[SophieSleeps]

I went to an international car show at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston today...

There was an M3 on display there.
I understand that the M3 is technological wonder...
But I wasn't that impressed with the appearance. It didn't look too different than a 330. Thought it could have used a little more styling.

It may have been the color also. The one I saw was a turquoise color from the 80s. More like a hyper puke green. I'll see if I can get pics from my friends.

 

[mrclam]

the new m3 colors suck but the car is a dream

 

[Daniel]

I have the same response when I saw the Motortrend magazine today with the M3 in there. I was not impress at all, actually I was a bit disappointed. After seeing the M coupe/roadster, and M5, I was thinking the M3 should be much more aggressive both inside and out. But when I saw it, I hardly notice a different between the M and the 3 series I have drove before. It looked so plain that I really don't attract me like the other M does. I think BMW should have been more aggresive with the interior, maybe have designs similar to that of M coupe.
Is this just me or is this how most people feels?

 

[mrclam]

i acutally love the interior, to me it's like less is more and it looks refined to me =) i dunno. the exterior is kind of dull but oh well, it's a monster on theroad

 

[gsnav]

A friend and I actually saw that car on the road in California. That exact one. It was a little past the Golden Gate Bridge. Looked awsome.

[email protected]

 

[Daniel]

BTW, anyone know why Motortrend's tested price for this car is over $100K? It says estimated price is $45K, but the test car's price was $120K or something? What the heck, is that a typo?
Mrclam, I believe E36 outside actually look better. And interior, well, my first impression was "isn't this the 328ci I test drove?" It just didn't give me the tickling and exciting feeling the E36 gave me when I see them, I guess maybe this is just not the car for me then.

 

[EricK]

Daniel,
Remember before the IS300 was released, pre-production prototypes were on display at various autoshows and previewed in some magazines (the yellow one in Automobile). Well those examples were hand built cars that were to be sent back to Japan to be destroyed (worth around $100,000 each). I'm assuming that the BMW M3 previewed in Motor Trend was also a pre-production hand built example (hence the high "as Tested" price)..... Keep in mind, that wasn't a full blown official Road Test, but more of a preview to see what it would be like. They're saving that for an actual production version available for sale here in the US.
Eric.....


[This message has been edited by EricK (edited November 12, 2000).]