If BMW makes the M3 any easier to drive fast it's going to negate the need for actual driver training (or skill) in the world. Yesterday I drove the new 2008 BMW M3 at Laguna Seca and it is not only stupid fast and stupid fun, but stupid easy for stupid drivers who don't want to look stupid.
All the questions so many M-philes have asked can be answered easily: Does it feel heavy? No. Does a V8 really work in a car know for its soul-stirring sixes? Yes. Is $60,000 too much to ask for an M3? Only if you don't like beating up on $75,000-plus Porsche 911s while enjoying greater comfort, more interior space and higher at-the-limit confidence. Yup, this car is that good. It's got the visceral feedback of Zufenhausen's finest, plus room for four (or five if you get the sedan). The technical wizardry going on under this chassis is too much for me to follow (read the First Drive I've linked above if you want all the gory details), but I can verify that those engineering brainiacs got it right.
The variable differential fluidly manages power delivery (sort of like the old Prelude Type SH, but on the other axle), and the variable steering and supension dampening make skimming through the corkscrew easier than it should be. You can dial in throttle response and spring rate just like in the M5 and M6, but the whole system feels better integrated on this BMW.
BTW, the engine has a fascinating growl that somehow combines traditional V8 rumble with BMW's trademark, mechanical in-line 6 "screech." I wouldn't have thought the two notes were compatible, but they are. I was also troubled by a peak torque rating of 295 lbs-ft (after all, peak horsepower is 414), but the 4.0-liter V8 is adequately flexible and tractable without spinning the engine to infinity just to eek out some oomph. The traditional six-speed manual works as well as you'd expect, but I'm curious about the upcoming dual-clutch system that will hit showrooms in June.
The cars go on sale in March if you're interested. Today's BMW du jour: 1 Series (pictured above next to an M3 in Laguna Seca's parking lot).
Posted by Karl Feb 14, 2008 7:00 am
Source: http://blogs.edmunds.com/karl/727
