PONY XPRESS

Just want to give a heads up & also see if anyone else has had a similar situation with their new 05. I also want to make a disclaimer that I will only engage if I know the road well & if there is no traffic that can be involved in an incident.

Cruising one of my favorite 6 lane highways that has lots of long straights that you can see for a mile or 2 ahead. Midday no traffic, doing about 80 I see an M3 all buy it self in the left lane. Fairly new, has the 4 tail pipes out the back. As I approach he doesn't move over so I move to the center lane & pull along side. We kinda looked at each other & that was it. From 80-130 I pulled about 3 lengths then settled in at that speed. (I had made my point & was ready to slow down) He then moves into my lane & is drafting me (about 1 car length off my bumper, way to close at that speed on the street) & my car gets an aero loose condition. Back end of the car is definitely moving around a bit. Kind of like what happens to the stock car guys but at a much lower level. I also experienced similar situations in my SN95 SCCA American Sedan in big drafts.

See traffic about 1/2 a mile a head & I point to the M3 to pass as I slow down. The look on his face was priceless.

Anyway, the main reason I am posting this is just to make people aware to the fact that these cars are very fast & can get you in trouble very easily if you are not prepared for certain situations. Learn your cars habits & use good judgment.

Have fun.

05GT-O.C.D.

Quicker than an M3 even from 80-130... mmmm I can't wait. Great story and thanks for the tip.

Grantsdale

I highly doubt that you could get air bumped at 130mph, unless he was RIGHT on your bumper (like less than 5 feet). There just isn't enough draft at that speed for that to happen.

edit: i can see slightly loose from less air being on your rear, but that doesn't have anything to do with the car behind you, just the speed and conditions.

PONY XPRESS

His car definitely was effecting my car, no doubt about it. At that speed I was primarily watching in front of me. I noticed his move to my lane as I settled in, then as he closed I felt the loose condition. He could have been closer then 1 car length at some point.

I'm thinking that the Stang is fairly raked in the back, & those all season tires may have something to do with it.

FrankBullitt05

Do you have the spoiler or not ( I doubt it would make much of a difference...)

PONY XPRESS

Have spoiler. As you said won't make any difference.

When I ran my SCCA car most guys didn't run the rear spoiler. We would draft pretty close & you new when someone was behind you without looking. Car got faster & looser.

BillP

Nice kill....

:headbang:

So how loose did it feel? I bet not as loose as my 1966 2+2 felt running on bald, mismatched F70-14's at 100mph back when I was 17.

PONY XPRESS

Wow, that must have been exciting.

It definitely got my attention. I was going straight so it didn't feel like it wanted to spin. This road has fast corner (flat out) so that would have been interesting if it happened there.

USA-Adam

Just curious, how can your car feel loose if you are going in a straight line? Don't get me wrong, without a proper spoiler the rear end of a RWD car can lift off the ground, but NASCARs in a straight line don't get loose unless they are turning ..

Treadhead

I think what he is describing is the feeling of the rearend getting lite and starting to weave. I think this would give you a loose sensation.

windhamjk

Drive a LX 5.0 Foxbody into the triple digits and you will know what he's talking about.

MeanStang

hmm was the M3 using his cars full potential?

dke

The M3. The M3 is fast, but not that fast. So this doesn't surprise me too much. (In magazine racing, it has a little more HP -- but a lot less torque and is running a 6). Above 80 it is geared pretty tall. (Autobahn cruising). The car performs decent at the low end, but handles awesome -- above about 80, there are lots of things that can kill it.

Where I think the M3 would excel, is more back seat room, better milage, better brakes, better and quieter interior (don't think the stang is bad -- but the wood, heated leather, power sunroof, etc. of the M is nicer). Take corners on rough roads, etc., and the M just sticks. And the car clings to the road and is rock solid at 155. I played a couple of times and could leave vettes behind in corners (mostly because I drove more on the edge; a good driver should have been able to take me)-- but they could eat me alive on a straight -- especially past about 80. All IMHO. So different machines.

(There are downsides to the M3 as well. Don't touch a curb or the plastic from end parts will all fall off -- and are interlocked. And it eats tires driving mellow -- I go through corners about every 15-18K driving mellow and not using gummies. Summer tires and driving hard gets you about 12K. It adjusts camber(?) on turns to dig in and give it more traction, but there's a cost. And you'll know it is a BMW every time you take it into the shop to get anything fixed).

P.S. Just trying to give you different tradeoffs between the cars -- not bash or diminish your kill. Careful though, next model (e56?), they're probably going to put the V8 in the M3 -- and you're talking 400/400(?) if they use the same 8 in the old M5. (Instead of 330/255).

RaGsHoCkEy88

good kill......nice write up DKE........one of my friends was looking into an m3. he goes by paper specs and is always comparing to me. im like u need to know facts u need to do ur research. the magazines arent always straight facts.

dke

Thanks, and I'm with you. You get in a car and drive and know a lot more than specsmanship. On one hand look at a vette, "leaf springs and a pushrod motor; welcome to the 70s guys" -- in truth, it is a fantastic car. The same with the Mustang, "sold rear axle, are you serious?" -- but get in and drive, it has limitations, but handles quite well. (At least in my limited experience). Really, there are a lot of great cars out there; most engineers and companies aren't stupid -- they make tradeoffs for reasons. The mid 70s to mid 80s stinked. Since the mid 90s cars have been getting fantastic again -- lot of good choices.

Over generalizations but here's my take; American muscle cars generally beat Japanese (unless really hopped up), or most German cars (including porsche's) in a straight line (at a fraction their price).

Fit and finish used to be a weak point for americans, but is really picking up. Get inside a 500 -- I was impressed. I'd rather drive it day to day than a 5 series (but it doesn't have the "ego-factor"). The japenese interiors are nice, but can get gimicky. But companies compete, and you can see it. Same reliability; Japanese rule -- but Germans and Americans are closer than people realize. (And it costs less to get American fixed).

The german cars are good and have high cruising capability; bring them above 130, and many American cars can get less stable (vette and a few others aside), but German cars settle in. (Many Japanese cars I had felt like they were going to vibrate apart or you were taking your life in your hands). Cornering, some American cars are weak(er) -- but they love to beat you stop-light to stop light. On the other hand; drive a BMW or Ford/GM car in the midwest roads (sports cars aside), and you appreciate (day to day) the softer suspension of more American cars. I didn't mind my car in California. In Ohio, it is OK -- but a bit much. (It can be jarring at times). But enough blather -- the point is everything is about tradeoffs. Pick what's right for you -- but that doesn't mean the others are bad. Almost every maker is intentionally targeting tradeoffs. Figure out what they are, and if they fit you.

orthoguy

Take it easy out there everyone........but have fun