BMW M3 Saloon 2007 - Present

The muscular M3 BMW is one of the Bavarian car makers flagship models and has come to embody their reputation for making true drivers cars. 2007 sees the forth generation of the luxury model that has sold nearly 180,000 to date. Based on the 3-Series, although it shares very little with the standard version. Things like doors windows and lights make it across but in almost all areas the components are improved.

A carbon fibre roof is fitted to reduce weight but a lightweight electronic steering system isn't. The new M3 does look to lighten it's carbon footprint but not at the cost of driving pleasure and the steering is a case in point.
A rack-and-pinion set-up with hydraulic assistance offers the best mix of feel and ease of steering so that's what is fitted. Electronic damper control (EDC) is an option, it will help make the M3 more manageable. There are three settings, 'comfort', 'normal' and 'sport', selectable using a button on the centre console. Normal mode sees the damping adjusted automatically to try to achieve an optimum balance for all driving conditions. Comfort mode feels firm rather than strictly comfortable and sport is firmer still. In truth for driving on the road you're unlikely to be having to switch away from anything but the Normal setting, but if you take the car onto a track you can feel the difference.
The seats are comfortable and really hold you in the right place for the journey. Despite being a three door car there is plenty of room in the back and four adults can travel in comfort with ease. Road noise is very minor and the engine only really intrudes on the journey if pushed, and when it does it's something of a delight.

The engine is a remarkable feat of engineering. It's grown from a six cylinder 3.2 to an eight cylinder 4.0 unit and still lost15kg in weight. BMW pride themselves on squeezing 100 bhp per litre from their premium engines and the new M3 is no exception. The M3 generates 420 bhp and 295lb-ft of torque which basically means that when driving the car you're never short of power or pull. The throttle is responsive to your requests and keen to fulfil your every desire. The six speed gearbox it short and slick and ensures that you have no problem getting the power to the back wheels. The M3 is limited to 155mph and always feels like it has more to give.

There are other options in the M3's bracket and when you're looking to spend 50k+ on a car you can expect to get a great motor. Whether you go for the M3, SLK AMG or the RS4 is going to be a matter of individual taste, but if you're looking for history and a heritage it's going to be the M3 every time.

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