m3 underated

good day all

I have been struggling with getting to that magical number or 400whp. I have been using the same dyno since forever.
I am fbo and been using a combination of race fuel and ethanol to get higher readings. my best was 375whp how last Sunday I found the perfect mix of fuel and did 6 back to back pulls with a jb4 235i and DP and a softwared 135i with dp and then a forged mk7 gti with 750nm nost of those cars make almost double my torque and much more power than me. however I put bus lengths on the bmws and was neck and neck with the gti.. I dynod the car as I thought I must be making some serious power. turns out I only make like 360whp.

I know it's just a tool but I have made 375 and the car has never felt this fast before but the dyno operator says the m3 likes to be hot before a race and not just at the minimum operating temperature and he says that the gearing and high revving engine makes this car take out cars with much more power and torque.

is this all true is the m3 v8 just too remarkable that a dyno can't really explain what it really can do in a race.

Interesting... Following along.

I've owned some fast cars but I've had the M3 for two months and always felt the car has a uniquely powerful pull that I can't really put my finger on, but even climbing up to 140+ the car never really feels like it's laboring for momentum. I thought it was psychological because the car shifts so high. Maybe there is more to it?

cjm41 wrote

Interesting... Following along.

I've owned some fast cars but I've had the M3 for two months and always felt the car has a uniquely powerful pull that I can't really put my finger on, but even climbing up to 140+ the car never really feels like it's laboring for momentum. I thought it was psychological because the car shifts so high. Maybe there is more to it?

I know what you mean! it is as if the car has one continuous long 1st gear. I have proven to myslef countless of times that the dyno figures on a m4 v8 just doesn't make sense. the torque is half that of a softwared 240i and I leave them behind very easily. its mind boggling

What are your all thoughts on this having to do with aerodynamics?

I can't remember the thread, it's on here and maybe someone can repost it here, but someone way smarter than me posted the gear ratios and how they translate to more effective real-world Torque, than cars that list with much higher torque. It was pretty crazy information, but very informative on how the Torque figure is limited when comparing an E9x vs other similar classed BMW's and other manufacturers cars.

edit: found it
M3 vs Competition - factoring in Torque, Weight and Gearing https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157633

Discussion about M3 torque https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266569

after reading this one could come to the conclusion that the E9x actually has more useful torque than those that report far higher torque..

It's very easy to dismiss the M3 based on numbers alone. I know I did. It surprised me several times when my M3 pulled on 400whp tuned Golfs down the straights, too. What I realised is that when it comes to turbo cars, they make fat torque very early in the rev range but run out of breath around 6k, whereas the M3 still has 2.5k left to go and is still making good torque (that flat torque curve!) and more hp as rpm rises.

But in an uphill situation, a turbo car will leave the M3 for dead as the rpm struggles to rise. They turbo torque really makes a huge diff here.