2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2013 BMW M3

Edmunds.com

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2013 BMW M3

This comparison tests pits the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with the Z51 package against a 2013 BMW M3 Lime Rock Park Edition with M-DCT.

Read the full story here

shatner

One car is a brand new model, one is on its way out. One has 4 seats, that is a huge difference. Also the Corvette interior is still cheesy like the Chevy it is...

flapsmcgee

Well considering a Mustang GT is as fast as an M3, this is no surprise at all.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1010_2011_2011_ford_mustang_gt_vs_2011_bmw_m3_comparison/

jeepsrt

While I love the new C7 there is no comparison against an M3 for a daily driver. My Wife daily drives an M3 Sedan with our 2 yo Daughter in a baby seat and in the winter we put snow tires on it and get around almost as well as some SUV's. As for the track I would take the Vette!

lions208487

A luxury performance 4 seater coupe vs a 2 seater sports car. Edmunds.com must have been bored. The Vette is the better performer in every way in this nonsense comparison. However, as a daily driver there is no comparison, the M3 is simply better. This BMW is a beast and this new Vette is a bargain super-car. Both are great for what they do.

gofortheneck

Another article that's a feckless effort at keeping your readership.

Is there anything more boring than comparing any BMW to another car? (Answer: "NO!")

Good grief, can't you people hire someone with ideas?!!

lions208487

In addition; I would take the Boss 302 over both.

engineer_mba

After reading this comparison article, I am not certain that a clear winner was chosen. The Stingray (dedicated sports car) was chosen as the better track car while the M3 (high-performance luxury sports coupe) was chosen as the better daily driver. Perhaps the comments at the end of the comparison only confirm that these two cars are not direct competitors. I will say this: I remember reading that when the current M3 was being created, BMW was using the 911 as a benchmark, so perhaps there is some logic to this comparison. For me, the question of which car is the better daily driver is irrelevant. I would never buy a world class performance car and drive it every day, subjecting it to rush hour traffic snarls, crazy commuters, poorly maintained roads and the hazards that come with them. I learned some years ago to keep a reliable, durable, fuel efficient commuter car to drive to work on week days while saving my polished, pampered weapon of choice for sunny weekends. For this reason, the Stingray is the clear winner in my book. It has reasonable storage space and the MR suspension can be set for a comfortable ride. The M3 is still an excellent performance car though. One last thing.....if the soon to be released M4 Coupe were available, it would still lose.

tim_boo

I am not sure why this article was even written, I haven't driven either car but could have come to the same conclusion. A four seater coupe is more comfortable than a dedicated sports car but slower...who would have thought such a thing!?

autoboy1

Am I the only one who cross shops 4 seat coupes, 4 door sports sedans, or 2 door sports cars? Yes, the comparison is a little strange, but they said from the outset that the C7 doesn't have any real direct competition at its price point. So they brought in the M3 because it was one of the best performance cars at the $70k price point. Get over it and use your imagination.

When I buy a car, I don't decide that I want a 4 door sedan and only look at 4 door sedans. I say, I want a fun car that is practical enough for my needs, is affordable for me, and is something that I will love to own for the next 4-6 years. That's how come I've had everything from S4s, to 911s, to a GTI. It's about how the cars make me feel when I drive, and if it can hold the # of passengers I need and some stuff, I'm good. So, when I go shopping for a replacement to my GTI, I'll look at everything from the Mustang to a BMW 3 Series because the main factor is that it must be a drivers car first and formost. Then I'll decide if I can live with 2 vs 4 doors or trunk vs wagon/hatch.

bankerdanny

I think the comparison makes perfect sense. If you are one car owner and need some versatility to go with your back roads hooliganizing, the the M3 is clearly the better choice. But for many people an M3 is as much a toy as a 2 seat high performance sports car like the Vette and those folks may in fact cross-shop the two.

lexura1414

It seems this C7 is destroying everything in its path. But you guys are ridiculous in saying that it beats a GT-R. I am not a Nissan or GT-R fanboy, FYI. Compare the C7 lap time in Nurburghring instead of Button Willow to the GT-Rs. I am sure the GT-R demolishes this car.
On a side note, I used to read Insideline but when you merged, I lost interest

mrusso21

So you guys at Edmunds are comparing a car thats been on the road since 2007 and has not changed....not even a little to a completely new concept that was just released and are labeling that victory? Wait till later this year when they realize the M4 and its taking a big steamy [non-permissible content removed] all over the competition. Lets compare apples to apples Edmunds

bankerdanny

They are clear in the article that they are comparing a state of the art new Vette to an outgoing M3. But let's also acknowledge that BMW hasn't necessarily been improving its cars lately. Edmunds is getting a long-term Vette and I have no doubt they will use it for a comparison against the M4 when it appears.

crossofiron

As a owner of 2 BMWs, I agree with the comment that the M3 is a very good around car but let's get real for a minute.
Guys that buy M3 think that they are badasses.
Yea they do. I know a few of them.
They have to feel like throwing up after seeing the smashing victory for the Vette. The Edmond buys seem like nice guys and always try to see the best in things but this is a bit much.
If this was the 328 then we can talk about the better car to go the market but for Gods Sakes the M3 is almost $80,000 and with some of the typical Bimmer options it is over $80,000. IT IS SUPPOSED to be a [non-permissible content removed] kicker.
Not today it appears.
Long live the new King!!

reminder

No boyz, there is a clear winner. Anyone who requires room for more than 2 bodies, buys the 3.
Anyone that requires a world-class sports car @ a relatively affordable price point, buys the Vette.
Win Win.

tutankhammun

The best car to compare the M3 to is a Camaro SS with the 1LE package. It would murder the M3 in all measures. BMW's simply do not compete with Chevrolets anymore when it comes to performance. Camaro 1LE has done 1:22.70 while the M3 per Edmunds test is 1:29.02.

The Camaro 1LE time is from fastestlaps. com

evodad

@ lexura1414, except there are not yet official times for the vette at the ring and you are now comparing a $100K+ GTR to a $70K vette, even if this base vette is slower than a gtr around the ring I'm sure a z06 or zr-1 version would be a more sensible ma

tutankhammun

James Riswick is a known GM hater

jimmcmane

I am extremely sorry - but whomever wrote this article should put in their resignation. I have an E90 M3 and by NO MEANS think that a C7 or even C6 Corvette wouldn't win around a proper track... However, where these numbers came from are beyond me. Are we really to believe that a 3500 pound car with 414 horsepower, and a perfectly flat torque curve (approximately 280 ft-lbs across the board to 8400 RPM) - and gearing to make the perfectly flat torque curve work to the car's advantage runs a 13 SECOND quarter mile?

These are false numbers - by any calculation, modeling, or better yet any other "automotive" source. Here's just a few:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/cm/roadandtrack/data/6a5be27b0e80f78adc8cf2af3b0b4d45.pdf

1/4 mile - 12.5 (6 speed, not even DCT)
0-60 4.1 (again, 6 speed)
skidpad .98

I am not sure if you purposely put some all-season tires on here to show how "dramatic" the difference is between these cars - but it's just not so. The Corvette is faster - yes, but not as you make out. A 13 second quarter mile in this car would literally take a 2nd gear start. I can't even believe any readers of this publication take this seriously.

Here's another source - just in case that one wasn't good enough: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1009_2010_audi_rs_5_vs_2011_bmw_m3_vs_2011_cadillac_cts_v_comparison/viewall.html

12.6 in the 1/4
4.1 0-60
.95 on the skidpad

Please don't reply saying that it's condition dependant/times vary/etc. - we are talking over a HALF SECOND for both times - and about a 1/10th on the skidpad.

With R compounds on both cars - they handle similarly, and the M3 is going to "win" in terms of how it gets from point A to B. To say the M3 is a 13 second car is just ridiculous. The car will run a mid 12s 1/4 mile over and over and over and over and over - and I think you left this out on purpose for some reason.

Please explain to your readers what you were given by GM to write such nonsense. Any avid enthusiast sees through this garbage - and few write to complain. I just couldn't let it go.

13 second quarter mile - the S54B32 Inline-6 powering the last generation E46 was in the high 12s, and was possibly in the low 13s with a bad driver. Unbelievable. You should be ashamed of yourself.

To anyone reading this article - and wants a racecar for the street, the M3 is your choice. If you want a bargain track car, the Corvette is for you. Simple is that. This last paragraph (along with the actual specs on the cars) should be the article, and you should quit your day job.

xterrobrando

@ lexura1414 the GT-R does prove faster in acceleration, but is slower in cornering speed, apex exit speeds, and breaking, hence the slower track times at Willow Springs. The 'ring has some room to flex muscles on speed sections (advantage GTR) but really

perek_

I want to see a comparo between a low mileage C5 Z06, the C6 and the new C7! That would be a cool feature!

osunick

The M3 has terrible, terrible fuel economy. Of course, at $70K folks can afford gas, but I expect the Corvette to have much better real world mpg.

The other advantage the M3 has is the economies of scale due to parts sharing with the regular 3 series brethren. BMW sold hundreds of thousands of E90/E92's and can make the investment on expensive switchgear. On the other hand, BMW still makes do with a purely mechanical viscous diff and the strut front/multilink rear suspension that all 3 series have. The M3 has more forged aluminum components but the Stingray is a bespoke platform.

From inside, I'm sure the quality of BMW's leathers and plastics are higher. From underneath, the Corvette is WAY MORE PREMIUM, as it has aluminum wishbones all around and four times as many pistons in the brakes. 5 seconds is an eternity on a race track and each of those seconds represents a lot of r&d and manufacturing.

jimmcmane

osunick, 5 seconds is a lot, but there is no way the cars are 5 seconds apart. just like the m3 is not a 13 second car. Edmunds just makes things up as they go. it's cute.

9square

Next up..... Corvette Stingray vs. Dodge Caravan.

vara411

Edmunds neglected to mention the [non-permissible content removed]-kicking the M3 would face at the pump... 14/20 vs. the much superior 17/29 for the 'Vette (that fuel economy doesn't even include the cylinder deactivation... One article I read claimed it gave the StingRay an astounding 40.5 mpg on the highway!) ...

That said, I find this comparo a bit strange as these are two very different cars.

rj_xtrail_2

@ shatner,

you are a bulls**t because for me personally that the C& is alwya the daily driver and the track car and your BMW M3 is BULLS**T!

wvanepps

I am taking a wait and see approach on the new Vette. I live in North Florida and I see at least 10 Vettes a day on the ride home. I normally only see one E92 M3 and that is the one I am driving. I remember when the new Camaro was released and seeing one and thinking it looked great. Now I see about 30 a day on the drive home and do not glance at it a second time.

Next year I will be looking at getting the new M4 or the new Vette since they are close in price. I am still up in the air at this point. If I start seeing 25+ new Vettes show up at our local Cars and Coffee each month then most likely it will be the M4. Right now we have about 30 Vettes that show up and only 2 M3's and the M3's get a lot more looks.

wvanepps

I am not sure where they are getting the numbers for the E92 M3. My E92 M3 DCT does the quarter mile in 12.3 to 12.4 and zero to 60 in 4.2 seconds without launch control.

Also, was Miss Daisy driving the GTR or Porsche 911 S? No way the Vette beat those cars. The numbers are not even close.