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M3P - Who switched from a (true) sports car?
- Thread starter drew4392
- Start date
Replaced a 2019 AMG C63 with the M3 LR.
Similar level of usable performance, a much nicer place to be, 90% of the time.
I kept my 2014 Morgan +8 for the retro ICE moment and the howl of a naturally aspirated 4.8L V8
OH yes, premium gasoline here in the UK is about US$8.4 per US gallon...
Similar level of usable performance, a much nicer place to be, 90% of the time.
I kept my 2014 Morgan +8 for the retro ICE moment and the howl of a naturally aspirated 4.8L V8
OH yes, premium gasoline here in the UK is about US$8.4 per US gallon...
My 2002 Corvette makes similar power and weighs about 3/4 of my M3P. It's a fun car, but AWD and good traction control makes the M3P more fun on the street (it's less stressful to get the most fun out of it). For track days, the Corvette wins, especially with the upgrades that have gone into it (cooling, brakes, seats, etc).
But I'm looking forward to the day when electric cars can handle a 20 minute session, every hour, all day, without losing power.
But I'm looking forward to the day when electric cars can handle a 20 minute session, every hour, all day, without losing power.
JLUNDY
Member
Not a true "sports car" but coming from an ISF I am very satisfied with the M3P. A little dull at highway speeds but a huge advantage in the 0-80mph range.
Hi Guys. I just switched over from a 2014 Mercedes C63 AMG 507 Edition. I just want to post this to make it known that I am BLOWN AWAY by my the 2021 Model 3 Performance that I picked up last week. I sold the AMG and my daily for a nice profit thanks to the used car market, and decided a Tesla would be a perfect daily... BUT I soon learned how capable this car is.
I am not joking when I say the steering feel in the Model 3 Performance is just as good if not better than my AMG was. Acceleration of course is also faster in the Tesla up till about 120mph where the C63 would smoke the Model 3. Im so excited about this car...
I am not joking when I say the steering feel in the Model 3 Performance is just as good if not better than my AMG was. Acceleration of course is also faster in the Tesla up till about 120mph where the C63 would smoke the Model 3. Im so excited about this car...
MrSlowEv
Member
I came from a 2009 Cadillac Cts-V manual transmission sedan. It was making 770whp/700rwtq. From 0-50mph (on a non prepped surface) my 2021 M3P would leave it behind but the V would catch it fast in terms of straight line acceleration. The M3P’s Awd system gives it better handling. In terms of Cornering, the M3P takes the win by a long shot due to it’s readily available peak torque and flawless traction upon corner exit. The tech in the V is out dated, to say the least, compared to the Tesla. The M3P is a more versatile car all around. I can go WOT off a stop light and no one hears a thing. The power is more usable. There will always be a special place for the V in my heart, but I’ve moved onto to something more fun.
Hey just curious which car rode smoother to you? I’m lookin at a model 3 performance myself
The Model 3 Performance is probably twice as comfortable in terms or ride quality. The C63 AMG was very stiff and unforgiving. I am amazed at how comfortable the Model 3 ride quality is , even with the 20's. I have seen people on this forum complain about the wheel and tire combo but they must be coming from SUV's haha. If you go from a BMW M3 or AMG to the Model 3 you will think the ride quality is way better.
jackmott
Member
Of the cars OP listed the only one I consider a "true sports car" is the vette. BMW M3s etc are "sporty" but they are sedans, they are all vastly higher CG and compromised in various ways compared to things like miatas and corvettes, and the Tesla Model 3 is no different. It is a big, tall boy. I've owned a lot of sporty cars, a modified BMW 3 series I seriously campaigned in SOLO2 autocrss DSP class, WRX, C5 z06 Corvette, Toyota MR-S (perhaps my favorite overall!). The model 3 performance in stock form feels about like a BMW 3 series with tires that are a bit too small. Which is because its about like a 3 series with tires that are a bit too small 
I've never been that sensitive to dampening/feel subtleties, and a lot of times those "feel" issues are easily fixed with alignment and tire/tire pressure tweaks anyway. If you did nothing but put some bigger wheels and ~265mm nperformance tires on the car it is going to do really well. Maybe some camber arms for the rear and control arms for the front so you can dial in a little more. Car feels great to me in stock form so I'm just going to leave it alone and enjoy the efficiency unless I want to autocross it competitively. Being able to slide around a little bit without doubling the speed limit is more fun anyway.
I've never been that sensitive to dampening/feel subtleties, and a lot of times those "feel" issues are easily fixed with alignment and tire/tire pressure tweaks anyway. If you did nothing but put some bigger wheels and ~265mm nperformance tires on the car it is going to do really well. Maybe some camber arms for the rear and control arms for the front so you can dial in a little more. Car feels great to me in stock form so I'm just going to leave it alone and enjoy the efficiency unless I want to autocross it competitively. Being able to slide around a little bit without doubling the speed limit is more fun anyway.
I am surprised you think the M3P is more fun than the CTS-V, especially with a manual. I would agree the M3P is a great all around car and the instant throttle response is excellent but I am not sure it is more fun to drive.
I had a 2019 Corvette Grand Sport M7 that I should have never traded in for a 2019 M3P. The M3P instant torque is addicting at first but once you get used to it I found that is pretty much all it had to offer. The lack of exhaust note, driving engagement, boring interior, seats with little to no bolstering, no magnetic dampers, no drive modes, limited control of the nannies, no styling changes for the Performance trim, etc. I got bored with it and traded the M3P for a Camaro ZL1 before they stop making them and then plan to get in line for a Z06 before they stop making them as well.
My wife still has a M3 SR+ that serves us well for most of the daily driving stuff but when I am in the mood to drive I take the ZL1.I am not sure if other enthusiasts will feel the same as me at some point during ownership but as far as EVs go I am looking forward to what Dodge brings to the table with their eMuscle concept. If they can bring some more excitement to EVs for enthusiasts I am all for it. They just need to something find more than than 0-60mph times since that is pretty much all there is at the moment.
jackmott
Member
I think "sports car" by definition is different depending on who you ask... when you look at these new cars coming out of BMW M (M3) and Mercedes AMG (C63)... they have the power and handling to literally beat brand new Vettes around a track. They are literally breeding pure sports coupes AND sedans out of Germany... and the lap times back it up. I would call these sports cars.Of the cars OP listed the only one I consider a "true sports car" is the vette. BMW M3s etc are "sporty" but they are sedans, they are all vastly higher CG and compromised in various ways compared to things like miatas and corvettes, and the Tesla Model 3 is no different. It is a big, tall boy. I've owned a lot of sporty cars, a modified BMW 3 series I seriously campaigned in SOLO2 autocrss DSP class, WRX, C5 z06 Corvette, Toyota MR-S (perhaps my favorite overall!). The model 3 performance in stock form feels about like a BMW 3 series with tires that are a bit too small. Which is because its about like a 3 series with tires that are a bit too small
I've never been that sensitive to dampening/feel subtleties, and a lot of times those "feel" issues are easily fixed with alignment and tire/tire pressure tweaks anyway. If you did nothing but put some bigger wheels and ~265mm nperformance tires on the car it is going to do really well. Maybe some camber arms for the rear and control arms for the front so you can dial in a little more. Car feels great to me in stock form so I'm just going to leave it alone and enjoy the efficiency unless I want to autocross it competitively. Being able to slide around a little bit without doubling the speed limit is more fun anyway.
jackmott
Member
M3's beating brand new c8 vettes around a track? I mean for 20 years I've heard people who believe that this is a thing but never seen it actually happen in real competitive environments. They aren't even classed in the same usually for that reason. Can you corner balance, lower, and get up to -3 degrees of camber on a stock M3 these days? The M3 is also like 600lbs heavier with a touch less power.
But yes, I agree "true sports car" is in the eye of the beholder.
But yes, I agree "true sports car" is in the eye of the beholder.
JohnnyEV
Member
Don't forget Boat Mode, no True Sports car could have survived the flood I found myself in last weekend. M3P went into boat mode to my surprise and I drove out of it. All while seeing all these stopped cars in the roadway including an Audi S4 or A4 couldn't tell water was high with owner sitting on the hood.
MrSlowEv
Member
I am surprised you think the M3P is more fun than the CTS-V, especially with a manual. I would agree the M3P is a great all around car and the instant throttle response is excellent but I am not sure it is more fun to drive.
I had a 2019 Corvette Grand Sport M7 that I should have never traded in for a 2019 M3P. The M3P instant torque is addicting at first but once you get used to it I found that is pretty much all it had to offer. The lack of exhaust note, driving engagement, boring interior, seats with little to no bolstering, no magnetic dampers, no drive modes, limited control of the nannies, no styling changes for the Performance trim, etc. I got bored with it and traded the M3P for a Camaro ZL1 before they stop making them and then plan to get in line for a Z06 before they stop making them as well.
I am not sure if other enthusiasts will feel the same as me at some point during ownership but as far as EVs go I am looking forward to what Dodge brings to the table with their eMuscle
The M3P is still somewhat new to me so that may contribute to why I find it so fun to drive. The Cts-V had to be on Mickey Thompson drag radials street ss tires to put the power down in second gear and up. That being said I sacrificed cornering/handling performance. Between slamming gears and putting the power down it made for a great driving experience during half mile runs at the airstrip, on ramps and rural roads. But straight line driving got old. I’ve been driving a manual transmission performance of some variant for the last 15 years and I’m kind of over it. I must be getting old I guess. Also with the sound of the V, I couldn’t go wide open throttle without pulling attention. Anytime I went throttle wide open, I would have to look over my shoulder to make sure a cop didn’t hear me. And it’s not like I had to break the speed limit. Just flat footing the gas pedal to get to the speed limit got me a wreck less driving ticket once. I was running long tube headers to stock mufflers, it wasn’t too aggressive of an exhaust system but loud enough to be heard. The M3P allows me to drive how I want when I want. Also I feel that the performance of the M3P is hard to beat when solely comparing it stock performance cars for the price. I hope to graduate to a plaid one day.I am surprised you think the M3P is more fun than the CTS-V, especially with a manual. I would agree the M3P is a great all around car and the instant throttle response is excellent but I am not sure it is more fun to drive.
I had a 2019 Corvette Grand Sport M7 that I should have never traded in for a 2019 M3P. The M3P instant torque is addicting at first but once you get used to it I found that is pretty much all it had to offer. The lack of exhaust note, driving engagement, boring interior, seats with little to no bolstering, no magnetic dampers, no drive modes, limited control of the nannies, no styling changes for the Performance trim, etc. I got bored with it and traded the M3P for a Camaro ZL1 before they stop making them and then plan to get in line for a Z06 before they stop making them as well.
I am not sure if other enthusiasts will feel the same as me at some point during ownership but as far as EVs go I am looking forward to what Dodge brings to the table with their eMuscle concept. If they can bring some more excitement to EVs for enthusiasts I am all for it. They just need to something find more than than 0-60mph times since that is pretty much all there is at the moment.
The latest generation of Zl1’s and z06’s (c7 and c8)are very nice but but I feel that modification would be necessary for me and once I start down that road, the world of give and takes approaches fast. Having been there done that, I’m happy with Tesla at the moment. Maybe one day I’ll go back.
I hear you. I felt the same before getting the M3P but after a couple years I missed some of that drama you get from high powered ICE based vehicles. The days of the V8 are numbered for sure so I figured I will get one and enjoy it one last time before they stop making them. I am still looking forward to a performance EV coupe. Something with more aggressive styling, sporty interior, RWD only would be fun.
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