Official New M3 pictures from Geneva Auto Show

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#23
got them off the link cosmos put up. thanks ^^



dead on view shows off the agressivness better imo.
(sorry about putting up a really wide pic.. it's late and this comp doesn't have a photo editor..)



the rear is just so damn sexy!!

edit: well no more pics.. they were huge, and poorly posted by me... anyway the M3 is looking hot
 
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Tom

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#27
mclarensmps said:
I'm in love with it. Would be so hard to choose between this and an S5 :(
LOL, I was just checking it out on MotorTrend a few days ago. I think Audi did a fantastic job.



 
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#28
The A5/S5 looks likes it's gonna be hot, and should keep BMW on their toes. The folks in Ingolstadt are cranking out some really great cars.

I think the 328/335/M3 looks better on the outside, but once again, I think Audi has creamed BMW in interior layout and materials. I remember I couldn't believe how great the materials were in my A6!
 

Tom

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#29
Adam, what year A6 did you own? Because I had a 2003 A4 for over a year and wasn't too happy with the fit and finish. We had some creaking noise inside the cabin and the CV Boot went bad only after 13k miles.
 
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#30
Tom said:
Adam, what year A6 did you own? Because I had a 2003 A4 for over a year and wasn't too happy with the fit and finish. We had some creaking noise inside the cabin and the CV Boot went bad only after 13k miles.
Hey Tom! It was an 06, a late 2006 (Oct.). I was SO impressed with the interior cabin, and the instruments were beautifully lit (I just liked the bright electroluminescent white with red)
 
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#31
wow... absolutely beautiful work of art on the outside...

but, wtf was bmw thinking with the nav consoles on the new 3? it destroys the line flow of the center dashboard, makes the dash overall higher & takes up a lot of otherwise driver view, and is basically like having this big lump in the middle of your dashboard. it would've looked so much nicer if it were either a pop-up or integrated lower into the center console like in the e46's. yes, u CAN overdesign something...
 
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#32
Detrich said:
wow... absolutely beautiful work of art on the outside...

but, wtf was bmw thinking with the nav consoles on the new 3? it destroys the line flow of the center dashboard, makes the dash overall higher & takes up a lot of otherwise driver view, and is basically like having this big lump in the middle of your dashboard. it would've looked so much nicer if it were either a pop-up or integrated lower into the center console like in the e46's. yes, u CAN overdesign something...
Although I agree with what your saying in terms of the slight ugliness of the nav "lump", Having the screen up nice and high where you can see it (especially if you use satellite navigation a lot) would be better, eliminating having to look down or have to worry about motorized "flip out" screens, which in thier own respect also have slight "ugliness" I still agree with you though Detrich.
maybe they could have continued the gauges lump with the nav lump, creating one big.... lump.
 
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#34
Detrich said:
it looks like audi found a nice way to integrate the navi without the big ugly lump... :)

actually, the flip-up design of the navi on my rx-8 isn't all that ugly either. when it's closed, the entire dashboard is smooth. when it's up, it's in a great viewing position.
That looks good. I love the Rx-8.

The Z4 and X3 have a pop up Navi? I'm know the Z4 does, and since the X3 interior is raped from the Z4 parts bin, I'm sure the X3 has a pop up Navi too.
 
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#37
Militant-Grunt said:
The interior of the Rx-8 looks good, but there still is an air of cheapness to it. A friend of mine just wrecked his, as a sports machine its a great car, but luxury + sport = bmw Ftw.
Yeah, I totally agree. The Rx-8 does look good, but if you take a closer look, and especially feel the materials, it is so much cheaper than BMW (But probably better than the older X3s and Z4s, which had rubbish interiors).

I think the problem with many Japanese brands, is that their plastics feel hard, thin and cheap. Even our friends new Lexus LS430 (which was the top of the line for 2006) has some cheap plastics, and many of the controls can be found in the scion line, the camry, rav-4, etc..). I don't like parts sharing for a $60,000 car and a $17,000 car. It's wrong, IMO.
 
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#38
cosmetically, my 8 definitely wasn't delivered as flawless as my 323 was- namely because mazda dealers just don't handle vehicles as carefully as bmw dealers do. but, having taken delivery of both cars new, i offer a slight difference of opinon...

the interior design of the 2 cars is totally different. the bmw is spacious, elegant, & luxurious, whereas the 8 is more cockpit-like, sporty, and sleek. after all, one is a luxury car and one is a sports car. (apples to oranges here.) but, just because a car isn't a luxury car doesn't automatically mean it's going to be cheap and sucky.

as a bmw owner, i have pretty high expectations i think. but, at the same time i can be very objective too. and, quite honestly, i never once felt that the 8's interior was cheap or flimsy. otherwise, i would've hated it. in fact, i was very surprised with what a great job mazda did in creating such a simple, sexy, two-toned interior. the sportiness flows throughout the dashboard + console. and, the minute i climbed into the cockpit, i could feel my heart pumping and wanting to take this thing out on the open road and push it to its limits...

if u want an example of a really cheap & flimsy interior, then check out the pontiac solstice or saturn sky. now, there is a car that i cannot figure out. the outside screams sports car, but the inside is like, "sorry guys, we not only have bad taste and don't know how to design an interior, but we also ran outta money to try."

:)
 
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#40
the acceleration is very smooth and exhilirating- particularly in the rx-8.

mazda has gone thru many generations of the rotary engine. in the past (RX-7 FD) they offerred twin turbos & more (tunable) power- ie a purist sports car. but, the ride was harsh and the car only seated 2 people. the current offering (RX-8 FE) is a compromise of performance & convenience- ie not as powerful, but more practical (seats 4 & has a very useable trunk). and, it's still a barrel of fun to drive.

2 trademarks of the rotary engine are (1) high rpm (it redlines at 9000 rpm) and (2) a distinct, high-pitched swirling hum sound. in fact, i was initially so intrigued by the hum that- like a nerd- i would turn off the stereo just to listen to it... <lol>

that said, the car does lack a bit of low-end torque, burns oil, & gets moderate gas mileage (20mpg). however, it makes up for these by being (1) lighter in weight- perfect 50/50 ratio @ about 3100lbs, (2) handles like it's on rails, (3) excellent road-to-car-to-driver feedback, (4) and revs high- so you can really push the rpm's.

objectively, it's definitely not a car that everyone will appreciate. but, the rotary engine has history and heritage- as well as an awesome & enthusiastic owner community. :) so, if u are curious, i would encourage u to check it out.
 
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