LONG-TERMERS
What’s green and new to the evo long-term fleet? It’s a BMW M3 Competition! We’ve also gained a 2010 C63 AMG, an Arteon and an Octavia, and our 996 Carrera has got a new infotainment system
It’s been hailed as a return to form for the M division, but will it still impress when pressed into daily service? There’s only one way to find out…
IFEEL IMMENSELY DISLOYAL TO our recently departed Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (full endof-term report next month), but there’s no doubt that my pining at the loss of the Italian supersaloon has been diluted somewhat by the arrival of a new BMW M3. It’s here, it’s very green, it has those nostrils, and it means business.
As a car it probably requires little in the way of an introduction. It’s nearly 200kg heavier than the last M3, has a torque converter gearbox too, and as for the exterior styling, well… there is no shortage of words on the internet about that already. When we pitched it against the Alfa (evo 287) the comparison between these two rear-wheel-drive, 503bhp sports saloons was endlessly fascinating. While ostensibly similar on paper, in reality they couldn’t be more different in personality. We all agreed eventually that the BMW was the superior car, just as most felt the Alfa was the moral victor on account of its sheer zest and stonking engine. There was also consensus that in the longer run the BMW may well make a very convincing proposition, and that’s what we’re planning to confirm or refute over the next six months of running one on the evo long-term fleet.
So, let’s talk about specifications. TWV is finished in the signature G80 colour of Isle of Man Green, with a Silverstone and Black Bicolour Full Merino leather interior (the latter adding £2000 to the basic price). From there we have the Visibility Pack (£1500 for laser lights), the Technology Plus Pack (a dubious way to spend £1750
that gets you Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Plus and a ‘Drive Recorder’), the M Carbon Pack (a colossal £6750 but, then again, it does bring the bucket seats and carbonfibre exterior styling details) and the £990 Comfort Pack (heated steering wheel, electric bootlid operation and keyless entry). A further £850 has gone on the bicolour black alloy wheels, and there are red brake calipers, which surprisingly are a nocost option. All in, that’s £11,840 of extras, taking the price of this car to £86,745.
Yes, I know, it’s a colossal amount of money for an M3 – at least if you’re old enough to remember M3s as that elite but still vaguely aspirationally affordable sports saloon/coupe. But as we all know, it’s all about the monthly payment these days, and moreover, this isn’t an M3 in the sense that many of us picture the type to be. In truth, I can’t help but look at this car as ‘the real M5’, not just in terms of sheer scale but also in character.
Before we get into that, a word on the styling. That is to say, from henceforth I will try not to mention it – at all. To be honest, I quite like the underdog status it confers onto the car on account of all that criticism, and it’s certainly distinctive. However, what I would really like is some of the class and understatement of the E39 M5, or the sheer sporting flair and gorgeous curves of the E46 M3, but such taste seems an anathema in these current times, so flared nostrils ahoy it is. It is certainly garnering plenty of attention in a way the previous M3 could only have dreamed of, which is either a good or a bad thing depending on your viewpoint.
Overall, my initial feelings about the car, having now spent a little time with it, is that I love it. I have fallen head over heels with it because in spite of what the numbers on paper might have you believe, or the direction your preconceptions might lead you, the reality is that this is BMW M absolutely back on top form, and the sheer breadth and quality of the M3’s abilities are really quite something to behold. ‘Too heavy!’ I railed. ‘A slusher gearbox – can you believe it!’ I moaned. And yet, solid of build and precisely constructed, it’s a superbly comfortable luxury saloon one moment, and then an absolute B-road demon the next.
The driving position with those expensive buckets is like an early ’90s BTCC 318is (a thoroughly good
‘The sheer breadth and quality of its abilities are really quite something to behold’
thing) and the predictability of the handling – and in particular the rear differential – inspires as much confidence as it brings enjoyment. The motor has oomph everywhere and still growls like only a straight-six can, but most of all, every element of the car seems to be perfectly in tune with the next.
Reading that back I’m reminded of a lineage that has produced some of the finest and most famous M-cars ever, but which in recent years has been a victim of the burgeoning size and weight of cars in general. Yes, it’s the new – and real – BMW M5, and to drive it is to love it.
Date acquired April 2021 Total mileage 4001 Mileage this month 701 Cost this month £0 mpg this month 21.1