy something more practical with the kids and get rid of two insurance payments, I ended up with an M6 Gran Coupe. I like the car a lot but it is not a Porsche, I had it four months and just traded it for a 991 GTS Cab. Love it, and so does my 15 YO daughter learning to drive. There is no substitute.
Interesting question. I just moved last month from BMW to my new (to me) 997.1 C4S. I have had 2 e36 M3 sedans and I still have a E46 M3 (which is sadly for sale). I have always wanted a 911 and in fact never even drove one until I flew to Florida and picked mine up sight unseen! Maintenance does not scare me and in fact I have had nothing but good luck with all of my BMW's. I can tear apart the E46 and not think twice. That being said, I already miss the extra 1200 RPM's the S54 when driving the 997. The drive though in the 911 is everything I hoped for and the drive back from Florida was just a perfect way to get to know her. Two different cars, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but thats a whole new discussion!
Have had it for 9 years and 148k kms now, absolutely solid car and love it. Can't beat the NA inline 6, RWD, 6 speed manual and hydraulic power steering.
Family car is a F20 116i which was still good enough for long distance driving, obviously it doesn't have the get and go like my .2.
Creature comfort and tech, BMW is still ahead of Porsche. My old 2003 530i had auto headlights while my 2010 .2 doesn't while costing approx. NZD80k more when both new.
Mechanical-wise, yes BMW is in a decline. My old 118i leaked in a lot more places than my 996.2 which I considered very ironic.
My other car is a BMW.... Mini Cooper S. I have always enjoyed BMW handling, great steering feel and manual transmissions. But, I always wanted more performance.
In all seriousness, coming from an E90 335i I was pretty turned off by the then-new F30/F80 3-series. Cheapened interiors and much poorer road and steering feel.
Okay, so from the input so far I gather that BMW is (or was) the 4-door equivalent of Porsche in terms of driver involvement.
I agree that their "Freude am Fahren" slogan has become less and less applicable over the last years, with their recent front-wheel-drive, 4 cylinder, numb-steering models...
Looks like Porsche is better at sticking to its roots, but then again BMW is a mass producer which is not the case for Porsche.
It is a natural progression from Bmw to Porsche, however the appliance-like transition of all bmws may be accelerating the move away from the brand. That and all models being an “M”. The “M”s don’t even have M motors in them anymore.
Somewhat related but I also can’t stand the naming structure. X4m40xdrive. I mean come on.
BMWs slogan “ultimate driving machine” is so hollow these days it’s become sort of sad.
This is coming from someone who grew up on bmws, participated in forums forever and has owned 6 of them (I’m 34). I’ve had 4 3-series. I’m still on the waitlist for the (hoped for) M2CSL.
Since buying my my first Porsche, I don’t think I’ll go back.
Interesting question. I just moved last month from BMW to my new (to me) 997.1 C4S. I have had 2 e36 M3 sedans and I still have a E46 M3 (which is sadly for sale). I have always wanted a 911 and in fact never even drove one until I flew to Florida and picked mine up sight unseen! Maintenance does not scare me and in fact I have had nothing but good luck with all of my BMW's. I can tear apart the E46 and not think twice. That being said, I already miss the extra 1200 RPM's the S54 when driving the 997. The drive though in the 911 is everything I hoped for and the drive back from Florida was just a perfect way to get to know her. Two different cars, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but thats a whole new discussion!
I have an E46 M3 that I use as a daily driver. It's a great car that is exceptionally good at being a DD while still remaining low key. I feel like I can take it just about anywhere and have a good time on the way. With that said, as good as the M3 is, the 997 is just a little bit better in almost every single way. Some of the M3 guys will argue that the 997 isn't necessarily an upgrade, and maybe it's not on paper, but the actual driving experience says otherwise.
03-06-2018, 07:52 PM
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