Road noise and handling

[notused]

Two topics:

1) I'm not far from the Caterham bypass if anyone knows it. It's a nice twisty dual carriageway without streetlights and perfect for watching your Adaptive LEDs dance around. Used to be a 70mph limit, now 50. Anyway, I've done this road over a decade in almost every car I've owned including M5 V10 and C63 6.2 and the M3 is just unbelievable! I forgot what fun it is to drive with two hands on the steering wheel. I'm sure this road can be done at 85-100+ all the way

2) Went around the Surrey stretch of the M25 towards Heathrow today and just couldn't help notice how much road noise I was getting especially on concrete. The little one was sleeping so I was in Efficient/Comfort/Comfort/D1 at 70mph and it was annoying. If I were enjoying the drive, I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed at all. My car came with Contis and currently under 400 miles in total. Are PSS any better?

[DazC]

Originally Posted by RWDpetrol

Two topics:

1) I'm not far from the Caterham bypass if anyone knows it. It's a nice twisty dual carriageway without streetlights and perfect for watching your Adaptive LEDs dance around. Used to be a 70mph limit, now 50. Anyway, I've done this road over a decade in almost every car I've owned including M5 V10 and C63 6.2 and the M3 is just unbelievable! I forgot what fun it is to drive with two hands on the steering wheel. I'm sure this road can be done at 85-100+ all the way

2) Went around the Surrey stretch of the M25 towards Heathrow today and just couldn't help notice how much road noise I was getting especially on concrete. The little one was sleeping so I was in Efficient/Comfort/Comfort/D1 at 70mph and it was annoying. If I were enjoying the drive, I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed at all. My car came with Contis and currently under 400 miles in total. Are PSS any better?

Roads around my way are just terrible. Getting a ZCP and intrusive road noise was a concern as it does wear on you when you do 20k - 30k PA like I do.

One of the big reasons I had ordered an S8 actually, was to have a big, comfortable and quiet cruiser.

Be interested to hear owners opinions on road noise, etc.

I'll live with it anyway to be honest. PSS are meant to be the quietest of the current performance tyres IIRC.

[ajfoggy]

I know that road as I have friends that live in Whyteleafe. but I don't know it well enough to do those speeds but I reckon you fly down it.

also the piece of motorway is terrible and has been mentioned on here before. I'm not to concerned running 20s run flats at the moment so shouldn't be any worse than I'm used to.

[notused]

Should have said, mine is a non-ZCP on 19s.

[PeteRock]

I have ZCP with MPSS. Road noise is fairly high when motorway cruising. I think if you are doing high motorway miles and want a comfortable cruiser, then there may be better cars than an M3. If I was doing high mileage and several long trips with lots of motorway driving, I would consider more D3 alpina or Audi S6 or possibly a variant of the new E class.

I think alpina has less sound insulation stripped out and with its suspension is generally more GT like than the M3.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by PeteRock

I have ZCP with MPSS. Road noise is fairly high when motorway cruising. I think if you are doing high motorway miles and want a comfortable cruiser, then there may be better cars than an M3. If I was doing high mileage and several long trips with lots of motorway driving, I would consider more D3 alpina or Audi S6 or possibly a variant of the new E class.

I think alpina has less sound insulation stripped out and with its suspension is generally more GT like than the M3.

Keep forgetting you have an M3. Says under your username you have a 330d.

[Mr-Gadget4]

That's a coincidence also travelled round the M25 today between Leatherhead and the M40 both ways and the road noise on the concrete sections was horrific. Was wondering if it was just me. I travelled this section every day for two months when I first got the car last Jan 15 and don't remember it being so bad.

[PeteRock]

Originally Posted by dopper99

Keep forgetting you have an M3. Says under your username you have a 330d.

Oops, didn't realise as I mainly use my iPhone and it doesn't show. Think I've fixed it?

[Wills2]

Mine makes a terrible racket on the concrete sections of the M25, so much so that I thought it was broken!

I have CSC 5P.

[antych]

PSS are very loud on some surfaces. I can't imagine anything being louder, it would make the car unusable.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by PeteRock

Oops, didn't realise as I mainly use my iPhone and it doesn't show. Think I've fixed it?

All good Pete.

[gtsussex]

That section of concrete M25 is just awful. The vibrations are so bad even the HUD display shakes!!! To be honest the M3 is no worse than my 335d was on PSS. You have two options really - slow down to about 60ish and vibrations go or speed up to vet 85ish and vibrations go. At 70-80mph it's unbearable.

Interestingly it's only on anti clockwise side. Clockwise is noisy but bearable.

[Wills2]

The worst piece I've been on is the section somewhere between the M11 and M1, it's utterly dire.

The car makes a shrill whining sound, very unsettling but as you say it goes if you slow down.

[DazC]

Well, im glad Im never on the M25! Lol.

[jbtco]

The only times I have been unlucky enough to be on the M25 haven't been going fast enough to make much noise

[nibbsy999]

terrible some parts of the M25 and if your lucky to get caught in a traffic jam even better
not looking forward to going on some parts of M25 when i get mine music up and grit teeth