Is Lexus Wisely Avoiding Going Head To Head Against BMW's M3 Convertible?

009, maybe you should inform your readers that M3 convertible handling is nowhere near to what they've been accustomed with the M3 coupe.

Weight:
M3 Coupe: 3590 pounds = 1628 kilograms
M3 Convertible: 4140 pounds = 1 877 kilograms

Handling rating: (excellent, very good, good, average, poor, very poor)
M3 Coupe: Excellent
M3 Convertible: Good

Braking rating: (excellent, very good, good, average, poor, very poor)
M3 Coupe: Excellent
M3 Convertible: Very Good

2009 BMW M3 Convertible handling comments:
Slalom: Not nearly as sharp or controllable as the M3 coupe or sedan. The electronic damping feels softer at its hardest setting, too. Skid pad: Soft, almost numb steering feel at the limits. Difficult to sense edge of front grip.

Sources:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=124954/pageId=136254
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=129086/pageId=143280

Convertibles gain weight. That's a fact. Even an IS-F Convertible will handle nowhere near an IS-F sedan or theoretical IS-F coupe. Laws of physics.

You're absolutely right, Willis. I only responded to 009 anti-Lexus pro-BMW propaganda.

Doesn't matter. M3 vert will still lap anything Lexus makes around a track. Convertible or not.

Mrbratwurst- If you have been reading this site for the last 4 years or so you would know by now I am not a BMW fanboy.

^ That's becuase the BMW is designed for the track, and everything else is an afterthought. On the otherhand, Lexus understands that most people that are being these types of vehicle's, would rather have the car be more fun and handle better on the street than on a track. Sure, the ISF can go on the track and hang with a BMW, but at the end of the day, the Lexus ISF is more fun to drive back home in. The M3 has a lack of power on the street until you rev that motor up past the 4k RPM range. Can't do that most of the time in the city without rear ending someone or driving like a complete idiot.

Your entire comment can be refuted by a dozen reviews by people who get paid to drive and write about cars.

Keep drinking the Kool-Aid Amiodynski. As hard as Lexus tries to best BMW, they always fail to do so. The IS-F is just the latest example of this. BMW remains the benchmark and Lexus remains the follower.

I think Lexus is more of the benchmark for luxury than BMW. BMW is the benchmark when it comes to performance. I dont think Lexus should try to make a performance vehicle. Its like Hyuandai making a high end luxury car.

Spoken like some one who has never driven a BMW, let alone a "M" car.

beemer fanbois can deboost AMiodynski, but he has a clearer picture of reality.

anybody can build a car for the track, or at least one that shows its best qualitites on a track. it doesn't take exceptional genius these days however, to stuff more horses under the hood than any SANE person would use on an everyday basis.

the truly exceptional machines these days, balance off power with everyday LIVABILITY, comfort, and reliability. this is why japanese vehicles rule the world in appeal and sales.

current issue of Motorcyclis mag uncovers this basic fact, which wannabees and benchracers are totally oblivious to.

they compare 5 new sporting motorcycles, including a Ducati that is track oriented and bred. altho' it makes more HP than all but one of the 3 japanese bikes, it is the LAST one the riders preferred on the street.

"the truly exceptional machines these days, balance off power with everyday LIVABILITY, comfort, and reliability. this is why japanese vehicles rule the world in appeal and sales."

Replace "japanese" with "German" and add the word "Handling" in there. If you do that then you would have a 100% true statement.

The Germans are just as Liveable as the Lexus, but offers more performance, better balace, and are more precise. That's why BMW sedans outsell Lexus sedans worldwide, even though the Lexus sedans costs less. People are fools. Lexus isn't there yet. Sorry.

some gearheads affirm that there can never be such a thing as TOO MUCH power. but they likely have never been on a modern, high performance motorcycle. where indeed, too much is SIMPLY TOO MUCH! such is the state of the art in bike engines, that chassis and tire designs are the limiting factors, NOT absolute engine power.

honda has recognized that, and actually detuned their latest 600RR sport bike. nonetheless, it ended up being the FASTEST on the Streets of Willow track, setting better times than a pair of 1000cc bikes, AND the Ducati 1198. and being more livable and fun on the street as well!

Lexus likewise ignores the boyracers who always demand maximums over BALANCE. and liveablitiy, which includes AVOIDING service bays.

Everyone knows that Lexus can build cars that are better than any car out there. Yeah right!!

Smart move Lexus. The more Lexus attempts to compete with BMW, the more they are exposed as not being able to do so.

OF COURSE lexus builds the best cars, when you wisely ignore the immature boyroacers' rash opinions.

when you get to the GROWN UPS' cars, the S, 7, A8 and LS, where comfort means more than ability to clip apexes, the LS460 gets the HIGHEST RATING in the road tests that CR has ever given to ANY car: 99 out of 100.

the MB S550 scores 86. the Audi A8L a mere 77. SAME as the Camry LE Four, and edged out by the v6 camry XLE at 87 and the Lexus ES at 91.

and these are the ROAD TEST results.

when you factor in RELIABILITY (which most think is all CR does; but they do own and USE one of the largest privately owned test tracks), then the TOYOTA/lexus juggernaut runs over ALL competitors.

europhiles like to say the ES is 'merely' a reskinned camry. yet it outclasses most euro cars within $10,000 of its price. and even the REAL camry will show them up too!

You can't out do the original. You will be a pretty damn good follower though...

Yes, because the observations you've made in a specific geographic area can be applied to both BMW's and Lexus' national sales. That makes perfect sense. False.

BMW officially does not release M3 sales. It is included in their overall 3-Series figures. I would be curious to know the sales of the M3 and C63 now that we have IS-f stats.

As for your observation, where do you live? Here in Connecticut, M3's seem to be everywhere (mostly in cab and coupe form, the sedan is far rarer) while the IS-F is near non-existant.

"where I'm at i've only seen 2 M3 coupes, and 1 M3 sedan, but have seen 10 IS-F's.."

you must live in an high class neighborhood, folks who drive bimmers can't afford Lexus, hence, bimmers can be seen everywhere in the low class urban areas :)

That was a joke right ?

Sure made me laugh.

You have a valid point. I've seen some people who can't afford a new Lexus drive a used BMW.

The majority of Lexus IS cars I have seen are the IS250. Do not know the actual percentage, but would estimate the sales of IS 250 vs. IS 350 is 4:1. About 70% of IS250 drivers seen were women. Live in South Bay area of L.A.

I do not believe they are *avoiding* more so they are not participating in a niche market in a poor economic environment.

What would be interesting to see: profit margins on the IS-F

445 units sold this year....that's abysmal. they can't possibly break even on that car. in the current cost cutting environment, i wouldn't be surprised if they discontinued the ISF sedan. the only reason to keep it going at that small volume is to save face.

you are mistaken...that's lexus' title. lexus spends FIVE TIMES bmw on marketing in the US. nearly $500MM a year. takes a lot of smoke and mirror to make people think their ES is something more than a camry. they're genius marketers.

My BMW 2001 330Ci Convertible was not bolted together very well. Over 7 years and 126,600 miles I had...
6 months I needed a 4 wheel alignment, every 6 months!!!
5 Bent Wheels
4 Bent lower control Arms
3 Bushings that went Kaput
2 rear differential Seals went Kaput
1 A/C hose broke
1 Radiator Neck was leaking and cracked
1 Power Steering pump went Kaput
1 Water Pump went Kaput
1 Kidney Grill Popped out from the flimsy plastic bracket that died
The Passenger power seat module was replaced twice and still never worked right
The trunk mounted 6 disk CD changer was jammed when I went around a corner and never worked right after that and the dealer did not know how to fix it.

FINALLY the last straw was when The B fell off the Rondel and I had an MW instead a BMW!!

LOL!

so your Bring More Wampum became a Mug Wump!?

or simply, "More Wampum! More Wampum! if you don't cave to my demands for More Wampum, i'm gonna blow another nuke! or fire another missile!" lol!

lexus is indeed wise.

everyone knows convertibles are more prone to rattles and squeaks. so they don't encourage sullying their rep for the BEST put together bodies --and cars generally-- by offering convetibles with excessive power.