In early spring or late autumn, one could do these twenty-four Alpine passes in twenty-four hours and throw in a detour to Switzerland for good measure. But at midsummer, the Alps are one big picturesque parking lot. To make things worse, 1990 saw the collapse of the autobahn bridge in the Inn Valley. which is one of the main arteries to and from northern Italy. As a result, the alternative routes were busier than usual, and even the secret paths were infested with hidden radar traps and aimless Dutch tourists.

We left Munich at six a.m., raced southwest to Garmisch, averaging a cool 127 mph, and felt like Messrs, Berger and Senna on their way to a business meeting. At the foot of the Fernpass, however, fast forward suddenly changed to slow motion. Although it was not yet even breakfast time, the mountain road was packed like the Brooklyn Bridge on a Friday evening. We jumped queue for a little while but gave up as the gaps became more and more marginal.

Other road users tend to treat the BMW M3 with due respect, but their eyes tell you that deep within they dislike the shirt-sleeved bat-mobile. Why did we pick the M3, mere months before the car will be replaced by a more modern and less conspicuous model? Because it is a fantastic driving machine, a fun car tailor-made for this sick-bag slalom across three countries. Its body sports flared wheel arches that can accommodate the gumballs of a track racing car, its suspension was redesigned for better handling and road holding, and its four-cylinder engine is a relic of the a glorious past when, in 1983, an M-Powered Brabham won the Formula 1 World Championship.

The base-line M3 engine delivers a healthy 215 bhp, which used to be enough to drive circles around a 170-bhp 325i. But now that the new 325i is out, with 192 bhp on tap and a top speed of 144 mph, the power train magicians of the Motorsport division had to reach deep into their special effects pockets to create and even stronger range topper. Badged Sport Evolution, this highly tuned M3 is equipped with a new 2.5-liter, sixteen-valve four that develops 238 bhp. Although the production was limited to a mere 500 units (all sold within a few weeks, none in America), chances are that a similar-perhaps even more powerful-version will appear in the 1991 racing season.

To escape from the frustrating route bristling with buses, caravans, campers, and other transit lemming, we decided to make a detour to the Kühtai Valley. Instead of taking the direct route to the Ötztal, photographer Newton suggested a loop via the Silzer Sattel. A splendid idea-there was absolutely zero traffic, the panorama looked as if it had been installed by Eastman Kodak, and the perfect road was obviously designed by the Lord Himself for occasional interludes of very worldly oversteer. The M3 flew up paradise trail like a four-wheeled mountain guide who knew every step blindfolded. Performing one stem turn after the other, the black blitz indulged in drift angles that were modest only where the soft shoulder fell straight into the echo forest.

The following drive to the Timmelsjoch summit turned out to be a handicap run with international participation. Once again, the Dutch excelled by steadfastly refusing to use the rear-view mirrors or turn indicators. At the border crossing to Italy, the metal centipede was temporarily halted by a cycle race. It was grand casino from bottom to top: lots of single-track sections, lots of ambitious cyclists, and lots of brain-dead stopping in the middle of hairpin bends for this year’s scenic portrait of papa, mama, and the bambini in the Fiat. A kingdom for the Italian version of the encyclopedia of foul language!

A noon, we stopped for lunch and ordered a round of unleaded for the chariot and its charioteers. The car drank 14.5 gallons, which indicated an average consumption of 18 mpg. The M3 was a fit as a fiddle. The water temperature gauge had not moved, the oil level was right up on the mark, and the crackling brakes were hot but by no means fuming. The driver, on the other hand, showed the first gins of battle scars. My back was embossed with the tread pattern of the 225/45ZR-17 Michelin MMX tires, my buttocks had been remolded by the rather narrow bucket seats, and my palms were burning because the M3 Sport Evolution’s steering wheel is trimmed in sandpaper suede.

But a true enthusiast knows no pain, so we headed straight for the Jaufenpass, which links San Leonardo and Sterzing (Vipiteno, in Italian). From there it’s only a stone’s throw down to Bozen- or Balzano, as the Italians prefer to call it. Since the autostrada was chockablock with southbound sun worshippers, the M3 had no chance to display its 155-mph top speed. We left the tin melange at Bolzano Nord, seeking and eventually finding the incredible Rosengartenstrasse. It consists of no fewer than fifty-eight tarmac garlands that rise from the Eiscak Valley. The deserted spiral staircase was an ideal playground for the M3: first gear, second gear, brake, change down, turn in, change up. This is the stuff ashen-faced passengers are made of.

Next on our checklist was the Dolomites, which harbor about three dozen spectacular passes. One of the less attractive climbs is the Karepass, which would be well suited as a natural stage for the sequel of The Planet of the Apes. A few miles up the road, we said auf Wiedersehen to south Tyrol and buon giorno to the truly Italian province of Belluno. Spaghetti land welcomed us with two tough arm twisters names Passo di Valles and Passo di San Pellegrino. The latter is the source of the San Pellegrino water that enjoys enormous popularity among Europeans trendies who are not that Perrier crazy anymore.

Up here, it’s bitter cold even in summer. Because of the prevailing strong winds, the chamois never leave home without crampons, and the trout in the crystal-clear mountain lakes are half-frozen even before the fishmongers arrive with the coolers. We enjoyed the change of temperature because the all-black M3 was a sauna on wheels-despite the noisy sunroof and the ventilation system that works adequately in other 3-series models. For a car costing $57,000, the Sport Evolution is rather poorly equipped. Anti-lock brakes, power steering, and central locking are standard, but a sunroof costs extra and so do electric windows, music, and the desirable air conditioning, which was only fitted to a handful of vehicles. Purists apparently prefer to sweat.

By five p.m., my hands hurt, my arms hurt, my legs hurt, and my bum hurt most of all. To relieve the pain, we bunkered an overdose of Gelato Motta ice cream followed by a bottle of San Pellegrino from the pond around the corner. After the calorie shock, we were fit for the final five passed of the day: Rolle, Cereda, Aurine, Duran, and Cibiana. believe it or not, these hills provide more entertainment than a season ticket for the Magic Mountain. The menu prepared by the Italian road architects contains countless crests and hairpins, jumps and dives, ess-bends and dogleg bends, changing surfaces and changing radii, and bottlenecks that act like rapids when they disgorge the dammed-up traffic.

The corners add up to an intoxicating rhythm. Hard driving becomes a concert impromptu: You know how to play the instrument but never see more than two or three notes ahead. After a while, everything you do is routine; beyond that, the routine turns into a trance. The movement becomes more and more automated, and you go faster, but without losing the quintessential smoothness.

By now, the brakes are red-hot. Whenever you tough the pedal, discs and pads instantly lock jaws. Glorified by the pervading euphoria, even the gnarled, necrotic five-speed gearbox suddenly feels as elastic as a young tree. The accurate power steering is a jack-of-all-trades that coordinates action, reaction and Providence. And the tires, when pushed to the limit of adhesion, just keep juggling all the forces to resolve the crucial rule of three that determines grip. slip angle, and directional stability.

But the heart of the M3 is of course that raucous sixteen-valve four-cylinder engine. The displacement of the Sport Evolution variant was increased from 2302 to 2467 cc. As a result, the power output went up from 215 to 238 bhp at 7000 rpm, and the maximum torque climbed to 174 pounds-feet, available at a high 4750 rpm. Among the supporting measures are bigger inlet valves, a hotter camshaft profile, sodium-filled exhaust valves, and an improved oil cooling system for the pistons. The 2640-pound winged warrior from Munich can accelerate in 6.5 seconds from 0 to 62 mph, thus beating the new 192-bhp 325i by a comfortable 1.4 seconds.

We rejoined civilization in the Pieve Valley, which serves as a convenient diretissimo to go from eat Tyrol to the Adriatic Sea. To unwind, the M team resorted to an unfailing recipe that included vitello tonnato, capretto al forno, and vino rosso. Although the cheapo roadside hotel was haunted by thundering trucks and a merry wedding party, we had no trouble going to sleep. After 7536 bends, the body will listen only to the noses it really wants to hear.

The alarm went off at 7:30 a.m., just in time for fresh croissants and a large bowl of white coffee. the proprietor watched us from behind the counter, and he even came running after us as we were about to enter the M3. A car fanatic like most Italian men, he would not let us go until we had explained all the details that distinguish the Sport Evolution from an off-the peg M3. Among them, he was told, are the lowered suspension, the cross-spoke allow wheels, the contrasting stripes on the bumpers, the bigger front wheel-arch cutouts, the additional cooling ducts to the radiator and reinforced brakes, the thinner and thus lighter glass, a more adequate 17.1-gallon fuel tank, and the body-hugging sport seats draped with silly red safety belts. But most obvious alteration concerns the much more substantial, fully adjustable wing work, which reduces front axel lift to zero while increasing rear axle downforce. Although the stuff hates curbs and automatic car washes, it does add to high-speed straight-line stability.

We left Pieve a little before nine a.m., heading for the Passo del Zovo, which looked from a distance like a stairway to heaven. From here it’s only a few miles to the famous Passo Tre Croci and to the Col San Angelo where Reinhold Messner, that mountaineer and adventurer par excellence, learned to climb. The breathtaking panorama has since become a main tourist attraction. Once the domain of eagles, marmots, and ibexes, the Dolomites are nowadays strangled by droves of sightseeing buses and a motorized string of pearls that stretches from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Bruneck.

Monuments like the passes named Staulanza. Falzarego, Giau, Prdoi, Campolongo, Sella, and San Antonio are crumbling away as cars send their carbon dioxide messages into the increasingly polluted alpine air. Even up here, humans have taken over from nature. Above us, we had difficulty counting the hang gliders; around us, the cliffs and rock faces were dotted with climbing addicts; below us, we an endless trickle of hikers, mushroom pickers, and mountain bikers. Past the Grodnerjoch (Passo di Gardena), this open-air zoo ended as abruptly as it began. One the way to the Brennerpass, the trucks started to take over again, and up the Zirlerbert it was business as usual, with one slow moving Trabant paralyzing its entire wake.

We arrived in Munich slightly ahead of schedule, feeling tired and proud as we as somewhat guilty and disillusioned. The M3 lived up to our every expectation, but we would love it even more without the fender flares and without the massive fuselage that requires the clearance of air traffic control before you’re allowed to turn the ignition key. It does not come as a surprise that BMW is already working on a less ostentatious follow-up to the M3 that should be out in early 1992. As soon as the new model hits the road, we’ll be there to queue for another marathon ride. How about entering the 1993 Beaujolais Primeur wine run?

Related posts:

1. BMW M3 Evolution The Sport Evolution has been honed by serious drivers for...
2. Clash of the Teutons Whether I was running it around Hockenheimring, tooling through the...
3. BMW M3 Evolutionary Leap BMW's excellent M3 sports saloon has ceased production, and you...

What we have here is a story about a beginning and an ending. Think in terms of yin and yang, birth and death, the very rhythms of the cosmos. Think about the passing of a grand baton.

Or just think about exactly what’s happening. An exciting new automobile is bursting on the scene, at the very moment the car that would have been its direct competitor is beating an undignified retread.

The racy little M3 from BMW and Mercedes’ 190E 2.3-16 share a basic recipe: hot sixteen-valve four-cylinder stuffed into their makers’ smallest sedan bodies, along with extra-firm suspensions and fast-looking aero add-ons. Both keep one eye on European Group A Touring Car racing, the other on monied enthusiasts who are powerless to resist a personal hot rod from a German factory.

Yet these two cars come across as very different animals. We now know they differ widely in terms of success on the road (we loved the sporty Mercedes, until we drove it back to back with the M3), and apparently they’ll differ in success on the market, too: Mercedes-Benz of North America has unceremoniously dumped the 2.3-16 from its 1988 lineup.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised by these divergent fortunes. Even though Bayerische Motoren Werke and Daimler-Benz drew a bead on the same target with these high-powered missiles, they were aiming from two quite different positions. Traditionally, Mercedes cars have been stout and solid, competent to a fault, almost weighed down by their own quality and excellence. Powerful engines moved them, taut suspensions kept them in control, and firm seats propped up their occupants.

By contrast, BMWs have always had a sporting flair. Smaller, lighter, more lithe, and more maneuverable, they played the wide receivers to Mercedes’ power backs, the attack subs to D-B’s boomers.

Is it any wonder, then, that Munich could step up to a race-based sports sedan more deftly than Sindelfingen could pare down to one? At the very least, dealer salespeople in BMW’s American showrooms could speak the sporting tongue more convincingly than their counterparts at the Mercedes stores. So today we have a genuine, 192bhp BMW street racer sure to be in hot demand, and a Mercedes “equivalent” we can only remember (or go drive in Europe, where it remains for sale).

The M3 has clearly focused commitment to the fast-paced life. Mechanically, it blends some serious high-speed hardware with the solid 3-series base. And it comes out better – faster, to be sure, but also more responsive, better balanced, maybe even safer – than any of its 325 siblings. At $34,000, it is the most expensive of the Three family, but, remember, the 190E 2.3-16 sold (when it sold at all) for $41,150. The M3 may be the best product BMW offers in this country, especially if we give it points for continuing the marque’s tradition of appealing to the sporting spirit.

Little in this world tickles such a spirit like lots of sheer power. The 2.3litre engine was developed by Motorsport GmbH – BMW’s high-output, high-profile subsidiary, and the “M” in all those exciting cars. It spins out 192 horsepower at a lusty 6750rpm, and is almost in the modern motorcycle class for technology and tuning. If you’re a fan of specific output, and of what that tells you about state of tune, here’s about as close as you’ll get to 100bhp per litre without turbochanging. The M3 develops 83.5bhp per litre. A 3.2 Ferrari makes slightly over 81; an MR2, 70; a Corvette, under 43.

The iron-block engine uses Siamesed cylinder bores to make room for big 93.4mm holes: the short stroke of only 84.0mm helps the innards to spin past 7000rpm without trauma. Cast pistons are designed to trim weight, and they carry the wrist pin high to permit a longer connecting rod; this reduces rod angularity in changing reciprocating motion to rotation.

Double chain-driven camshafts ride in the aluminum cylinder head and operate the light 32mm and 37mm valves directly through shim-adjusted bucket tappets. Centrally located spark plugs and squish areas around the perimeters of the shallow pent-roof combustion chambers give enough turbulence and sufficiently short flame travel so that compression ratio can be all of 10.5:1, Bosch DME (Digital Motor Electronics) controls the ignition and the fuel injection. On one side of the head is a beautiful bank of four alloy intake runners, each with an individual throttle butterfly. On the other is a tubular four-into-two exhaust header.

The torque peak of 170 pounds feet comes at a high 4750rpm, further evidence of how tightly wrapped this semi-racing engine is. A five-speed gearbox with ratios that feel unusually close-spaced and short overall helps the engine run where it does its best work. In crafting the car for the US market, BMW changed its shift pattern from the European sport configuration, with first outside the H, to the arrangement more familiar here, with fifth outside the H.

While sorting out the suspension so it could handle the new speed and power, BMW’s engineers came up with a specification that brings new-found stability and dependability to the 3-Series platform. True, ride height is awfully low, and spring and damper rates are quite high. But ramp clearance and ride harshness are not affected adversely enough to make us want to give up any of the M3’s fine, firm control.

Front suspension geometry incorporates much more caster to give greater directional stability. Coil-spring rates are progressive in back but remain linear in front – simply because that’s what worked best. Low pressure gas-charged shocks are incorporated in the struts in front and mounted atop the semi-trailing arms in back. The shocks fight fluid aeration and its attendant heat fade, and provide degressive damping, to give way on extreme impacts and smooth out the ride.

Ambient air gives way, too, more readily for the M3’s passing than for any other 3-series, and by quite a margin. Front and rear aprons with integral bumpers, gently contoured fenders, rocker panel skirts, and a raised rear deck with a wild, angular wing all slash drag coefficient from a 325’s 0.37 way down to 0.33 – and that’s with fattish 205/55VR-15tires.

The rear-end treatment includes a fibreglass cover for the C-pillars that changes the roofline subtly, reangles the backlight, and blends into the higher, flattened trunk lid. That wing is a sturdy slab constructed with polyurethane over a paper honeycomb core. Quality, fit, and match of the new pieces are flawless throughout; our only complaint centers on a spot where the rounded lower edge of the new deck lid wraps over the squared shape at the upper rear corner of the sheetmetal.

Frankly, we`re also not sure whether the wing treatment isn`t going a little far for a road car. It struck us as awfully boy-racerish, with that thing jutting up back there. On the other hand, the rest of the car is unobtrusive and conservative in the normal BMW way, and in any case, this look will shortly come to be widely recognized as simply the M3 style – giving it positive impact in the important circles, whether it`s aesthetically perfect or not.

We may have felt more obvious on the street than we usually prefer, but the M3 left us with little else to complain about. Our time in the car began with a 600mile waltz across New York State and southern Ontario, returning to Ann Arbor from the press introduction at lovely Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Such a freeway run – particularly in that part of the continent, where the climate is hard on pavement – should show the sport-tuned M3 at its worst. Well, if that`s as bad as it gets, we`ll take it. Yes, the car is a bit stiff-legged when hitting patches and seams at speed, but it`s not too bad. Yes, its engine note is a trifle more prominent than you might prefer, but it`s not too bad. Yes, engine and road vibration conspire to fuzz images in the rear-view mirror, but it`s not too bad.

In short, the comfort compromises the M3 makes strike us as minor and reasonable. For a car of its type, delivering what it does in the way of performance, it doesn`t really demand too much of the long-haul driver. For instance, the engine growl is obvious, but not offensive, even though it`s exacerbated by the shortish gearing (70mph takes over 3600rpm). Those excellent sport seats BMW uses in several of its zestier models contribute a lot, even on the Interstate. Never mind (for the moment) their aggressive side bolstering; they are perfectly shaped on the bottom as well. And the height adjustment helps place them in the car exactly the way you want them.

You`ll also appreciate the M3`s great seating – plus its zippy response and sharp maneuverability – around town and in the busy suburbs. You might notice the small numb spot in the steering right around center – pretty typical of most recent BMW`s we`ve driven but you`ll also realize that the shifter and the pedals are ideally placed, and that they work so sweetly you barely pay attention to them. Instead, you drive the car.

Of course, absolutely the best place to do that is out on the lightly populated back roads, preferably twisty, playful ones. Here, the M3 truly hits its favoured stride. Also, here, it most clearly demonstrates its superiority over Mercedes` similar but different 190E 2.3-16. The M3 is a focused, balanced, effective spots sedan; in comparison, the 190 feels a little unsure of itself, a little confused.

Both cars are comfortable, beautifully outfitted, and swift. But where the Mercedes feels soft, undertired, and resolved to plow at the nose no matter what, the BMW turns in much more crisply, gets more out of its rear tires during cornering, and is more responsive to the driver`s midturn wishes. It, too, is a basic understeerer, but much less determinedly so. Its somewhat more neutral balance allows so attentive driver to obtain attitude changes (generally minor and manageable) using throttle in the bends. A quick lift lightens the tail and tightens the front; go hard back into the gas (especially over 5000rpm), and you get a nice neutral drive out of fast turns, or a little gentle oversteer if the corner is slower and tighter.

Start working both cars hard like this, and you`ll notice a couple of other points the BMW scores. The Mercedes`stubby gear lever has light and lovely action, but it requires far too precise a hand – and too much attention when you`re working hard – to slot into the gates correctly. The BMW`s lever travels farther through a typical gearchange, but it goes where you want it without calling extra attention to itself. Also, the M3`s big tachometer is much more legible, its high-bolstered seats hold more snugly, and it communicates a clearer sense of what`s happening down at the tires.

Both of these sixteen-valve 2.3s are highly tuned, modest-displacement engines, both quite peaky by normal standards. They each have a little performance bubble just over 4000rpm as they climb up onto the torque peak. The BMW`s four seems to hold up a bit better off the peak, while the 190 falls off the cam into a torque pit more readily.

Looking at the torque curves for the engines confirms that impression. Althought the peak values are close – within five percent, and arriving the same engine speed – it`s clear the BMW`s output hangs in there better both above and below the point of maximum urge. This makes the M3 feel a little more flexible and accommodating.

As you would imagine, given the torque data and BMW`s weight advantage (2735 pounds to 3010), the M3 holds the performance edge over the 190. BMW quotes a 0-to-60mph time of 7.6seconds versus the M-B`s 8.1, and a top speed of 143, 6mph faster than the 190. Over the broad spectrum of actual down-the-road driving conditions, however, the two cars are quite evenly matched. Credit the ideal gearing Mercedes selected for the 190, and note that the BMW`s horsepower advantages are greatest above 6000rpm. Our testing confirmed that only when both drivers work extremely hard does the M3 pull ahead noticeably.

Of course, in larger race – the one in the marketplace – the BMW has pulled ahead solidly and for good. Disappointing sales and near duplication from the tamer six-cylinder 190E 2.6 finally killed the 2.3 16 in the United States. Yet there`s no question that the idea of a snarky-looking factory-hot-rodded sports sedan has enduring appeal. It might not make the ideal Mercedes-Benz. But look how it works as a BMW.

Related posts:

1. Storm Force There's a power struggle in Germany. Mercedes began the strife...
2. Munich Mauler We get our first drive in BMW’s hot M3, the...
3. BMW M3: From Munich with Brio M as in macho, muscle, and more fun. M as...

M3. “M” as in macho, muscle, and more fun. “M” as in M1, M5, M635CSi, and M535i. “M” as in Motorsport GmbH, the elite workshop in charge of the most desirable BMWs money can buy.

The BMW M3 is a true wolf in wolf’s clothing. Prepared in maître Wolfgang Peter Flohr’s Motorsport witch kitchen with the help of Paul Rosche (engine) and Thomas Amerschlăger (suspension), this car is about as subtle and inconspicuous as a Doberman pinscher in a pink loden coat. It will liven up American BMW showrooms early this summer.

BMW swears the Bavarian bat-mobile was wholly styled in-house, but these drag-cutting addenda look as though they were created by the combined forces of Zender, Airbus Industries, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The tail spoiler, which seats about eight pigeons, obstructs rear vision. The flared boy-racer wheel arches are extremely vulnerable in heavy city traffic. And the deep air dam hates curbs, ramps, and snowdrifts.

But never mind. Together, these go-faster items more than compensate for the greater frontal area and the wider tires of the M3; they effectively reduce the drag coefficient from a poor 0.39 to a good 0.33.

As one might imagine, the parts that helped to obtain this impressive figure were not available at your friendly spoiler shoppe. They had to be specially desgined and made. Peter Flohr, managing director of BMW Motorsport GmbH, explains: “Take the fenders, for instance. They consist of steel, not fibreglass, and they are shaped this way to accommodate the ten-inch wheels fitted to the competition car. Examine the bumpers. Made of foam-covered, reinforced epoxy resin, they even meet the tough DOT safety standards. Or look at the car’s rear end. To smooth the airflow, to reduce axle lift, and to improve the directional stability, we fitted a more steeply angled backlight, a higher trunk lid made of polyurethane, and a more aerodynamic rear apron. These modifications may appear aggressive or even gaudy. But together with some less obvious measures like a nearly flush floorpan, they do serve a distinct purpose.”

When M3 development began in 1982, it was clear that the chassis, too, required special attention. The 3-series BMW has always been a tail-happy car, suffering from twitchy handling and a lack of traction when pushed to its limits. For a while, the Motorsport engineers contemplated curing these problems by equipping the M3 with the four-wheel drive hardware of the 325ix (due in the States as an ‘88 model), but in the end this was discarded as being too heavy and too fragile for the 320bhp track version. To obtain a better weight distribution, the battery was transferred from the engine compartment into the trunk, which now also houses a bigger 18.5 gallon fuel tank and some reinforcement material. As a result, the front to rear axle load proportioning of the M3 works out at about 52/48 percent.

Chapter two in Thomas Ammerschlăger’s Good Chassis Guide entailed a complete redesign of the front suspension. After increasing wheel caster to enhance the straight-line stability and the steering response, the chief project engineer developed new steering knuckles, fitted the bigger wheel bearings from the 5 series cars, and replaced the four lug wheels with wider five lug alloys supplied by BBS. Other improvements were stiffer anti-roll bars front and rear, uprated springs and dampers, and a recalibrated power steering that is quicker and more précis. Whereas the semi-trailing arm rear suspension design was taken over virtually unchanged, the standard 195/65VR-14 tires were replaced by wider 205/55VR-15 gumballs. The braking system was beefed up with the help of ABS, thicker, larger diameter discs, heftier callipers, and an accordingly modified master cylinder.

The body and chassis changes may not be exactly revolutionary, but the engine fitted to the M3 comes as a surprise. Dressed in matte silver, shiny chrome, and black crackle paint, it is a sixteen-valve 2.3litre four with “BMW M Power” written all over its rocker cover.

A four? After all the hype emphasizing the superiority of the six-cylinder motor?

Senior drivetrain engineer Paul Rosche tries to explain: “The M3 was primarily developed for motorsport purposes. It is a production racer of which we must build 5000 units within twelve consecutive months. Of course BMW cold have fitted a six-cylindr engine, but in the end we opted for the four-cylinder unit based on the successful Formula 1 powerplant. This motor is not only lighter and more compact than a six, but it also provides us with a notably higher potential rev limit, vital when it comes to preparing the competition variants. While the power curve of the catalyst-equipped version peaks at 7100rpm, the track engine will happily rev to 9000rpm.”

Derived from the 24-valve 3.5 litre six, the 2302cc M3 unit boasts state-of-the-art ingredients such as two chain-driven overhead camshafts, a five-bearing crankshaft, pent-roof combustion chambers, a high compression ratio of 10.5:1 squish lips on the piston crowns, centrally located spark plugs, a fully electronic Bosch ML engine management system, an oil cooler, and a bigger capacity light alloy sump. This sophisticated powerplant develops 200bhp in free-breathing form, and 195 desmogged bhp. Maximum power is available at 6750rpm, and the torque curve peaks at an elevated 4750 rpm, when 166 pounds-feet are at hand. The 2569 pound BMW M3 accelerates in 6.9 seconds from 0 to 62mph, and tops 144mph. Our test car returned 20.3 miles per gallon, corresponding to a driving range of approximately 360miles.

The purposeful, no-frills cabin of the M3 stands in sharp contrast to the car’s jazzy exterior. Inside, the top-notch 3-series differs from a bog-standard 325 only by the addition of an oil temperature gauge, a leather rimmed steering wheel, and a set of four deeply contoured sport seats. Dollar prices are not fixed yet, but we can do some educated guessing. The German list price of 59, 800 deutsche marks (close to $30,000 these days) includes heated, remote-control door mirrors, tinted glass, and power-assisted steering. Add about 9000DM ($4500) for air conditioning, metallic paint, sunroof, radio, leather upholstery, and power windows and door locks. That means we have to expect the US price for an all-inclusive 1987 ½ M3 to approach a sobering $35, 000.

The long-stroke 2.3 litre four springs to life at the first turning of the ignition key. When cold, it needs a busy 1000rpm to idle properly, and although it reacts willingly to the slightest dab on the throttle, there is no doubt that this is a highly tuned, thoroughbred powerplant. As coolant and oil are warming up, the clanking and clattering of the valves and the droning of the exhaust are metallic, yet hollow. Once the engine has reached its working temperature, however, treble and bass blend to a full-bodied melodious tone that, with rising revs, reaches almost orchestral quality.

Only as far as its running characteristics are concerned, the M3 unit never comes close to a good six; it is actually not even as civilized as, say, the sixteen-valve four that is fitted to the Mercedes 190E 2.3-16. At 50mph in fifth, the Bavarian powerhouse hums along with drawn-in claws, but the instant you floor the throttle and unleash more revs, the hum becomes a growl, then a roar, and finally a shriek. As the needle of the tachometer climbs up to its 7100rpm peak, the driveline goes through a wide spectrum of subtle but irritating vibrations, ranging from a mild tremble to a high-frequency judder that can even be sensed through the accelerator and the gear lever.

This engine is a fighter; you can feel it working hard to deliver the goods, Throttle response is lightning fast; its willingness to rev gives an impression of incredible effortlessness; and there is always plenty of torque at hand to pull you out of trouble without the need for downshifting. The strengthened clutch is light and progressive enough, and the Getrag five-speed’s gears are well spaced for optimal performance. But the competition style shift pattern is awkward (first is down to the left), and the lever movements are a bit vague and slow.

Thanks to the standard limited-slip differential, traction is good on most surfaces, but with nearly 200bhp on tap and relatively lightly loaded rear wheels, the car demands caution in the wet and through tight low gear corners. Mercifully, the M3 does without the oops-here-comes-that-tail-again attitude for which many BMW models are notorious. Through bends fast and slow, this potent four-seater remains neutral for a long time. Once the limit is reached, the car will either slide into a slightly nervous four wheel drift or enter clearly defined and nicely controllable oversteer. As you back off, the weight transfer will pull the nose toward the apex of the bend, calling for a correction at the wheel. The power-assisted steering is well damped, quick and communicative, and the wonderfully progressive brakes deserve full marks for feel, precision, and balance.

Surprisingly enough, the ride comfort has barely suffered from the taut M-Technik suspension setting. Like its lesser brethren, the M3 is still no friend of potholes, bumps, and level railway crossings, but it does cope well with such dreaded vagaries as crests, grooves, and dips. On the down side, we noticed a certain instability in crosswinds, annoying tramlining on poor surfaces, and a rather high overall noise level (engine, tires, wind).

The BMW M3 is a sports car in disguise. It’s a lot more expensive (and not a lot faster) than an ordinary 325i. it has no super smooth engine, no family friendly suspension, and even less room in the back and in the trunk. It also does without reclining seats, an automatic transmission option, or any trace of chrome. But the M3 has – at last! – a thoroughly convincing chassis, and it is well made, sufficiently well equipped, and ergonomically faultless. Most important of all, it is a lot of fun to drive.

Related posts:

1. Munich Mauler We get our first drive in BMW’s hot M3, the...
2. Don’t ever think “yuppie” again The M3 deserves better. This is not a car for...
3. Storm Force There's a power struggle in Germany. Mercedes began the strife...