BMW’s M division has been in the laboratory cooking
up turbos... and here are the results of its experiments: the elegant M3 and
its evil twin, the M4
They’re meant to be identical, the M3 and
M4. You’re not meant to be able to tell them apart. Well, aside from the
stunningly obvious fact that one is a coupe and the other a saloon. The
suspension settings differ fractionally, but only to take account of the M3’s
extra 23kg and make them feel more similar. They have identical track widths,
too, even though the standard 4-Series is 40mm wider than the boggo 4dr. This
means the saloon M is now 80mm wider than normal. Talk about stance.
The
M3 has adopted a lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic propshaft
We must talk about other things too.
Chiefly turbos. The arrival of the new M3/M4 signals the death of the naturally
aspirated M car. Yes, this does matter. M purists, the type who never saw eye
to eye with the outgoing 4.0-litre V8 (too big), will not be appeased by the
fact this fifth-generation car returns to the classic straight-six layout when
it’s joined by a pair of high-speed spoolers. Turbos kill engine response and
noise.
Apart from that, we have a classic M. You
can still have a six-speed manual gearbox (although 90 per cent won’t), the
power makes its way out of the car along a carbon propshaft and through a
clever differential to the rear wheels alone. It comes on 18-inch rims,
although if you want the optional carbon-ceramic brakes (and you do), you also
have to spec the 19-inchers. I’m not sure I’ve used a better set of ceramic
stoppers. They’re a delight: precise, potent, one of the best things about a
car that has a lot going for it anyway.
The
M3’s interior is driver-focused and as comfortable as you'd expect from an M
car
We’re on a road. The N2 to be precise. The
idea is to get to grips with the M3’s habitability/ drivability before
switching to an M4 for the outer-limits stuff at Portimão race track. The
trouble is, M3 on N2 is proving a winning combo. The road is, quite frankly, a
joke. Roads like this shouldn’t be allowed. Far too tempting. It sweeps
beautifully, elegantly, rhythmically northwards from Faro, maintaining height,
delivering vistas – paradise for third gear. Well, it would have been
third-with-occasional- flurries-of-second in the old car, and it could be third
in the new one, but right now I’m in fourth.
Fourth works just fine. As long as you have
2,000rpm on the clock, the new M3 takes off. The mid-range is stellar, an
effortless hurl, promptly delivered. Has BMW rewritten the rulebook for turbo
engines? No, not quite. It has tricks, this engine, but the total eradication
of lag isn’t one of them. Nor is a spine-tingling engine note. It makes noise,
and a lot of it, but the tune is artificially amplified by the ECU and pumped
in through the speakers. And you can tell.
Switchable
modes turn the BMW M3 from comfortable cruiser to track weapon
But as a means of enjoying this road, I’m
sold on the new M3. Sold on almost all of it. You can start with the basics.
The seats are sculpted just so; you find everything exactly where and how you
want it. There’s even a conventional handbrake. Our car has the double-clutch
DCT gearbox. I think the knob looks ‘meh’ and the low-speed manoeuvring is a
bit tricksy, but apart from that it’s doing the job perfectly well. There are
also buttons to alter the steering, engine, suspension, gearbox and stability.
We’re leaving them alone right now. The traction control cuts in a bit, but,
hey, we’re meant to be taking it easy, just cruisin’.
