Introduction

BMW has come a long way in the past 50 years, from the low point in the winter of 1959 when its fortunes were so bad that it was nearly sold to Mercedes-Benz, to becoming a world powerhouse of motorcycles, high-performance cars, luxury sedans and SUVS. Like Mercedes-Benz with its AMG in-house racing and high-performance specialists, BMW has created its M division, primarily responsible for motorsports, but also for high-performance cars, including the M3 version of the 3 Series, the M5 version of the 5 Series, and the M6 version of the 6 Series (no M7 yet, and no high-performance versions of their SUVs, but it's only a matter of time). The M3 is the one with the longest history and the most affordability, so it has become extremely popular over the last four generations of the 3 Series. Every generation of BMW 3 Series, for the past four generations, has offered the enthusiast driver an M3, something rare and special at the top of the lineup, something that the cognoscenti will recognize and appreciate every time it goes by, and something that is quicker, faster, flatter and flashier than the regular 3 Series, for the owner's maximum driving and bragging enjoyment. Every one of the previous generations was powered by a modified version of the famous BMW inline six-cylinder engine, but this new generation has broken with that long tradition to become the first V8-powered M3 in BMW history. For now, the BMW M3 in the North American lineup comes as the coupe and the less-expensive sedan, but if history is any indicator, these will soon be followed by a convertible version, the same model flow as the last two generations of M3. The first car to arrive, the M3 coupe, will be replete, including every available safety feature from ABS to stability control, traction control, six air bags, and run-flat high-performance tires. The M3 also packs a tremendous amount of electronic wallop, with dynamic stability control having new interconnected control features, electronic damper control for the shock absorber settings, iDrive for the radio, navigation and telephone as well as two different power steering modes, normal and sport, that can be selected through iDrive.

Walkaround

The exterior appearance of the M3 coupe is suitably distinctive, front, side, rear and roof, compared to any other 3 Series coupe. Especially the roof, which, while it is exactly the same size and shape as the rooves on other 3 Series coupes, is made of carbon fiber, to lighten the body considerably and lower the center of gravity for better handling and left/right/left maneuvering at speed. The body of the new M3 is a combination of steel, aluminum, and the aforementioned carbon-fiber roof panel, with an aluminum hood that carries a distinctive power bulge to clear the V-8 engine underneath it. The widened, flared front fenders carry the M3 trademark gill slots, and the rear end shows the other M3 trademark, four tailpipes. A new front air dam under the bumper and a very smooth, flat bottom add up to excellent aerodynamics, with a drag coefficient of only 0.31.

Interior Features

The M3 interior design scheme is racy from every angle. It carries a special small-diameter, high-grip leather-covered M steering wheel with redundant controls for the audio system and optional telephone. To complement the wheel, there is a set of competition-flavored, body-gripping bucket seats up front, each one built with a special foam inside for excellent upper body support in fast corners. There's the usual array of discreet red, white and blue M decorations on the seats, door panels, and instrument panel. The white-on-black instruments are typical BMW, with red pointers, and the tachometer can change its yellow-line and red-line limits depending on engine oil temperature, a featured designed to prevent premature engine wear on cold days. The new M3 center console goes all the way to the rear seats, and wraps around the driver seat to make a cozy, comfortable and eminently usable cockpit. With the M3, there are no interior color choices. Whatever you want, you get dark anthracite, a feature that BMW says helps keep driver distraction to a minimum.