Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Fearless match of speed, class
IT’S ODD to think of BMWs as being raucous or uncouth… because even in the most violent iterations of the German company’s motorsport- orientated M models, there was always a sophisticated, suave elegance.
The first M5 I drove was the first, 210kW model, back in the 80s. Even with what would today be considered a modest output from its straight-six engine, the M5 would get sideways very quickly if you booted the throttle. Subsequent M5s featured rear suspension which eliminated criticism that rearwheel- drive Beemers were wayward and difficult to control.
M5s progressed from six-cylinder to V8 to a screaming V10 version, all naturally aspirated. It was the latter M5, with a 373kW V10 which, for the first time, made me actually aware of my own human frailty.
It was so fast and powerful it scared me. And at full throttle, the car’s engine made a manic bansheelike howl and the scenery jumped into your eyeballs.
I’ve since driven the new M5 (which has 416kW from a twinturbo V8) and its M6 sister… and didn’t feel threatened at all. Mainly that’s because the latest cars are so well-sorted – but also because the engines are muted, because of the plumbing of the turbos. Even with exhaust flaps open and the sound synthesiser going, the M cars are not raucous. They’re quiet and civilised.
That goes for the new R1 million M3, with its twin-turbo straight-six engine. It’s just as fast as the V10 M5 (it puts out 316kW but in a lighter body and it has more accessible torque lower down in the rev range) but is much less dramatic. It pro- vides a fine counterpoint to its predecessor, the V8 M3, which pushed out 309kW from its highrevving, naturally aspirated powerplant.
The V8 makes a wonderful noise, but the new M3’s engine is not in the same league when it comes to aural satisfaction. Yet it is quicker, more tractable and nice to drive. You will be able to go quicker, with less fuss, in this car than you would in the V8 M3. There is no doubt about that.
The twin- turbo engine and the seven- speed dual clutch in the car we tested were a superb combination… and managed to achieve the near- impossible: the blend of sports car and executive express.
The M3 will hit 100km/h in less than five seconds, even at Gauteng altitude, and will use an average of around 10 litres per 100km (city and highway driving) in doing so. And all of this while the occupants are ensconced in the lap of luxury.
Even without the special, electronic “active damping” system, which controls shock absorption and, therefore, body roll, the M3 handles brilliantly and has a decent enough ride. With the adaptive system, the ride is surprisingly comfortable, if not quite in the limousine area.
Overall, the M3 is what you would expect from BMW: one of the best sports saloons on the planet (and the two-door M4 is, by the same token, one of the best coupés on the planet).
Best of all, it didn’t scare me. And, if I have to trade a little bit of drama in the sound department for that feeling of security, it’s something I’ll do every time.