I ran PS2's on both my M's and my GT3 and thought they were a very good tyre and the Mk2 PS2's were an improvement over the Mk1's that came with my first M3. I rate the PS2's (no matter what a few magazines might imply) as I feel they suit a high performance car and have the strongest sidewall out there I understand. However, they are bloody pricy and I didn't think £90 a corner over the GY's was a good use of my money right now, though hindsight suggests I might be wrong. The P Zero's on the RS4 seemed to work well but I will give the GY's a few more miles before I make a final judgement.
I drove a couple of the new M3's recently (John Thorney's modded car and a mates manual coupe) and also did a back to back with my RS4 and a loan car from my local BMW dealer on the same roads in the same conditions a few weeks back and I think the RS4 is a better all round road car. It's not quite as quick and the engine in the M3 is more special but cross country and certainly in the wet you would find the RS4 in a different league. It simply puts its power down, in any conditions and in any weather with ease, it is quite simply astonishing on this front. It is also a very easy car to drive quickly and is pretty safe and viceless. Sure it understeers when pushed hard and feels nose heavy but its a very clever and very quick road car.
I'd take both Porsches over one however and I think I'd probably take an M3 over one as I think the RS4 lacks a certain something I can't put my finger on but being totally objective, as a road car, it craps over the others from a great height in all round ability....but its not as special.
Thanks, very useful. My only concern with the Porsches, cayman particularly, just wont feel quick enough. Cayman 300ish, 911 380ish?.
I imagine its the intangibles that will eventually make my mind up so need to go drive some.
C2S is quicker than an M3 or an RS4 and a Cayman S is pretty close. Porsche horses are always better than others horses, they just are.
as housey will tell you though the RS4 is probably more like 200bhp/tonne!
if you think the M3 it tail happy and you are worried by that then i would be worried by the porsche's! they may feel more planted but if they do let the back go then you will need more skill to get it back due to MR / RR layout than in the M3.
one of the major buying points for me on the M3 is the FR layout and I have regularly looked at the other cars on your list but keep coming back to M cars mainly for this reason.
I have not checked the pressures, relying on the fitter to get that right
Never a good idea!