M TO THE POWER OF 3(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 77

The revised version of this MK6 G80-series generation BMW M3 ups the ante in a number of regards. It's quicker, cleverer, better looking and offers more equipment. You now have to have AWD, but as before, if you don't want this Saloon, there's a Touring estate version. True, there's still not quite as much power as a rival Mercedes C 63, but this much lighter M3 is arguably a purer, more track-tamed thing. What's not to like?

Background word count: 203

If you've an ounce of petrol flowing through your veins, you'll probably know quite a lot about BMW's M3. It's a name that evokes a rich history of competition, tyre smoke and unremitting motorsport development over thirty five years and six generations of the Munich maker's practical, power-packed performance car. Welcome to the MK6 model. You'll might still remember this car as a coupe, a body shape BMW's M division still makes but designates the 'M4'. When the fifth generation F80-series model was launched in 2014, the more familiar M3 badge was restricted to the four-door body style and that theme continued in 2020 with this G80-series car. That old F80 model swapped the previous E90 version's thirsty high-revving 4.0-litre V8 for a 3.0-litre twin turbo straight six, a format that also continued on here though, inevitably, with a little more power. In G80-series form, the M3 has evolved from hairy-chested racer to cultured street supercar and along the way, it's had a couple of significant product updates, the second of them in mid-2024 creating the car we're going to look at here. It's a matured, though still magnificent prospect. Does that make it fit to wear this famous badge? Let's find out.

Driving Experience word count: 465

So here are the key things you need to know. Power from the current version of BMW's twin turbo 3.0-litre straight six (codenamed S58) is up 20hp to 530hp, which gets this Bavarian model a little closer to the gigantic 680hp output of its (much heavier) arch-rival, the Mercedes C 63 S E Performance. That's in M3 Competition form, which is the only mainstream M3 variant our country will get. The lesser standard M3 is limited to European markets, as now is rear-wheel drive. Going forward, the UK will only get the M xDrive versions - which is what most customers were previously choosing anyway. The transmission's unchanged, a paddleshift 8-speed torque converter automatic with M Drivelogic software; and if you're quick with it, you'll find that the 0-62mph time is 0.4s quicker than before (at 3.5s), though top speed is still limited to 155mph (unless you pay extra for a pricey optional 'M Driver's package' that raises it to 180mph for the Saloon,in combination with Z-rated tyres). The 0-125mph sprint is apparently completed 0.5s quicker than before (at 11.8s) and peak torque is sustained for longer in the rev range, maxing out at 5,730rpm (it was 5,500rpm before). As before, BMW's fully variable M xDrive system certainly makes this M3 more seasonably usable; it offers three driving modes - '4WD', '4WD Sport' and (with the Dynamic Stability Control system disabled) '2WD', in which form most of the torque goes to the rear. Rapid progress is accompanied by a glorious roar from the active sports exhaust, whose soundtrack is one of the things you can alter either via the centre console 'Setup' button or the centre stack display's selectable 'M Menu'. Either way, you get to a screen allowing you to tailor your preferred drive settings and store your two most favoured combinations behind little red 'M1' and 'M2' tabs on the steering wheel - one perhaps for commuting, the other maybe for your favourite backroad. You can alter parameters for engine, transmission and steering; plus there are three 'chassis' options for the suppleness of the Adaptive M suspension with its electronically controlled damping; and two pedal feel settings for the M Compound brakes. Plus there's the centre console 'M Mode' button, which offers 'Road', 'Sport' and 'Track' settings, each of which changes the instrument display and the level of drive assistance system intervention. Braver folks can use the 'M Menu' to deactivate the DSC traction system and play with the track-orientated 'M Drift Analyser'. BMW's standard 'M Drive Professional' package also includes an 'M Laptimer', plus the brand has also redesigned the cooling and oil supply systems specially for circuit use. Whether all of this is enough to create in this updated G80-series model the best ever track-ready M3 is another question of course.