Re: Bye Bye M3, Welcome 458 İtalia
pride355:
So about rest of review:
One other thing that amazes me about 458 is how it puts down that power. E-Diff and F1-Trac help a lot as much as the mid-engine lay out. Especially in "Race" mode, electronics help a lot to put that power on and you don't even notice the intervene. My M3 had more difficult time to put down its 450 hp (after the exhaust and software update) than my 570-hp 458. I had much more wheel spin with the M3.
One thing I must get used to is the vehicle dynamics. I have been driving an M3 since 1999. I only had an Audi TTS and 997.1 Carrera S just for one year each. So my driving skills advanced with powerful Front engine-Rear wheel drive cars. When I compare the 458 with M3, M3 felt more solid on normal driving conditions. I sit on the nose of 458 and feel less weight while driving. It feels more fragile and less connected than E92 M3. M3 felt rock solid and one piece. I could feel the weight of the car under my pants. The controls of the car was heavier so was the weight transfer. On the other hand, 458 feels soft and light. It is really hard to explain. My 997.1 Carrera S was Rear-engined but it also felt different.
The difference between the M3 and 458 comes once you start taking corners. The steering is very direct. You just turn-in and the car follows. Once you in the middle of the corner you can put as much power as you wish. 458 feels nimble and light. It oversteers but doesn't drifts like a holigan, as M3 did. You feel more relaxed. While driving the M3, you feel the whole mass of the car on your shoulders, which I guess gives you a more solid feeling. On 458, once you turn-in with the correct angle, everything else flows. This makes the 458 a much faster car without considering the extra power. The car just flies corner to corner. Some people may find M3 more rewarding because of its heavier act. But I guess 458 is more rewarding once you are on the edge of the capabilities of the car which are much higher than M3. I haven't pushed my 458 to this edge, though.
The car is fast, there is no doubt about it. What makes it special is the "aura" of the car. There are faster cars already, and there will always be. But the atmosphere and the feel of the car is so special which makes it unique.
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ONUR
WAITING FOR THE BEST CAR EVER
11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)
Always a pleasure to read your reviews Onur!
A supercar has to feel light and edgy, like a proper race car! Heavy and "substantial" is not good!
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FERRARI RULES!!!