Or you can put your money (a little less of
it, mind you) and get as much fun, a tad more space and two full doors extra if
you opt for the M3. From the front the M3 and the M4 are identical. In fact, up
to the A-pillar they are Siamese twins, but aft of the A-pillar it’s all
change. Other than the fact that the M3 has four doors, it is markedly higher
and heavier looking. Inside, both the M cars sport exclusive equipment
including a sporty three-spoke steering wheel with M leather stitching and a
touch of chrome, bucket seats with M stitching too and anthracite carbon-fibre
roof accents. The dashboard remains pure BMW with its German ergonomics and a
clear orientation towards the driver, but with a sliver of carbon fibre across
it.
The
M3 has adopted a lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic propshaft
Compared to the previous model, the weight
of the BMW M3 has been lowered by the systematic use of lightweight materials
such as carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, aluminium for numerous components and
carbon for the roof. And like earlier, the saloon version is markedly more
spacious than the coupé. But other than aesthetics, doors, ride height, and
claimed weight the four-door M3 and the two-door M4 are mechanical twins. The
M3 has the identical twin-turbocharged, 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine
developing 431bhp and 550Nm of torque. The M3 is slightly heavier at 1,520kg
versus the M4’s 1497. Opting for the six-speed manual saves some 40kg,
incidentally.
The
M3’s interior is driver-focused and as comfortable as you'd expect from an M
car
For M3 fans the big debate is whether the
turbocharged engine delivers or disappoints, given the history of
naturally-aspirated powerpacks from the past. Keeping ecological issues in
mind, the new M3 is a move towards downsizing, in engine terms, but upsizing in
terms of power. With 11bhp more than the last gen V8, the smaller six is more
powerful thanks to the twin turbochargers. Of course, with turbocharging comes
the issue of turbo lag, which for the M3 and the M4 isn’t an issue at all. If
there is some lag – and looking at the power curve you will see that there must
be some below 1,500rpm – you just don’t feel it at all. That massive torque
comes in at about 1,800rpm and stays with you all the way to 5,500rpm, giving
the car a dual character. The car is more than tractable puttering around town,
but out in the open, floor the throttle and the car just charges away at almost
any gear, even if it is the wrong one, the electronics taking over for the
six-speed dual-clutch tranny, emanating a deep growling note pumped into the
cabin artificially.
Switchable
modes turn the BMW M3 from comfortable cruiser to track weapon
In fact, it is this artificial exhaust
sound system that is rather bothering. Apparently, a sensor analyses what the
engine should sound like according to rpm and load and then it uses a
'synthesiser' to replicate that sound and pipes it through the speakers. Which
can be amusing at the beginning, but irritating at the end, when you know only
too well that the sound is not ‘real’. So, the best bit of entertainment you
can amuse yourself with is to lower down the windows as you approach a tunnel,
slow down, let the space ahead of you open up, and then floor the throttle,
bathing in the loud blats of real, raucous inline-six sound as the exhaust
flaps kick rudely open.
Adolescent hooliganism aside, living with
that constant artificial sound may not be all that pleasurable, and for long
hauls may well turn out to be rather tiring. But I could very well live with
the electric power steering system. Though steering feel may have been
diminished, the steering itself is incredibly precise. With three modes for
comfort, sport, and sport plus, the difference between the three essentially in
effort. For most use comfort is good enough, though on the track it may be
prudent to use the sport mode.
The
new BMW M3 uses turbo power in place of a naturally aspirated engine
Most impressive is the ride, which never
feels too firm and comfort levels are genuinely not too far removed from a
standard 3 Series, which is quite an improvement from the last gen. Meanwhile,
set the other M button to keep everything in Sport Plus and the throttle
becomes instantly more responsive, the suspension feels more solid and there’s
a little bit more give in the traction control. Transforming the M3 from a
civilized cruiser to a mad-ass sports car is just a button away. Getting the
car to understeer is well-nigh impossible, but the rear can easily be made to
step out if the traction control is switched off.
At the end, the new M3 should not
disappoint BMW traditionalists despite the move to turbocharging, but then do
not forget that BMW was one of the earliest champions of the turbo with the
2002 Turbo. And for the sake of nostalgic how about bringing back the 2002
Turbo’s classic boost gauge on to the M3, the M4 and all the new turbocharged
cars that BMW will be launching?
