BMW M3 vs Audi S5 vs Porsche Cayman S vs Vauxhall VXR8: 2007 group test

Power is seductive. Any driver who has experienced the thrill of a high-performance car’s straight-line acceleration will have instantly been won over.

For years, one of the most desirable models in the sports car class has been the BMW M3. The original debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, powered by a 195bhp 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine. A little over 20 years later, there’s a new, fourth-generation M3 with twice as many cylinders and more than double the power.

So is it really twice as good? After all, the newcomer had its nose bloodied at its international launch, when we put it head-to-head with Audi’s RS4.

Now, we’ve got hold of one of the first right-hand-drive M3s in the UK to see how it fares against a variety of opponents. We want to find out if the BMW has what it takes to be crowned the ultimate everyday sports car. The previous M3 held that title, but this model won’t have such an easy ride.

The RS4 has been discontinued as Audi prepares to launch the new A4 range. But the company has another contender in this class, in the shape of the S5. It boasts a meaty V8 engine and a coupé bodyshell, yet costs over £10,000 less than the BMW. Vauxhall’s VXR8 is even more affordable, and it delivers greater power. In addition, the Aussie-bred saloon has already tasted test victory.

Last but by no means least is Porsche’s Cayman S, voted the champion in our recent Greatest Drives 2007 test. We headed to North Yorkshire to assess the fast foursome...

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First place: Porsche Cayman S

Seen in some quarters as a poor man’s 911, the Cayman S is a car for those who care more about driving than status. It doesn’t have the same high profile as its big brother, but the flat tailgate and rounded rear wheelarches manage to give the Porsche an athletic appearance.

There are two fewer seats inside and a pair of modestly proportioned load bays rather than one large one. Due to these compact dimensions, the Cayman weighs a third-of-a-tonne less than the M3.

As a result, it needs considerably less power for potent performance. The mid-mounted flat-six engine lacks the output of its V8 rivals, but look at the acceleration times – a match for all bar the BMW. And it certainly packs a punch above 5,500rpm, when the guttural growl develops into a raucous wail. The engine is mated to brilliant brakes and a slick gearbox which makes shifts a pleasure, and so the Porsche immediately comes across as a very satisfying car to drive.

That’s before you’ve even got to a corner, where the Cayman really shows its class. The steering isn’t as positive as the BMW’s, so initially it seems slightly vague, but it’s not long before the magic of this car hits you. It’s well balanced and gives excellent feedback, yet with the supple suspension, the Cayman S floats over rough surfaces. Refinement isn’t flawless, as the noise levels show, but the Porsche’s ability to match your mood is unrivalled here.

With the exception of the instrument dials, which overlap attractively, the interior layout is nothing special. What’s more, buyers don’t even get leather seats or climate control as standard. Nevertheless, the Cayman S is one of the most fluid and rewarding cars on sale today.

Economy

Sleeker and far lighter than rivals, the Cayman S returned 22mpg and hit 27mpg on the motorway. It has the longest range, and annual fuel costs are at least £350 lower.

Residuals

Too few Caymans are sold for our analysts to predict accurate residual figures. However, second-hand values should be close to the Boxster’s, at 52 per cent.

Servicing

Porsche has a small UK dealer network. The two-year warranty is stingy, and while the engine’s position makes it hard to work on, £1,383 is a lot for three services.

Tax

It has the lowest CO2 output by over 40g/km, and a fine reputation for quality and reliability. But the Cayman S costs 20 pence per mile more to run than the Audi.

Second place: BMW M3

There’s more to creating a new M3 than simply dropping a big engine into a 3-Series Coupé. While the hot version shares the same profile as the standard two-door, BMW claims it’s different enough to be considered a separate model in its own right.

Not least because so few parts are carried over. Externally, all the M3 has in common with the basic Coupé are its lights, doors and bootlid, and thanks to a wider track and flared arches, the new flagship is 22mm broader and a little longer.

But although the lines aren’t ostentatious, the M3 doesn’t appear particularly sophisticated. It’s not as elegant as the Cayman S or the S5, and simply doesn’t look like a £50,000 machine.

However, in typical M car fashion, the money has been spent on the engine. Tucked away under the bonnet’s power bulge, the 4.0-litre V8 is essentially the V10 from the M5 with two cylinders lopped off – although BMW’s engineers wouldn’t be too keen on that description, and it’s true this unit has a character of its own.

Mounted lower and further back than the straight-six in the previous generation, the 202kg powerplant is 15kg lighter. But it packs a punch. At start-up first thing in the morning, the highly tuned V8 sounds like a bag of bolts, yet once the engine management system lets you use all the 8,250rpm on offer, no opponent stands a chance.

The M3 sprints from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds – that’s half-a-second quicker than any rival – and by the time the needle swept past 100mph at the test track, it was ahead by more than 1.5 seconds.

But you expect mighty top-end punch from such a rev-hungry engine. What’s arguably more impressive is the coupé’s ability to surge forwards from little more than 2,000rpm. Even though the BMW engine trails the other V8 cars for torque, with its 400Nm output, neither the Vauxhall nor the Audi was as quick in-gear.

The power is accessible, delivered instantly and accompanied by a V8 howl. What’s more, thanks to BMW’s Efficient Dynamics programme, the new M3 puts out 295g/km – that’s 28g/km less CO2 than before. Its engine is easily the best here.

But the trouble is, the V8 overpowers the rest of the package. While the gearchange is robust, it’s largely carried over from before, and on the road the driving experience never really takes off.

It’s not that the new car handles poorly – far from it. The M3 turns in more incisively than the Cayman S, has colossal grip and great poise and agility. But you don’t feel part of the experience as you do in the Porsche. It’s as if the engineers have focused so hard on delivering a technically impressive machine, they have forgotten that it needs to be fun for the driver first and foremost.

Numb steering is partially to blame, plus the M3 is snappy close to the limit and doesn’t flow down rough roads as effortlessly as it should. It’s brutally fast, but hard edged, even with our car’s optional £1,295 EDC damping in its softest mode.

It’s a different story on main roads, where the ride was impressive and the BMW rivalled the S5 for refinement. Body control is sensational, too.
But the cabin isn’t that special. While there is plenty of space for four adults and their luggage, the sporty detailing is rather clumsy; the steering wheel is too thick to grip properly and the bulging bonnet dominates the view out. We can’t fault the quality or comfort, yet the design is simply too plain. That’s not a mistake the S5 makes – so could it be the second Audi to embarrass the M3?

Economy

In the previous M3, 27mpg was possible when driving gently. The best we achieved in this model was 23.6mpg; over the course of 1,500 miles, our average was only 18.6mpg.

Residuals

The lengthy waiting list means early used M3s will change hands for over list price. But in three years, values will settle down at around 53 per cent. That’s a drop of £24,000.

Servicing

BMW doesn’t offer its Service Inclusive package on the M3, and final costs haven’t yet been released. But the hi-tech V8 won’t be cheap to maintain – budget £1,500 for three checks.

Tax

The necessary data is not all in place yet, but our experts say running the M3 will cost £1.31 per mile. That’s a vast amount, although it’s in line with the high asking price.

Third place: Audi S5

We know what you’re thinking. The S5 is good, but it’s no match for a new M3. As we’ve seen, though, the BMW isn’t beyond criticism, and Audi is on cracking form at the moment.

The R8 and RS4 are both world-beaters while, in 3.0 TDI guise, the A5 came perilously close to beating BMW’s 335d Coupé before. The S5 is certainly better looking than the M3, but colour is critical. Bright bodywork does Audi’s new two-door few favours; more subtle shades accentuate the curvaceous shoulder line. In fact, we’ve rarely seen such a striking black car, complemented by glossy 19-inch wheels, aluminium-look side mirrors and quad exhausts.

The tailpipes provide ample outlet for the big V8, delivering a great burble that’s easily audible inside. The 349bhp 4.2-litre FSI is closely related to the R8’s and, despite being 65bhp less potent than the BMW unit, it packs 40Nm more torque, at 440Nm. And 85 per cent of this is available from only 2,000rpm. It’s slightly longer geared than the M3, so in the lower ratios it matched the BMW’s punch, even if on the road it never felt as quick.

Yet this is not a slow car. Against the clock it proved every bit as fast as the Vauxhall and Porsche. And, thanks to good throttle response along with beautifully linear power delivery that gets better all the way to the 7,400rpm cutout, it proved equally effective at overtaking.

Around town, the sensitive throttle, heavy flywheel effect and slightly abrupt clutch action could cause the car to lurch forward. But on the whole, this is a well rounded V8 with a more laid-back character than the energetic BMW’s, and a less notchy but marginally looser gearshift.

The trouble is, the S5 is so flexible, refined and smooth that you can easily find yourself breaking speed limits without meaning to. It doesn’t have to be worked hard to perform well. However, it inspires so much confidence only because the new platform and quattro four-wheel-drive are so incredibly capable.

With the front axle moved further forward, weight distribution has improved, so the S5 is less nose heavy, while the 4WD set-up feeds 60 per cent of its torque to the rear wheels – although this varies depending on available grip. Better balance and traction make it reassuring, as a result of which the Audi was the easiest car here to drive fast.

That’s not to say it was the most enjoyable. It was less sensitive to steering and pedal inputs than either German rival, while over bumpy tarmac there was some steering kickback and constant suspension patter. On smooth surfaces the S5 was taut and incisive; body control improved and the whole car seemed sharp and more alive.

Quiet and relaxing at speed, it would be easy to dismiss the S5 as a grand tourer, but it’s much more than that. While the ride is a touch busy, this is an accomplished sports coupé – and one that also happens to have a fantastic cabin. Although it has less generous rear accommodation than the M3, the boot is big, stowage is impressive and the Audi has a feelgood factor absent from the BMW.

The design and ergonomics are superb, and the interior is much more sophisticated than that of the VXR8 – which is all the more impressive given that it’s not even £5,000 more expensive than the Vauxhall. The drawback, however, is that Audi has taken a penny-pinching approach to the S5 and there’s not much in the way of kit included.

Economy

Our economy figure peaked at 21.2mpg in the S5. But overall returns were 18.3mpg, and its 254-mile range was even shorter than the BMW’s.

Residuals

From buyers to trade experts, everyone has faith in the Audi to stand the test of time. The S5 posts residuals of 58.6 per cent, and so loses £16,448.

Servicing

The S5 should be cheaper to service than the 3-Series – we were quoted around £880 for the first three check-ups. Expect intervals of 19,000 miles.

Tax

Of the four cars here, the Audi is unique in costing owners less than £1 per mile to run. It also benefits from the lowest insurance and contract hire quotes here.

Fourth place: Vauxhall VXR8

There’s nothing subtle about the Vauxhall VXR8 – it’s a conventional saloon, but its size and collection of spoilers and sills ensure this is no shrinking violet. It has finesse, too, having already beaten the Jaguar S-Type R and Chrysler 300C SRT-8 on our recent test.

Granted, the styling is far from sleek or sophisticated, but the VX has a charismatic engine. While the low-tech V8 doesn’t feature the latest valve timing and cannot rev nearly as high as rivals, its 6.0-litre capacity packs a proper punch – and sounds glorious.

It helped the 1,831kg VXR8 return acceleration times to match the Audi and Porsche, blasting from 0-60mph in only five seconds. However, the big powerplant wasn’t as responsive, and its long gearing made the car feel rather lazy.

The six-speed manual gearbox was clunky and the brakes juddered badly on rough roads.

Compared with the more honed opposition, the VXR8 comes across as an underdeveloped machine. The steering is more vague, there is lots of body movement and travel in the suspension, and the chassis isn’t especially stiff, with steering kickback an issue. The Australian Vauxhall serves up plenty of guts and determination, but it’s short on talent in this company.

In its favour, space and comfort are strong points. All the seats are generously proportioned, although the driver’s is mounted a bit high, with visibility hampered by the intrusive A-pillars and rear wing. The design and layout are better executed than you might expect, and standard kit is easily the most generous here – making the £35,105 VXR8 seem even better value.

Economy

Here’s a surprise: the VXR8’s low-tech unit did better than the cutting-edge V8s. With long gearing and relaxed manners, it beat its claimed combined figure, hitting 19.2mpg

Residuals

On the used market, the VXR8 is likely to follow the Monaro’s lead and hold on to something like 42-44 per cent of its value. That represents a drop of about £20,000.

Servicing

Only 32 of Vauxhall’s 500 UK dealers can service the VXR8. Visits are required every 10,000 miles, which takes the edge off the low prices we were quoted.

Tax

Uncertain long-term running costs make the VXR8 nearly as pricey to own as the Cayman S. And CO2 emissions of 365g/km won’t endear it to the green brigade.

Verdict

The BMW M3 is a stunning piece of machinery, technically excellent and expertly engineered, with a fabulous engine. So why doesn’t it win? Simple: it doesn’t make the driver feel a key part of the action, and so we ended up admiring the M3, but not loving it. It’s also expensive to buy and run.

That criticism can also be levelled at the smaller and less practical Porsche, although the Cayman S is wonderfully involving and all the components work in perfect harmony, rather than the engine dominating. It takes the victory.

The S5 came close to causing an upset by nearly finishing ahead of the M3. It’s not as fast and sporting as the BMW, but is a sophisticated and capable car that looks good, drives well and is temptingly priced. While the VXR8 is more affordable, the Vauxhall was out of its depth here. Although big and fast, it didn’t come across as particularly well engineered in this company.