BMW M3: The Best of the Best

For power, performance, and near-perfect engineering, the new BMW M3 may well be worth the $17,000 premium over the regular 3 Series

by Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Raw speed, magnificent handling

The Bad: High price (list and for options), performance car fuel economy

The Bottom Line: BMW outdoes itself—again.

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

BMW (BMWG) set itself up for a potential fall with the introduction last year of the latest generation of its 335i sedans and coupes. The 335i is such a sweet-handling car—and so incredibly quick—that it eclipsed the previous generation M3, which is supposed to be the fastest model in the 3 Series lineup. Indeed, BMW temporarily dropped the M3 for the '07 model year, and it wasn't clear to many outsiders how the company could surpass the 335i by a sufficient margin to justify the M3's traditional premium price.

I've just test-driven the '08 M3 Coupe, the fourth generation of the M3, and I have to say BMW did a masterful job with it. The new M3 eclipses the 3 Series in dozens of small increments that add up to notably better handling. Whether the M3 is worth its premium price is another matter. The M3 Coupe starts at $58,575, including a $1,300 federal gas guzzler tax—which is 17 Gs more than the $41,575 starting price of the '08 335i Coupe. Personally, I'd probably bank the extra $22,500 and content myself with a BMW 228i, which is a bit slower and starts at a "mere" $36,075, but that's just me. If you want the crème de la crème in this class of BMW, pay up for the M3.

In addition to the Coupe, the M3 comes as a convertible and, for those who want the convenience of four doors, a sedan. The M3 Sedan costs $3,000 less than the Coupe, partly because the Coupe has a lightweight carbon fiber roof that isn't available on the Sedan. The new M3 convertible, starting at $67,025 (including the gas guzzler tax), came out in early May.

The M3 is more than just a souped-up version of the 3 Series. Its interior is similar, and the M3 shares some parts with the regular 3 Series—things like doors, trunk lid, and windows. But there's no mistaking the two if you look closely. Among other things, the M3 has four tailpipes, big bulging fenders to accommodate its extra-wide Michelins, and a noticeable power bulge in its hood.

Mechanically, the M3 is upgraded, with the most obvious difference being its engine. Under the hood is a 4.0-liter, 414-horsepower V8, which is 24% more powerful than the inline 6 in the previous M3, yet weighs 7% less. (The regular 3 Series models are powered by an inline 6 that, in the 335i, has double turbochargers and generates 300 hp.)

The unsurprising downside of the M3's greater power is lower fuel economy. The '08 M3 is rated to get 14 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway, and it uses premium gasoline. In 1,060 miles of fast, mainly highway driving, I got 17.6 mpg. By comparison, the '08 BMW 335i with stick shift is rated to get 17/26, the '08 328i 19/28.

BMW has high hopes for the M3. The company had a record year in North America in 2007 but is off to a rough start in 2008, with BMW car sales off 6.7%, to 67,083, through the end of April. Sales of the 3 Series fell 17.1%, to 38,414, in the first four months of the year.

Nonetheless, BMW expects to sell about 10,000 M3s in North America this year. That would just about match the M3's previous peak sales, which came in 2002, the year the third generation M3 debuted. That year, BMW says it sold 5,439 M3 Coupes and 4,069 M3 convertibles.

Behind the Wheel

The new M3 is a great car for speeding through rolling hills and loping around wide curves. Its V8 revs to a maximum of 8,400 rpm, much higher than most engines. It delivers a maximum of 295 ft. lb. of torque, which isn't a lot of oomph, but the magic of the engine's tuning is that 85% of maximum power is available all the way up to 6,500 rpm. In practical terms, that means you experience a long, thrilling surge of power as you run the M3 through each gear.