2009 BMW M3 vs. 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera

Every new 911 is a solid dose of Porsche tradition. You want to connect with the past? Plug yourself into one of these rear-engine babies. Tire noise, a stiff ride, tightly wound steering; the 911 is for folks who still want to touch the road, get their hands dirty, and work up a farmer’s sweat.

Well, be cool.

The aggressive throttle linkage de -mands concentration, indeed punishes those who lack it. In corners, the restless body is always in motion, 62 percent of the car’s weight out back looking for opportunities to get out front.

As undulating pavement works the suspension and the weight transfers around, the steering can respond with surprises. Sometimes a gentle plow suddenly locks into a vicious bite, which spirals quickly into tail wag if you lift, as your right foot is seemingly screaming to do.

Tip: Don’t lift.

Slow in, fast out. That old saw should be engraved on the dash of every 911, especially since the rear weight bias and big stoppers make for fabulous braking. When the M3’s brakes softened after a few hard laps, the 911’s were still shutting it down, lap after lap, with authority.

Thumbs nestle comfortably onto the ergonomically shaped buttons on the steering-wheel spokes. A mere squeeze shifts the transmission: forward for upshifts, back for downshifts. In auto mode, the PDK operates with fuel economy in mind and an almost seamless efficiency—except in crawling freeway traffic. Instead of locking in first gear to roll along slowly, the PDK more often putt-putts forward by repeatedly goosing the clutch.

Actually, we never took a shine to the plastic buttons, which are incongruously cold and computer-like in such a primal machine. They imply a future where cars are operated by nose twitches and lip smacks, and a poorly timed sneeze causes a pileup. If we can’t operate a clutch and shifter, have the satisfaction of pushing pedals and sliding shift forks, we’ll take the M3’s paddles. At least you have to move your fingers.

The 911 has statistical appeal: It’s lighter than the M3 by 380 pounds without using Millennium Falcon materials, and it keeps the pace with an identical 4.1-second 0-to-60-mph sprint despite being down two cylinders, 385 cubic centimeters, and 69 horsepower. Midrange torque even feels stronger than that of the cammy, not-much-below-4000-rpm V-8 in the M3.

This 911 lacks options but never feels economy-class inside, the black-leather manually sliding buckets still welcoming after all-day sits. We’d recommend adding only the $1320 Sport Chrono pack to give the PDK “sport” and “sport plus” modes for faster shifts when you want them, plus launch control.

Almost a half-century of evolution has kept the 911 current, and Porsche’s storied badge is undeniably more desirable—indeed a couple of rungs closer to exotic status. But standing on tradition eventually means watching others move forward.

2009 BMW M3

The M3 M DCT simply does everything well except tow a hot-dog stand. It may even be the second-best car in the world after the M3 manual.

Everything is configurable on this hyper-tech machine, especially compared with the one-form-fits-all 911. The orthopedic seats have electric adjustments for lumbar and side bolsters, and the thigh cushions slide to taste. The “power” button adjusts the throttle response; the dynamic stability control turns the skid nanny to zero or to an M Dynamic mode for fun but crash-free lapping.

You can change the shock stiffness, vary the steering weight, and pick the shift speed and harshness from one of six settings. All for a price that, with the other options, still undercuts our Amish Edition 911 by $7845.

Voters found the classic 911 shape more pleasing, but the M3’s slick wrapping includes a fast, hardtop roofline and a hood with more bulge than a Jockey billboard. The BMW is longer and heavier, but some things are worth the price, including a usable—indeed, commodious—back seat and a significantly quieter cabin.

With the M3’s many buttons, you can make of it what you want: loafing commuter, track animal, high-speed touring express. But no matter how you set it, the M3 astounds. There’s more front-end grip than most people have the guts to exploit, the steering wheel able to carve perfectly elliptical arcs up a winding road at foolish speeds. Where the 911 battles each corner, sometimes in a nerve-jangling sine wave of alternating grip and push, the M3 is dead calm. It shows hardly any body roll or bobble, the chassis balanced with the poise of a Bolshoi star. Call it insulation, or call it stupendous competence, but the M3 chewed 1.1 seconds off the 911’s best Laguna lap time and was quicker through the lane-change maneuver.

When the M3’s tail wags, as it so often does in hot lapping, a finely calibrated throttle makes it easy to ride out the drift and ease it back into line. The wheel effort is lighter than the 911’s, too light for some, but the talk-back is solid, as is the sense of immutable control.

Where the low-slung 911 feels more sporting, the M3 wears like a sedan. The seats seem higher, the dash layout more conventional, the foot and leg space more generous. Upshift lights ring the tach, and the 8400-rpm redline actually moves depending on the engine temperature. Stitching in BMW M tricolor and bands of upholstery pressed with a carbon-fiber weave enhance the motorsports theme.

This isn’t the single-clutch, neck-jerking, hateful sequential manual gearbox (SMG) of old. BMW’s new M DCT is also a twin-clutch box like the 911’s but with two paddles—left for down, right for up—to change gears in a fluid eye blink. We found it easier to make friends with, and missed shifts were less common. Even the launch control is adjustable: The step-off rpm can be varied using the cruise-control knob.

Have it your way, says BMW. We’ll have ours in blue or red.

[article from: caranddriver.com]