The torque curve for the V8 is muchflatter and can pull from any gear harder than th i6... beleive me I have had owned all the M3`s.
I do miss the mpg of the i6 tho.
BMW M3 vs BMW M3
| Category | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine layout | 3.2 l R6 | 4.0 l V8 |
| Max power (ps / bhp) | 343 / 338 | 420 / 414 |
| Max torque (Nm / lb-ft) | 365 / 269 | 400 / 295 |
| Curb weight (kg / lb) | 1570 / 3461 | 1628 / 3589 |
| Power / tonne (ps / bhp) | 218 / 215 | 258 / 255 |
| Average price | €56,000 | €78,000 |
Lap Times
Acceleration (mph)
| Speed & distance | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 30 mph | 1.8 s | 1.7 s |
| 0 - 40 mph | 2.9 s | 2.5 s |
| 0 - 50 mph | 3.9 s | 3.3 s |
| 0 - 60 mph | 4.5 s | 4.2 s |
| 0 - 70 mph | 6.6 s | 5.6 s |
| 0 - 80 mph | 8.1 s | 7.1 s |
| 0 - 90 mph | 10.1 s | 8.6 s |
| 0 - 100 mph | 11.2 s | 9.8 s |
| 0 - 150 mph | 32.7 s | 23.9 s |
| Est. 1/8 mile | 9.5 s @ 90.7 mph | 9.0 s @ 95.1 mph |
| 1/4 mile | 13.0 s | 12.4 s @ 114.3 mph |
Acceleration (kph)
| Speed & distance | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 40 kph | 1.6 s | 1.4 s |
| 0 - 50 kph | 2.1 s | 1.9 s |
| 0 - 60 kph | 2.5 s | 2.2 s |
| 0 - 80 kph | 3.5 s | 3.2 s |
| 0 - 100 kph | 4.8 s | 4.3 s |
| 0 - 120 kph | 6.5 s | 6.0 s |
| 0 - 130 kph | 7.6 s | 6.9 s |
| 0 - 140 kph | 8.5 s | 7.8 s |
| 0 - 160 kph | 10.9 s | 9.9 s |
| 0 - 180 kph | 13.7 s | 12.4 s |
| 0 - 200 kph | 16.8 s | 15.2 s |
| 1000 m | 24.1 s | 23.5 s @ 230.0 kph |
Rolling acceleration
| Speed | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 - 100 kph (4) | 5.7 s | 4.3 s |
| 60 - 100 kph (5) | 7.0 s | 5.5 s |
| 80 - 120 kph (4) | 5.0 s | 4.4 s |
| 80 - 120 kph (5) | 6.5 s | 5.4 s |
| 80 - 120 kph (6) | 9.2 s | 6.1 s |
| 80 - 160 kph (4) | 10.0 s | 8.9 s |
| 80 - 160 kph (5) | 13.1 s | 11.0 s |
| 80 - 160 kph (6) | 18.6 s | 12.8 s |
| 80 - 120 kph | 8.9 s | 2.9 s |
| Est. 100 - 140 kph | 3.8 s | 3.7 s |
| Est. 100 - 200 kph | 12.6 s | 10.9 s |
| 5 - 60 mph | 5.2 s | 4.9 s |
Braking distance
| Speed | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 kph - 0 | 35 m (114 ft) | 34 m (111 ft) |
| 200 kph - 0 | 140 m (459 ft) | 134 m (439 ft) |
| 60 mph - 0 | 34 m (113 ft) | 33 m (109 ft) |
| 70 mph - 0 | 47 m (155 ft) | 45 m (147 ft) |
General performance
| Category | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed | 280 kph (174 mph) | 280 kph (174 mph) |
| Est. max acceleration | 0.59 g (6 m/s²) | 0.65 g (6 m/s²) |
| 18m slalom | 67.8 kph (42.1 mph) | 70.1 kph (43.6 mph) |
| Fuel economy | 7.9 l/100 km (30 mpg US / 36 UK) | 9.2 l/100 km (26 mpg US / 31 UK) |
| Lateral acceleration | 0.89 g (9 m/s²) | 0.97 g (10 m/s²) |
| Downforce @ 200 kph | -18 kg (-40 lbs) | -33 kg (-73 lbs) |
Summary
| Category | BMW M3 (E46) | BMW M3 (E92) |
|---|---|---|
| Track Performance | 91 | 100 |
| Straight line speed | 75 | 100 |
| Overall | 85 | 100 |
Verdict
M3 is the fastest by considerable margin.
This comparison has been viewed 5.8k times.
Acceleration graph
i6 rules but V8 is king 12y ago
ky 16y ago
How much lighter is the 6 engine than the v8, this must effect the handling. I agree with your views, the 6 is a great engine
Inline 6 rules 16y ago
In my opinion the E46's inline 6 engine (S54B32) is better than the E92's V8 engine (S65B40). The E46's inline 6 engine (3246 ccm) produces 343 PS at 7900 rpm and 365 Nm at 4900 rpm. The E92's V8 engine (3999 ccm) produces 420 PS at 8300 rpm and 400 Nm at 3900 rpm.
S54B32: 343/3.246=105.67 PS/liter at 7900 rpm and 365/3.246=112.45 Nm/liter.
S65B40: 420/3.999=105 PS/liter at 8300 rpm and 400/3.999=100 Nm/liter.
The S54B32 inline 6 is older, but it has better power and torque/displacement ratio than the S65B40 V8.
