Was the IS-F given a fair shake on Top Gear?
03-18-09, 07:59 AM
#18
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03-18-09, 01:18 PM
#19
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I don't believe BMW offers the CF roof on the 4 door M3's so that's kind of a moot point. The F does have LSD if you mean Limited Slip Differential. It's just an electronic version that uses the brakes, and actually works very well at giving the computer very precise control over specific wheel spin.
03-18-09, 09:23 PM
#20
Lexus Champion
i personally don't care if the IS F is slower than the M3...i know that my car will be 10000000000000000000x faster when in 10 years my car still runs like a champ and the M3 is well....like most BMWs and their electrical problems....i have to admit though, M3 is a SWEET looking car...
03-18-09, 10:06 PM
#21
None yet, one of my first cars was the 96 cobra with off-road pipes, loud as hell... it stopped making any noise few months later after i totaled it as a teenager.
The M3 sedan does not have the carbon fiber roof, you're right, it's on the coupe only.
I don't believe BMW offers the CF roof on the 4 door M3's so that's kind of a moot point. The F does have LSD if you mean Limited Slip Differential. It's just an electronic version that uses the brakes, and actually works very well at giving the computer very precise control over specific wheel spin.
03-21-09, 04:26 PM
#22
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03-22-09, 08:58 PM
#23
Plain and simple, any purist is going to pick the m3, for the simple fact, its a 6speed manual.
I'd say, because of that, 95.9% of the time the m3 gets chosen and not because its .5 (or in this case 4tenths of a second) a second slower.
I'd say, because of that, 95.9% of the time the m3 gets chosen and not because its .5 (or in this case 4tenths of a second) a second slower.
Last edited by t0e; 03-22-09 at 09:28 PM.
03-23-09, 04:22 AM
#24
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I think the simple reason why the F is given low marks in every test are the following:
1. Sport mode must be engaged
2. Turning off the Trac control isn't obvious like in a BMW
3. Cars needs a LSD..not the e-lsd we have.
1. Sport mode must be engaged
2. Turning off the Trac control isn't obvious like in a BMW
3. Cars needs a LSD..not the e-lsd we have.
03-23-09, 08:17 AM
#25
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The M3 is still a more refined. It will beat the ISF with sport mode on around a twisty track every time... I still like the ISF better, but that's just me.
I've had a GTR M3 and ISF out back to back and GTR>M3>ISF if we're talking pure performance only, both other cars in terms of interiors etc are better than the M3. M3's always have boring interiors. The ISF and M3 perf differences are negligible on the street, on a track the story is in favor of the M3 by a small margin. GTR is just scary... I'd be in jail by now if I owned one.
Didn't Clarkson also say that every BMW M3 owner is a "****"
I've had a GTR M3 and ISF out back to back and GTR>M3>ISF if we're talking pure performance only, both other cars in terms of interiors etc are better than the M3. M3's always have boring interiors. The ISF and M3 perf differences are negligible on the street, on a track the story is in favor of the M3 by a small margin. GTR is just scary... I'd be in jail by now if I owned one.
Didn't Clarkson also say that every BMW M3 owner is a "****"
03-23-09, 08:33 AM
#26
my .02
my thoughts / opinions... no flames required/desired...
i personally love top gear.
the hosts are funny and the chemistry between them is just right.
that said - Top Gear is a UK BBC program. it's not explicitly aimed at an overseas audience (but is implicitly aimed...)
there were (according to jeremy) a whopping total of 150 IS-F's imported into the UK in 2008.
i can only imagine that there are THOUSANDS of M3's in the UK.... not to mention that BMW is a much larger player in the UK car market.
i would never expect a car that 99% of the UK domestic audience will never even see on the road to garnish much praise from anyone (supercars excluded) - but i think jeremy was very fair in his review. The car is heavy. The car does have too many gears - for MOST driving situations. However, if given the chance to choose between a brand new M3 and an IS-F - i'll take the IS-F without blinking an eye...based on lexus engineering and reliability alone.
This is why there can't ever be an equivalent US version of Top Gear.... the hosts would have to continually lie about the fine GM/Chrysler/Ford products that were being reviewed... ad we all know what drives TV in the states.... advertising.... no adverts...no show. Easy math.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/lexus/is-f
doug
i personally love top gear.
the hosts are funny and the chemistry between them is just right.
that said - Top Gear is a UK BBC program. it's not explicitly aimed at an overseas audience (but is implicitly aimed...)
there were (according to jeremy) a whopping total of 150 IS-F's imported into the UK in 2008.
i can only imagine that there are THOUSANDS of M3's in the UK.... not to mention that BMW is a much larger player in the UK car market.
i would never expect a car that 99% of the UK domestic audience will never even see on the road to garnish much praise from anyone (supercars excluded) - but i think jeremy was very fair in his review. The car is heavy. The car does have too many gears - for MOST driving situations. However, if given the chance to choose between a brand new M3 and an IS-F - i'll take the IS-F without blinking an eye...based on lexus engineering and reliability alone.
This is why there can't ever be an equivalent US version of Top Gear.... the hosts would have to continually lie about the fine GM/Chrysler/Ford products that were being reviewed... ad we all know what drives TV in the states.... advertising.... no adverts...no show. Easy math.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/lexus/is-f
doug
Last edited by batdude; 03-23-09 at 08:34 AM. Reason: added web link
03-23-09, 02:59 PM
#28
Lexus Champion
This "opinion" is flat out wrong and one that is growing somewhat tiresome.
You could make the argument that the F has too many gears for the track, but for MOST driving situations the 8 speeds are fantastic. MOST of the real world drives these cars as daily drivers and for most F owners, we'll take the extra gear (yes, only one more than the M3's DCT) and the vastly superior gas mileage that comes with it.
You could make the argument that the F has too many gears for the track, but for MOST driving situations the 8 speeds are fantastic. MOST of the real world drives these cars as daily drivers and for most F owners, we'll take the extra gear (yes, only one more than the M3's DCT) and the vastly superior gas mileage that comes with it.
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