Maximum speed reached by 996 Carrera 4S vs BMW M3

[thinker]

what happens when u get to 155mph WITH the speed limiter?how do u get rid of the speed limiter on the m3?

[fpv_gtho]

No, there's no way that an M3 could reach anywhere near as high as 305km/h or 310km/h. The M3, despite "being the sexy machine it is" is still governed by the same laws of physics as every other car on the road...


I'll do an objective analysis, using a standard C5 Chevy Corvette as a comparison:

M3 Final Gear Ratio: 0.828:1
M3 Drag Coefficient: 0.32
M3 Weight: 1570 kg
M3 Power/Torque: 333hp/269ft-lbs

C5 Final Gear Ratio: 0.50:1
C5 Drag Coefficient: .29
C5 Weight: 1457 kg
C5 Power/Torque: 350hp/375ft-lbs


Now, the C5 Vette essentially has every single factor that determines top speed in its favour, and its top speed is barely over 280km/h. This makes me doubt that the M3, without some heinously long gears, could even begin to approach the speeds that you claimed.

Wow, I liked that post

i think theres still more to this story, like engine power and torque. the HSV GTS's top speed is 271km/h in auto and 260km/h in manual. the thing is though the manual's 0.5:1 6th and 3.9:1 final would surely give a better theoretical speed than the auto's 3.45:1 final and 0.71:1 4th, but the manual in 6th is only good for about 240km/h.

i wouldnt be too surprised if that corvette achieved its 280km/h top speed in 5th, not 6th


wheels magazine again set out to find where exactly the limiter cuts in on the m3 and they managed to get the needle bouncing on the speedo at around 270km/h

[kiwitt]

This Puma Racing page[/u] and this Tool will give a good indication of possible top speeds.

[thinker]

hey fpv gtho, was that 270 kmph with or without the limiter

[fpv_gtho]

that was with the limiter. at the same time they had an M5 doing 260km/h

[thinker]

but almost everywhere says the limit is 250 kmph tho so thats wrong huh?

[fpv_gtho]

well the official claim is 155mph or 250km/h, but i dont think many people have actually purposely taken the cars to the limit and checked whether the limiter cuts in where BMW says it does. Perhaps though, those that have breached past where the limiter supposedly cuts in, have been urged to continue quoting 250mk/h by BMW themselves to keep the German government off their back

[thinker]

that could be tru...

[fpv_gtho]

well i dont know what the official story is, i just know that on occasion an E46 M3 has gone 270km/h without modifications. I'll have to see what speed my dad's E36 can get up to.....

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

Aight there is basically NO reason to check how fast an M3 can go without the limiter since if you do that it is no longer stock. You might as well ask what it will do if you add a turbo, nitrous, groud effects, tuned engine, ect.

The new M3 has 155 mph which is 250 kph. The 2004 m3 Coupe has the following specs

333 hp
262 lb-ft
.33 cd
final drive of 3.64:1
0.83 in VI gear

If you really wanted to you could go to http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaver...79/evcalc.html
and find the theoretical Max speed with the proper values (there are ALOT so be warned)

One thing to keep in mind is that "Top Speed" is irrelevent. At NO time will a car EVER reach it's theoretical "Top Speed". Since there are infinite number of variables which affect the car each experimental top speed will be different. Even 2 factory M3s with teh same millage same amount of gas in the tank and same driver under exact same conditions will perform differently, hell, the same car will perform different than itself in the same conditions since there is always a random unknown variable. Most people look at strait up values like max power torque, 0-60 tiems and such. Many however overlook the power and torque curves of an engine. The type of suspension it has. Even the "feel" of a car can affect how someone will drive it since a "nervous" car will cause the driver to perform badly.