Is a E46 with FI a super car?

Originally Posted by Bdave

I agree with the general consensus of conclusions in this thread.

One question:
Someone said, you cant MAKE a regular high performance car IN to a supercar. There is a lot of merit to that statement. Yet I always wondered...

HPF had a TON of money dumped in that Pearl White Asuka wide body stage 4. Does anybody think that particular car might be an EXCEPTION and qualify as a Supercar? It was terrifically Expensive, had incredible power, exclusivity and bordered on what you would call "exotic". Some hated the look actually, but it still had an exotic flare to it. The pearl white paint was an eye catcher too.
I never referred to it as a "Supercar" but often wondered if it would pass as one.
I guess I will finally find out what everyone thinks about it in this thread. Doesn't matter to me. But I am glad someone finally came out and asked the question.

And dont some cars LOOSE their Supercar status? Take the Ferrari 348 or the Testarossa Those cars dont have all that much power and acceleration today as many medium level sport cars or muscle cars. They were considered Supercars in their day. Will that moniker follow them until eternity? Maybe. I dont know for sure. What do you guys think? I guess you could say "I own an 80's or 90's Supercar." I suppose that would work.

So far, the only times I use "HPF" and "Supercar" in the same sentence: "That HPF Stage 3 BMW M3 will beat almost any unmodified Supercar on the road today, with a few exceptions."

Exactly.. And to answer your question I believe the wide body Asuka is not a supercar.. Not to the same extent but anyone can kit a Pontiac Fiero to look just like a lambo.. I am sure you can even on top of that drop in a V12 engine.. This does not make it a supercar.. I think it takes everything to make it a supercar and it needs to come that way stock. A supercar is more a car you buy to drive for people to look at you. The original design of a supercar is that of balance, everything is designed to work together exactly how they want. They sell a 600+ horsepower monster that is perfectly tuned suspension wise and everything straight from the factory (although the ZR-1 vette I also would not consider a supercar even though it meets what I am saying above). I guess it really just comes from how each person looks at it and their own beliefs. I do not consider either of the R8s a supercar. I do however consider them both exotics.

Really hard to say but I know when I see something if I consider it a supercar.

This is a supercar:

Price (read: exclusivity) and impracticality are what define a supercar. Generally it must also hold some sort of record for its era.. whether its price, top speed, or 0-60.. the term 'supercar' to me is like the term beautiful.. its sort of in the eye of the beholder. But most people would probably define it as any sports car thats over 200k and has a limited production (likely due to limited interested, not the manufacturers producing them in limited batches).

A guy in my neighborhood has a CCXR.. that to me is a Supercar.. and I do not consider my E46 M3 even close to being in the same league as that car.

Ok I consider Marcus' car a supercar. Lol

Well, Marcus, WE think your car is just SUPER! How's that? LOL.

OK, I am buying what eaks and Marcus are selling. I just wanted some discussion over it. Which I got. Thank you.

Battle of the Supercars did a drive off with the Gumpert Apollo(the blue monster), side by side with a hand made GT Malan. I'll take an HPF M3 please.

No. http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewd...e-in-a-bmw-m1/

Originally Posted by illestminimike

Ok I consider Marcus' car a supercar. Lol

Originally Posted by Bdave

Well, Marcus, WE think your car is just SUPER! How's that? LOL.

OK, I am buying what eaks and Marcus are selling. I just wanted some discussion over it. Which I got. Thank you.

Battle of the Supercars did a drive off with the Gumpert Apollo(the blue monster), side by side with a hand made GT Malan. I'll take an HPF M3 please.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the compliments.

I think we (and really with almost any car) can take it to a level where it will perform as well as a super car, after all what is a supercar? Likely a car with the same aftermarket parts we put on our cars, but from the factory instead. But sadly.. its still not a supercar.. I appreciate and enjoy seeing highly modified cars more so than Supercars.. maybe thats because I live in an area where I've seen Veyron's parked outside the local bakery and the guy who borrows me his trailer for towing my M3 owns a lemans saleen s7.. but really I think its because you'll find more highly modified cars like ours (cars with more than the cars original value in just aftermarket modifications) out there on the track, beating on and enjoying their creations..

Most of the supercar owners I know let them collect dust in their garages, occasionally taking them out for some local meetup or cars and coffee event.. to me.. thats blasphemy.. cars are meant to be driven!

Originally Posted by MarcusLSB

Price (read: exclusivity) and impracticality are what define a supercar. Generally it must also hold some sort of record for its era.. whether its price, top speed, or 0-60.. the term 'supercar' to me is like the term beautiful.. its sort of in the eye of the beholder. But most people would probably define it as any sports car thats over 200k and has a limited production (likely due to limited interested, not the manufacturers producing them in limited batches).

A guy in my neighborhood has a CCXR.. that to me is a Supercar.. and I do not consider my E46 M3 even close to being in the same league as that car.

A CCXR??? That must have blown your mind to see... That thing is rarer than a Veyron!!

Veyron ugh... talk about a sledgehammer. No finesse whatsoever. Make mine a Ferrari or a McLaren please.

Originally Posted by zhp43867

Veyron ugh... talk about a sledgehammer. No finesse whatsoever. Make mine a Ferrari or a McLaren please.

1001 HP is finesse. They sound so angry.

Definitely not a super car... Doesn't include the price tag, the exclusivity, or even the performance. If you think about it, modern supercars are 3.5 second 0-60 cars and even the fastest of E46s can't hit those marks. When you also include the lack of track ability, it really starts to hurt any claims of "supercar" status.

That said, a stage 2 AA or HPF is a sick car.

An M3 is just the performance model to the 3 series. No M3 in my opinion is or was ever a super car. The M series is a great performance platform but can't ever be compared to the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani ect... Turbo or not, it's still an M3.

That being said, I still love my M3

Well before about 2003-4 there were supercars and that was the top of the line. Now we are delving into the realm of Hypercar. Anything that does above 220 I'd say is a Hypercar maybe 230. Then from 220 down to about 175-180 is a supercar, then 175-150 is a high end sports car. The term supercar did Not move with the times the title bracket stayed but in general cars moved up. So for example a corvette zo6 (in my book) used to be a high end sports car is now a supercar but a ZR1 is still a supercar. Obvious exceptions can be made either direction. Such as a GTR--supercar performance but sportscar price and quality (interior is plastic). It has nothing to do with power or 0-60 but those are never independent of a Hypercar. There's probably no Hypercar with less than 600hp and a 0-60 of 4+.

Originally Posted by RG5384

Also, and this is key, you cannot turn a car into a super car, it is born that way.

Pretty much sums it up right here. Super cars are designed from the initial Design Review Board for the intent to be a super car. Materials, chassis design, engine development/placement are designed for speed/handling and cost is a very low factor since it will have that super car title. Would you ever consider a widebody Mazda Miata with a turbo Ls1 prepped for the track a super car? It could certainly devastate most supercars in almost every performance specification but at the end of the day...it's still a Miata ya know.

"High End Sports Car" seems to fit the bill for a FI M.

I say no, that way when i destroy a supercar on the highway......which i do alot, i feel more special haha

Sent from my PG86100 using Bimmer App

Not a super car but HPF stage 2.5 and above makes it competitive with supercars.

Originally Posted by 7to3_enthusiast

Pretty much sums it up right here. Super cars are designed from the initial Design Review Board for the intent to be a super car. Materials, chassis design, engine development/placement are designed for speed/handling and cost is a very low factor since it will have that super car title. Would you ever consider a widebody Mazda Miata with a turbo Ls1 prepped for the track a super car? It could certainly devastate most supercars in almost every performance specification but at the end of the day...it's still a Miata ya know.

"High End Sports Car" seems to fit the bill for a FI M.

I'd love to have that Miata...

Originally Posted by Rockyminator

A CCXR??? That must have blown your mind to see... That thing is rarer than a Veyron!!

yea, ive seen several veyrons in the bay. never seen a koenig

Originally Posted by 7to3_enthusiast

Would you ever consider a widebody Mazda Miata with a turbo Ls1 prepped for the track a super car? It could certainly devastate most supercars in almost every performance specification but at the end of the day...it's still a Miata ya know.

.

But what a Miata...

500+ HP N/A LS-3

Texas SCCA Solo National tour winner in X-Prepared. (Vs) Nissan GTR's.

Car is what you make of it. I plan on dropping the Stage 1(initially) AA Supercharger in my 99' 328i, dropping some weight, probably put it on Ohlins or AST suspension, 315 Hoosier R-comps and then I'll be playing with GTR's in Street Modified class on a budget under $10k and with a tire change, still be able to daily drive it.

Any car can be super, and in my book, if you are beating supercars, then your car is "Super"

Still not a super car

The term "supercar" in my opinion is a relative term and must be taken in the context of what's available on the market today. A supercar is a car that is significantly outstanding in design, engineering and performance relative to other already outstanding cars. The original Ferrari Testarossa was a supercar in its day. Today it is no longer outstanding in performance or engineering, but is still a design standout. It would get schooled by a number of "normal" cars today that are far more advanced and offer more performance.