I've actually had great luck against M3s (both E36 & E46) as well as M5s...but i think much is because I know how to get all the speed that my car is worth. I certainly respect the M3 and I've seen them accelerate wicked fast - but the B5S4 (modded) is no slouch either. I've beeten WRX STIs, EVOs, SL 55 AMG (never against the latest one yet) and Jag S type (390 hp?) and even a late model Porsche 911 S recently - and he instigated the encounter!...again I think my driving skill gave me the edge on many of these runs - not all were from a dead stop nor did we top out (in all cases) but I have to say its rare I am trounced by anything...though a modded late model Mustang Cobra comes to mind (he pulled on my wicked post 70mph - but I also had a bad shift...turns out he owned an S4 as well! - he felt mine was quite a bit faster then his (unmodded i assume)...anyway M3 is a fantastic car and the only circumstance i would feel 100% sure to beat one would be in the rain (or of course snow)...

 

u guys have everythin screwed up, theres a supercharged e46 m3 here in NY pushin 460whp. dynoed proven. e46 m3 stock runs low 13's. car-stats is not really accurate because of weather and etc. stock for stock the s4 b5 will be a good run against a e36 m3. even off the line. although the s4 has awd, they both run low 14's. either m3 will beat the s4 in handling and top m3. i believe u need a lil more than just a chip to run with the e46. the chip gives u about 60 crank hp. and 100 trq to the crank. so ur s4 will be at 310 crank hp and like 360trq. although the trq is much great than the m3's, u wont c that trq number till like 4-5k rpm because of turbos. the e46 m3 has 333 crank hp. but is lighter than the s4. so even from a dead dig the m3 will be a good run with the chip. it is rare u c tubocharged e46's, it will be to expensive and hard, the motor is basically tuned to the max. u will have to lower compression and do alot of tuning/testing. but the e36 in the other hand, ive seen gt40r turbos on them runnin 800+whp and reaching max boost as low as 3-3500 rpm. m3's is not somethin to sleep on but u will need a few upgrades to run them m3's. chip dp should do it but not chip alone. ive driven both cars, and overall the m3 feels much better. m3 is a great car overall. but the e36 is better handling of the 2, but the e30 is best handling of all ahha. newer the m3 gets the handling worsens but still a great handling car. but s4 is still great,

 

Well seeing that I currently own a 2002 E46 M3 I guess I'll chime in...I have "lost" mini races to S4's before but of course my car is almost bone stock (K n N filter, AA Exhaust) and who knows what these S4's have under the hood. I have also SMOKED a few 2.7T S4's off the line and from 80+ MPH. It all depends on mods, driver,conditions, etc. I absolutely LOVE my M3, and this is the 3rd one I have had (had a previous E46 and a 1997 E36) but I am going to be buying a 2.7T S4 becasue I want a "project car" I can build up. I'll probably hold onto the M3 until the V8 E90 comes out, assuming that's as impressive as I am guessing it will be. In any case, the E46 M3 is a great car and so are all the S4's, it's just a matter of preference.

 

FormerM3guy - great post - right on the money. Stock the B5S4 is clearly a notch below the M3 in terms of absolute performance. The great thing about the car (and where i think Audi missed out with the current V8 S4) is that it is so easily modifiable to be so much more - and to be right there with the stock M3. To mod the M3 is a much bigger deal - and while some will do it - likewise some B5S4 owners mod even further (such as a guy at the shop I take mine to who just put $30K into his S4 to get 375 or so HP at the wheels! as well as brakes and a bunch of other stuff). So yes there will be folks that go the extra distance with these and other cars and make them extorordinary. The point is though - IMO - that a great many people do the easy chip (and intake/exhaust etc) upgrades on the B5S4 (as it was meant to be!) and put the car right there with the M3. Sure stock vs stock the M3 is clearly a notch better (except in the rain & snow of course where the S4 shines - and this has great grin and practical value...also the Avant version is pretty special IMO..etc) - but the easy mods put the car right with the M3 performance wise. Both are awesome vehicals and comendable IMO and kudos to the owners of each who know a good thing. I love my S4 (except perhaps with the various repair issues) and I would love owning/driving an M3...to that effect I did pick up a Performance Package (ZHP) 3 series last year - while not an M3 certainly it has many aspects of such and has gret handling and performance and delivers many grins in its own right. I would have picked up an M3 in an instant - but I did a Euro delivery where I could save a bundle on the ZHP that was unavailable for the M3 - and we felt the 4 doors and a bit extra trunk room were necessary. I'm not disapointed with the decision as the ZHP really goes and its fun to push hard..though it is a clear notch below the S4 in terms of all out get up and go. Handling is entirely different but comperable as my S4 is lowered with H&R coilovers minimizing body roll and really giving me some awesome grip. There are certain corners and sweepers I can do in the S4 that I couldn't hang with the ZHP and others where the grip and tail out of the ZHP let me do things where the S4 - with its greater weight and front bias - would plow a bit...I suspect the M3 would be similar (with perhaps some added ability in some circumstances due to greater power available to the rears). Anyway - as I have gone on a bit - both great cars!

 

"With K04's, you're in a different league altogether. At that point you'll be closer to hunting for C6 Vettes. " sorry but no. the vette pulls on an m5 and handles the same as a 911. the audi just has to much weight to effiectively stay with a vette or 911 on a corner and wont stay with it in a straight line

 

Sorry but yes, Ive seen ko4 s4s run low 11s, dont tell me thats not c6 territory.

 

Ok, let's put it like this an E46 M3 vs an S4 (B5) stock for stock. The M will win every time. someone posted times from an old C/D saying the M3 is a 13.6 second car... Yeah, in Florida!!! Up north there are plenty of bone stock M3's running low 13's. 13.1-13.3... So look out. Personally I think drag racing is boring but to each his own.

Now to be perfectly honest there are few cars that can match the M up top. Just an example... I was on my way up to Jersey not too long ago, from Florida, when I came across a S55 AMG that actually wanted to play around a bit. Well I decided to drop 2 gears into 3rd punch it and by the time I hit 4th he was a car and a 1/2 behind. The next day I had to go to the Poconos for some business. Well I'm on 80 West bound when I see a modded WRX. Exhaust, FMIC, and blow off valve from what I can see and hear. With all that, you know he had an intake and most likely a boost controller. Well all that would make a 12 second car. I revved on him and got no response so I just jumped in front of him, got up about 4 cars or so when I hear the wonderful sound of a blow off valve up my butt. So I said ok, you actually do want to play. Dumped it in 3rd and punched it he hung on till I hit 130 then he faded back about 4 cars. It was a good time and both drivers were really cool. I wish i could've pulled over and chatted for a bit but I was actually running late. Then last night I was on my way home from work, dog tired, when a stock STi tries me. pretty much the same thing as the WRX. I really think people under estimate the power of the M3 up top.

Disclaimer:
I'm not hating on the S4 or Audi... If they made a 2 door coupe I might actually buy one. And when i comes time to buy another car for a DD so I can stop beating up my poor little M. I'll be buying an Audi. BMW lost it's flair in the looks department. This is my second and last BMW (except used, gotta love the E39 M5).

 

So do you think your m3 could hang with a ko4'd s4 up top? I don't know if the s55 you raced was the newer s'charged one but if so then that means your 333hp beat his 470hp, or even more impressive your 268lb-ft beat his 516lb-ft. And from how you described it you beat him pretty bad. I love m3's and i know that they are fast but i don't think they could hang with a s55 or a modded s4 up top.

 

i giev he props that a m3 is fatser stock, but no way he could hang with a s4 with K04s. Unless the M3 had some work. And from what i hear there isnt alot of mods availbel for teh m3 to get it faster. I would like to a see a chipped s4 vs a stock m3.

 

Uber M3, great looking m u have there. Regarding your post, i think we both can agree that a stock s4 nothing specail, there so detuned from the factory. Simply chip a s4, no mods, then run a m3, Its going to be close, i would say a s4 would take a m3 of the line, with the m3 pulling the whole time, point im trying to make, both are great cars, i will own a m3 someday, i like them. But i dont think its fair compareing them in stock form, as the s4 is severly detuned.



Btw- You are right about the wrx, i raced stock ones and had no problems, the modifieds one are fast. Im near state college, pa, so im on 80 alot.