Audi BMW

InsideLine is showing their love again for the BMW M3. Being part of their long-term fleet, the M3 Sedan is going through some extensive test driving and each mark in their report comes to emphasize the M3 icon status.

After 16,000 miles driven, to come with a bold statement that the “the M3 isn’t an overpriced 3 Series; it’s a discounted supercar” takes a lot of courage and might draw some anti-fanboyism, but we admire their courage and without a doubt, we agree with this adventurous statement.

The M3 is indeed a driver’s car, a unique combination between sportiness, dynamics and why not, premium design. It is clearly a car built for THE driver and every little component, element, technology within comes to reinforce that.

Sure, we might go down the fanboy route here, but those of you that drove the M3 certainly agree with us, those that haven’t yet, our advice is to go down to your local dealership and spend at least 30 min behind the wheel.

Please do so and come back and tell us if we suffer of “fanboyism”.

So, let’s see what InsideLine has to say:

Most people wouldn’t drop $60k on an M3 even if they could, and I get that. Crunch the numbers and it doesn’t make sense. The N54 and N55 turbo sixes nip at the mighty M-Power V8’s heels, and the cars they come in are far cheaper. Surely a 335i or a 135i — or hell, a Camaro SS — will get the job done.

But the M3 is a connoisseur’s car, and connoisseurs aren’t into crunching numbers. Try telling an oenophile that she could save 70 bucks and get the same buzz from a $5 Trader Joe’s special. That argument won’t fly. If you really care about something, you sweat the details more than the bottom line. The M3’s for people who think like that about cars. Every element of the driving experience, from the steering, suspension and brakes to the shifter and the throttle response, has been fine-tuned to please drivers who really care. It’s clearly built by connoisseurs as well as for them.

. In an age when raw automotive excellence is disappearing from showrooms faster than manual transmissions, this Bimmer stands apart.

Still not convinced? Well, remember, InsideLine is not a BMW-centric site….but still, the M3 appeals even to the brand’s strongest opponents…..

Even Jeremy Clarkson loved it: “M3 is one of the most perfectly balanced machines ever created by man. It makes an F-16 fighter jet look ungainly and lumpen! “

Today, BMW North America confirmed our suppositions: the 2011 M3 models will get an optional Competition Package, or short, ZCP. Here is the press release issued by BMW today:

The M3 Coupe, Sedan, and Convertible models become 2011 models this spring . BMW ups the ante on the M3 Coupe and Sedan by offering a new “Competition Package” for MY2011. The package (ZCP) further enhances the highly responsive chassis by installing a 10mm lower suspension and 19” wheels with greater offset for a wider track.

Combined with remapped Electronic Damping Control and Dynamic Stability Control systems, the M3 with Competition Package is the best handling production M car ever built.

Not the actual package illustrated here

The MSRP of MY2011 M3 Sedan, Coupe, and Convertible remain unchanged at $56,275, $59,275, and $67,925, respectively. All prices include $875 Destination & Handling. The Competition Package is available on the Coupe and Sedan models for $2,500.

E9x BMW M3 – The Perfect Sports Car? Well, that’s what seems to be the general consensus amongst the Car and Driver’s editors, and certainly something we agree with now, as we have done in the past as well.

Before we will let you jump into their long-term drive report, allows us to start with their conclusion and work from there:

“Based on our experience, the current M3 is the world’s all-around best car for the money, although several staffers would have preferred to trade some of the coupe’s looks for the added practicality of the sedan.”

A car has got to be pretty spectacular to win over the curmudgeons here at 1585 Eisenhower Place, especially when familiarity sets in over the course of 40,000 miles. But our Sparkling Graphite Metallic M3 did indeed win us over. For less than $70,000, the M3 bolts from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and turns the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 113 mph. It pulls an exceptional 0.96 g on the skidpad, stops in 147 feet from 70 mph, and reaches a governor-restricted 161 mph. On a racetrack or a back road, it’s a beautifully balanced and hugely entertaining machine.

Aside from performance, the M3 is comfortable on the highway and has plenty of space for four adults. It has a full complement of luxury accouterments and yet is very practical—even the trunk is commodious. It has muscular, raked looks and a handsomely dark interior. A bonus is that regular service doesn’t cost a cent, thanks to BMW’s full-maintenance program, which lasts for four years or 50,000 miles. (The gas bill, however, wasn’t cause to rejoice, given this BMW’s 17-mpg thirst.)

When it came to ordering the car, we went with the so-called M double-clutch transmission (M DCT), a $2700 option that replaces the standard six-speed manual with a seven-speed dual-clutch unit, BMW’s first. We were eager to try this setup because dual-clutch transmissions promise the smoothness of an automatic when the driver can’t be bothered to change gears, as well as superfast paddle shifts in manual mode. In the previous M3 (E46), BMW offered a single-clutch, automated manual gearbox that was notable for its harshness in manual mode and its clunkiness as an automatic.

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