Owners of E30 M3s, the first model to wear that iconic designation were reacting to the cover that profiled a story about the soon-to-be-released-third-generation M3. “The Real M3 Shows Up In Geneva,” it said. “A real M3 has four cylinders,” they fired back, even if no one was in earshot.

Never mind that the new M3 coupe packs a 333-horsepower jewel of an engine in a package that will crank out sub-five second 0-60mph runs all day and out-corner its predecessor, an automotive masterpiece that Car and Driver magazine called “the best-handling car in America.” That’s not the point. The point is that newer M3s, in the E30 owners’ perspective, lack the gritty character and all-out-racer spirit of their much beloved cars. Lest you think these ardent loyalists are being unduly critical of the newest M3, many of them label the second-generation model, with its decidedly understated styling, the 332is.

What gives these owners such zeal? A lot of it has to do with the reason their car was built. “It was a special car built in a special time for a special purpose,” says Filippo Morelli, a New Jersey Chapter member, “real” M3 owner, and host of the E30 M3 Special Interest Group, an internet spiritual home that claims more than 600 congregants. “Such events occur only a few times in the life of a company.”

A Genuine Race Car For The Street

That special purpose Morelli refers to was preparing the E30 3 Series two-door sedan – but back then this model wasn’t called a coupe – to race in the German and European touring car series, that side of the Atlantic’s moral equivalent of NASCAR, where manufacturers duked it out for technology, image, and sales supremacy. The rules stipulated that a carmaker had to build a minimum of 5,000 examples in twelve months of the exact car it wanted to race and offer them for public sale. That amounted to selling detuned, road-going race cars, minus the roll cage, sponsor decals, and a few other racing pieces. Similar regulations in the 1960s produced some spectacular – not to mention historically significant and highly collectable – cars, such as the Ferrari 250 GTO and 250 LM and the Europe-only BMW 3.0CSL.

The goal was to be ready to race for the 1987 season. BMW’s high-performance subsidiary, then called BMW Motorsport GmbH (German legal shorthand for business with limited liability) went into action in late 1983. Thomas Ammerschlager, formerly of the Zakspeed race team and Audi, assumed command of the project in 1985. Called the M3, the result was nothing short of a complete make-over of a standard 3 Series. Giving the new car instant credibility was the fact that every modification was done with one purpose in mind: racing.

Wider fenders, front air dam, a new roof and rear window, a raised (plastic) trunk lid and large rear wing cleaned-up the E30’s aerodynamics, made room for a proper roll cage, accommodated wider racing wheels and tires, and gave the M3 a decidedly serious look. In fact, the hood is the only body panel the M3 shares with the 3 Series. Major suspension, brake and steering modifications made the M3 a genuine apex-strafer.

A team led by Werner Frowein – under the watchful eye of BMW’s legendary engine designer Paul Rosche – provided power by capping a cast-iron four-cylinder Formula 2 engine block with a sixteen-valve twin-cam aluminum cylinder head – one made from an M1 head by literally chopping off two cylinders. Other tweaks included a competition oil sump, special pistons, and a new version of BMW’s Motronics engine-management system. Large for a four-banger, the 2.3 litre S14 engine produced 200 horsepower in European trim. A later version increased horsepower to 215.

An Instant Hit

The M3 debuted as a prototype at the1985 Frankfurt Auto Show. Despite concern on the part of some BMW executives that its design was too aggressive, Motorsport had firm orders for the initial batch of 5,000 before the show closed ten days later. Those customers had to be patient; M3s were not delivered in Europe until autumn of 1986. Then came the unexpected announcement that, after considerable arm-wrestling between BMW of North America and the powers in Munich, a limited supply of M3s would make their way to the US.

About 5,300 E30 M3s were sold here between 1987 and 1992. Throughout the production run, the mechanical specifications of US cars remained virtually unchanged; our catalyzed and federalized version of the S14 engine produced 192 horsepower and 170 ft-lb of torque, good enough for a top speed of 147 mph and a 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds. EPA certification red tape denied us the pleasures of the close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox; we had to make do with a competent but less sporty Getrag overdrive five-speed transmission.

Eventually 17,184 E30 M3’s were produced between Sept.1986 and Dec 1990. Six special versions were built, the most desirable being the Sport Evolution with an enlarged 2.5 litre, 238 horsepower engine and trademark adjustable front aerodynamic splitter and rear wing “Gurney flap.” Sadly, none of those limited-edition models – and none of the 786 enticingly gorgeous M3 convertibles – were ever officially imported here.

BMW Motorsport prepared about 100 M3s for factory and private racing and rally teams. Countless other road-going versions have been pressed into competition duty around the world. The E30 M3 more than achieved its primary mission; it became the most successful touring car racer in history, winning the World (driver’s title) and European, German, British, Italian, French, Belgian, and Dutch touring car championships – as well as countless other national and regional racing, rally and hillclimb series.

“Boy Racer” Raises Hackles

US auto journalists raved about the M3, Car and Driver, in its November 1987 issue, observed, “The M3 leaps through the corners like a cat, its feisty engine spinning and splitting until you snatch another gear or the rev limiter grabs it by the tail. Excellent controls help you keep the frenzy in check; the steering is supple and superbly accurate, the shifter has just the right amount of notchiness, and the massive disc brakes – vented in front and equipped with a standard anti-lock system – are always on duty, lap after lap.”

In a February 1988 road test, Road & Track said, “This is what driving is all about. The engine, when revved hard, shoots the car from turn to turn….This is as close most owners will come to participatory motorsports, and this is what this car was designed to do.” And AutoWeek summed it up by saying, “The M3 is a hardball player.”

Most road testers commented on the four-cylinder engine’s buzzy nature, especially when compared to the traditionally silky-smooth BMW in-line sixes they were accustomed to. Then there is the “boy racer” comment, something that really gets M3 owners’ hackles up. Some journalists make this snide observation when they refer to the M3’s bodywork, insinuating that they fenders, spoiler, side skirts and wing are merely “eye candy” add-ons. For those who understand why the car appears the way it does, the comment is not only galling, it conclusively demonstrates the writer’s lack of perspective and grasp of automotive history. Many E30 M3 owners believe it would be more appropriate to apply the “boy racer” tag to the new M5 and M3.

What To Look For When The Urge Strikes

Although it is difficult to determine how many E30 M3s have survived in the US, it’s safe to say that most have found a good home where they are appreciated and looked after. Their sub-$20,000 price makes them a relative bargain for someone looking for a genuine performance car with an interesting history. With that in mind, we contacted Windy City Chapter’s Ben Thongsai, widely regarded as one of the top M3 go-to guys in the country, for guidance on what to look for when the urge to park a piece of BMW racing history in your garage strikes. He should know; he owns two and services several others.

“I love my M3s,” he says. “They’re a lot like my 2002, only much faster! They are very reliable.” Thongsai bought his first example with 19,000 miles. “It ran great,” he says, “and needed very little work.” He advises you to begin your evaluation by looking at the car’s maintenance history. Ask to see repair order. “Regular maintenance on an E30 M3 is important,” he adds. “Preventative maintenance is, too.”

Once you’re satisfied with the paperwork, it’s time for an inspection. Check the condition of the water pump (usually a 60,000 mile item) and the alternator mounting brackets (for cracks) and their bushing (for wear); check the brackets for the power-steering pump and the air-conditioning compressor, too. The original alternator ground strap had a tendency to break. If it is brown, it’s the original and should be replaced; a red strap is the upgraded part. Inspect the motor mounts and the sub-frame they attach to for wear and damage. Don’t be surprised if one or both wires for the electric cooling fan are broken; the good news is that’s a quick fix. Look for leaking or excess play in the steering rack, an M3-specific part.

The time-honored service manager’s retort – “They all do that” – can be applied to M3 intake manifold gaskets: They are prone to crack and cause a vacuum leak. The most noticeable symptom of cracked gaskets is a rough idle. Merely replacing them won’t solve the problem; eventually the new gaskets will crack, too. But fear not: Korman Autoworks offers a solution. Visit their website at www.kormanfast.com and read about their heavy-duty air accumulator support in the E30 M3 “induction” section.

The Timing Chain Issue

There are some trans-Atlantic difference of opinion among M3 experts about the longevity of the S14 engine’s timing chain. The good folks at Munich Legends, the UK’s leading E30 M3 authority, believe that the chain and its two sprockets should be replaced at 100,000 miles, based on failures they’ve seen. It’s a pricey operation – about $1,000 – but if a worn or stretched chain jumps a sprocket tooth, you can multiply that bill almost by six for new valves, cylinder head machining, and at least one piston – if you’re lucky.

The story in the US, however, is somewhat different. For whatever reason, chain failures are rare here. While no one debates the merits of replacing the chain on a 100,000 mile car if the engine is apart for other reasons, Thongsai and others don’t see a need to do it on a healthy car.

Listen and Save

Fortunately, in most cases there is an early warning to such an occurrence. Listen for the timing chain when you start the engine, especially when it’s cold. If the chain makes a racket – trust us, it’s hard not to hear it! – for a second or two and then quiets down, it’s probably good-to-go. A constant noise, the sooner the better. Although it may be folklore, many M3 owners advice against parking the car with its nose uphill; they say it allows oil to drain out of the chain tensioner, which then causes the chain to rattle.

While you’re listening, aim an ear in the direction of the clutch and gearbox at idle. If the chatter you hear goes away when you depress the clutch, “that’s just the normal Getrag transmission sound; don’t worry about it,” Thongsai. But if you hear a noise with the clutch pedal pushed in, it’s probably the throw-out bearing about to surrender.

Oddly enough, for a car designed to race, the original M3 suffers from inadequate front-brake cooling, especially in enthusiastic use like BMW CCA driving schools. That’s why many owners have replaced their crack-prone fog lights with brake-cooling ducts. Check for warped or scarred brake rotors and the calliper condition at all four corners.

On your walk around the car, Thongsai advises you to look for body damage or shoddy repair work. “The only body panel on the M3 that’s the same as the 3 Series is the hood. Replacements are expensive,” he notes. Also check for rust on the cowl at the bottom of the windshield, especially in the corners. Unfortunately, the paint on the upper surface of the rear wing tends to craze, especially on Cinnabar Red cars; bringing it back to life can be a $500 proposition. Also check the wing itself for signs of fatigue or cracking – they actually do generate downforce.

A Stock M3? You Must Be Kidding

Given the nature of the E30 M3 and the enthusiasm of most owners, it should not come as a surprise that there are precious few completely stock examples left. From upgrading the interior panels to the cloth Motorsport-striped variety found in the Cecotto, Ravaglia, and Sport Evolution version to engine-management chips to major engine and chassis modifications, M3 drivers can’t seem to resist the urge to tinker. Thongsay likes the way the Conforti engine management chip makes the engine much less peaky, supplying more power to the mid and low rev ranges. “It gives the M3 some decent pull at 2,500rpm,” he says. Modifications done by competent M3 technicians using parts from reputable sources are usually not a problem, he adds. On the other hand, although it is suitable as a serious BMW CCA driving school car, he cautions against buying an M3 with an overly stiff suspension for your daily driver.” A suspension like that will be hard on you and the chassis, especially if you live in a place with lots of potholes,” he says. Of course, many modifications are as much a matter of taste as engineering.

Other red flags? Avoid cars that have been beaten to death at track events and not well cared for. Steer clear of an M3 modified by someone who selected parts from a catalog using “now-that-looks-cool” engineering. The owner should be able to give you a reasonable strategy for the changes. Of course, you’ll take a pass on cars with either a suspicious or no maintenance history. Roudel technical editor Mike Miller says, “A $15,000 M3 may just be a better buy than an $8,000 car because the more expensive car has been maintained better.”

The September 2000 issue of Classic & Sports Car magazine notes that E30 M3s are not expensive to maintain, but correcting problems caused by neglect care can be costly. “There’s only one way you can go wrong with an M3, and that’s to spend too much money on the wrong car,” the editors said. Speaking of maintenance, Thongsai quotes a price of “around $500″ for a major service including valve adjustment, spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor, coolant flush, new filters, and an oil change. He also recommends that you consult the M3 Special Interest Group website if you’re new to M3s (www.bimmers.com/m3/) to find someone in your area who can help you evaluate your intended purchase.

It’s All About Driving

Technical issues aside, buying an E30 M3 is a very emotional decision. “The best thing about this car is the incredible fun you have driving it; it’s a great feeling,” says Los Angeles Chapter member David Boen. England’s Autosport magazine described that feeling, observing, “an E30 M3 makes a trip to the corner store to buy milk seem like a lap around the Nüburgrin.” And a now-valuable poster distributed to German BMW dealers sums up the essence of the E30 M3 in a simple, but powerful message: 1436 Wins in 1628 Days. M3.

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It’s been almost sixteen years since the first M3 hit US shores. When the ‘88 M3’s boy-racer flanks first charged down American roads, Michael Jackson was a respected celebrity, the Soviets were the world’s bad guys, and car guys liked to tinker with their steeds.

At least some things haven’t changed.

The M3 has always represented the pinnacle of Bavarian engineering, but just as there’s no such thing as being too rich or too beautiful, M3 owners have always worked to make their cars handle better, go faster, and stand out among their peers. Having now enjoyed huge sales success around the world, there are tens of thousands of unique and exciting examples of owner-customized M3s. These cars are out lapping race tracks, gracing car shows, or parked in front of your local Starbucks; here in California, it’s usually all three.

Recently we drove three fine examples of modified Munich muscle to compare their individual – and individualized – nuances, unravelling the threads that run through all three and the experience that makes each car unique.

1: Real M3s Have Four Cylinders

Owners of the first-generation M3 are as fervent a group of enthusiasts as you will ever find. Some of their sacred chants include “real M3s have four cylinders” and “the most successful Touring Car racer in the world.” The cult of the E30 M3 is a complex and mysterious one; as the owner of a ‘95 E36 (“Too soft! No racing heritage!”) I felt the need for a proper initiation with just the right car.

Enter the Lach Silber E30 of Sacremento’s Jim Tappan. On the kind of sunny Sunday afternoon that reminds me why I live in Northern California, I slid behind the wheel of Jim’s well-tuned car for a hard run through the Marin County hills. The deep-bolstered Sparco seats and small-diameter racing wheel are the first hint of what this car has in store.

The back roads of the Marin County Headlands would be familiar to anyone who watches sports-cars commercials with the rapt attention of a typical four-wheel fanatic. These are the kinds of roads that polarize drivers, terrifying those who push their automotive appliances from Point A to Point B, and energizing those of us who believe the journey is the destination. The ribbons of pavement overlooking the San Francisco Bay are second only to the Alpine roads your BMW dreams of.

Starting the buzzy S14 motor for the first time, I was struck with the sensation that this powerplant wants to be driven, and will only be happy above 5,000rpm. This sensation is only enhanced by the knowledge that this particular motor is a little different; Instead of sucking air through a standard-fare cone-filter intake, Jim Tappan’s car has air force-fed through a one-of-a-kind supercharger system. I dip into the throttle and slip the clutch and the roads starts to roll.

This car wants to be wound up tight and driven hard. Below 4000rpm, the M3 feels sluggish and unresponsive. However, running it through the revs and managing your gear selection to keep it there rewards the driver with the feeling that you are strapped into a tin-topped luge – not the sense of thrust that you’d get from a big-bore engine, but instead a sense of momentum. Skillful drivers of the early M3 know all about carrying speed, losing as little as possible to brakes and side forces.

The small-displacement blower on Tappan’s car certainly enhances overall power, but ultimately detracts from the overall M3 experience. The throttle response tends to be slower than that in a naturally-aspirated car, making the powertrain feel sluggish. Despite the excellent fit and finish of the blower, my money would instead be spent on bumping up the car from the stock 2.3 litres to the E30 M3 Evo’s 2.5. Proving that car guys think alike, Tappan is looking to make that same conversion at some point in the future.

When driven confidently, the first-generation M3 is like a pure extension of your hands and feet. Enhanced by a coil-over set-up from Ground Control Suspension Systems, which consists of custom-valved and shortened Koni shocks matched to 2.5″ Eibach springs, this car has no hesitation when driving for the apex of a corner. In mere seconds I find myself pushing the little car hard around the redwood-lined curves, rolling the wheel lightly from left to right to dance through numerous S-bends. Just look through a corner and the M3 flows through with ease. Amazing.

Amazing, that is, as long as you understand and appreciate the nature of the care. Otherwise, as great as the running gear beneath this car is, you’ll think the brakes are at the other end of the spectrum. Driven as a momentum car, the E30 M3 carries balanced speed through the corners, but it may seem underwhelming for drivers not used to that technique; There’s not much brake torque, and very little fade resistance with stock street pads. Racing pads tend to improve things, but the car is never going to satisfy people who don’t understand the nature of its balance. Drivers who want to throw out the anchors on the way to a turn and then blast down the next straightaway by stomping the accelerator and spinning the rear tires do not understand the nature of the beast; a conservative driver’s less-than-optimal cornering speeds are the wrong way to drive an E30 M3 quickly around a track. Tappan plans to increase his braking power with a seat of AP Racing big brakes as soon as the parts make it to his front door. Other E30 M3 owners have adapted the much-improved brakes from the ‘95 – ‘99 E36 M3 to work with their lighter car, a less expensive option that uses OEM parts.

But this car isn’t about braking; it’s about getting up to a brisk pace and carrying that speed through corners. At this, the E30 M3 excels. Much to Jim’s chagrin, I find myself unconsciously “using the whole track” and sliding the wide 16X8 BBS RK wheels and quasi-DOT Toyo RA-1 track tires all the way to the pavement’s edge. It’s easy to forget that this car is not a racer and that this is a mountain road, not the formerly-tree-covered hills of Infineon Raceway.

I have found automotive nirvana. It’s just plain hard to hand back the keys to this beautiful and composed automobile.

2: Torque Is Good

For the proud owner of not one but two E36 3 Series sedans – a Dinan-tuned ‘96 328i and an early-build ‘95 M3 – sliding behind the wheel of this second-generation M3 is like pulling on a comfortable pair of track shoes. Alan Taur’s first-year E36 M3 has few visual cues that warn unsuspecting P-car owners that they are about to be trounced. Its Estoril Blue paint contrasts with a set of polished 18″ M Parallel wheels – wheels that simply don’t look like they should fit.

On any other M3, they wouldn’t. If there is one weakness with the E36 body style, it is tire clearance. Probably due to the criticism of the “boy racer” flares on the E30, the crew at M left the next-gen car with the same boulevard-cruising wheel wells as its lesser non-M brethren. Perfectly fine to fit the 15X6 bottle caps on a 318 convertible, the slab-sided fenders are not the right solution for a high-torque canyon carver. Even with heavy-handed use of a mallet, baseball bat, or other fender rolling techniques, fitting a 255-series tire is almost guaranteed to rub away paint.

Alan fixed that problem (at considerable cost) with the help of Conversion Techniques in Oakland, California. They cut away the factory fenders and replaced them with a set of subtle flares, barely distinguishable from the stock look. The flares in the rear sweep into a fibreglass replica M3 bumper that helps keep the modifications hidden from the untrained eye. The result of all of this hard work is the gift of shoes befitting an M3: 255/40-18 fronts on 18X8″ wheels, matched to a set of steamrollers 265/35-18 rears on massive 18X9.5 wheels. But it’s just the width of these parts that is impressive, but their offset. The track of the M Parallel wheels is increased over stock by almost three inches, giving this unique E36 superior cornering grip.

These days some choose wide rubber just for fashion, but Taur’s ride needs all the grip it can get. Starting the car for the first time brings a throaty roar that begs to be let loose. It’s then that you look down for the first time and see an extra gear on the shift lever as a lighted six-speed knob falls to your right hand, ready to be rowed.

Not content with the factory 240ponies under the hood, Taur embarked on a journey to create a one-of-a-kind-car. Using the kind of meticulous attention to detail a model builder would respect, he pulled the power-train from his car and installed the 286hp S50 engine, transmission, and differential from the Euro-spec M3. A glance under the hood reveals the organization, fit, and finish that assembly line could barely achieve in the factory European M3. Not one US specific part remains, making this a very rare, true Euro conversion.

Dipping into the throttle reveals the first evolution of the car from the E30: gobs and gobs of torque. Only a straight six has a feeling like this, and I find myself with my foot to the spotless gray carpeted floor and revving the motor to its elevated redline. Speeds sure to get me arrested on these state-park roads come up in seconds, in part thanks to the shorter gearing Alan installed in the limited-slip differential.

With a tight corner flying toward me, I lift out of the six throttle bodies and dive for the binders. As is to be expected, the simple single-piston, ventilated brakes work like magic, hauling all 3,300 plus pounds of car down just in time to make my desired turn-in. The brakes on the second-generation M3 offer massive grip; time and again I find myself holding my acceleration until the last possible moment and diving for the brakes in time to slow the car for the various hairpins and switchbacks running through the redwoods. So-called “floating” rotors (two-piece OEM rotors with aluminum hats and iron discs) and upgraded pads are all this streak of blue lightning needs to keep even the most overzealous driver from overcooking a corner and launching off one of the many sheer drops to the Pacific.

Attacking the corners after a hard run in the E30 sets the bar high for any car. The E36 delivers….sort of. This lowered ‘95 sports Germany’s finest: a set of H&R coilover springs, stock ‘95 sway bars, adjustable front and rear camber. Alan’s set-up is a fine balance between high performance and comfort. The ride is firm without being harsh, something that the newer geometry makes easy to accomplish compared to the previous-generation M. But even with these upgraded parts, the E36 does not have the kind of cornering thrill that its older brother offered. Even with the upgraded rubber, initial turn-in is met with a fair amount of understeer, immediately cured by a little added throttle to make the rear wheels break a bit of traction and help the rotations. In testing, the E36 always proves to be faster through the turns than the previous model, but it will never match the raw connection that the car enjoyed; the E36 can be driven fast through the corners, but the E30 was the essence of flowing through the corners as part of the car. That said, there is satisfaction in pitching a car into a corner and using torque to get it around – but don’t try that with a four-banger.

The biggest changes to the second-generation M3 lie in the ergonomics and comfort features. That’s one of the main differences between the first M3, developed as a race car with a few grudging amenities to make it streetable, and the succeeding generation, which were high-performance road cars with luxuries disdained by some purists. Taur equipped his blue-on-gray beauty with every imaginable gadget, doodad, and toy: headlight washers, heated seats, electric rear vent windows, a sunroof switch in the center console, and more bits from the OE parts bin. He even went so far as to replace the normally black headliner with the gray liner from the non M-car, the better to match his interior. The jewel in this cockpit, however, is the steering wheel lifted from the M coupe/’99 M3. This conversion is popular with track-driven, air-bagged M3s, as the coupe’s wheel offers a better feel than the school-bus spinner normally found in all but the ‘99.

As this car is similar to my own heavily modified ‘95, I quickly start tossing the car through the tight-and-twisties, enjoying all the torque and tire underneath me. The time flies, and I soon have to pass the keys to this magnificent machine back to its owner and move into the newest member of the M3 clan, the E46.

3: The Grand Tourer

The first time I laid eyes on the newest body style I fell in love immediately. The E46 has the kind of muscular athleticism and presence that was simply lacking in the previous car. In a return to the aesthetic set by the original M3, the ‘01-to-today M3 sits low, wide, and mean. Seeing the new car’s wide, chrome-trimmed kidneys charging up in your rear-view mirror at the track is the automotive equivalent of running with the bulls and looking over your shoulder to find the wide snout of a longhorn bearing down: Move over or you’re sure to be trampled.

For my last drive of the day, I had the honor of sliding not just behind the wheel of any modded E46, but the tuned Titanium Silver ‘01 of Jay Morris, owner of Northern California’s Ground Control Suspension Systems. Few know more about high performance BMW suspensions on this side of the Atlantic than Morris; his parts grace most of the front-running cars in Speed World Challenge, SCCA Solo II, and BMW CCA Club Racing, not to mention countless well-set-up street cars. I knew that the handling in this car would be a real treat.

To those who called the new E46 “overweight” and “bloated,” I recommend checking the figures. Similarly-equipped E36s and E46s are not that far apart, and this car offers the kind of suspension, power delivery, and driver comfort that quickly makes you forget any extra pounds you may be carrying around. From the moment I first rolled on the gas in this car I was impressed with its capabilities. I remain so.

Unlike the leap from E30 to E36, the new car is an evolution of the breed. This is in greatest evidence in the driveline; the 3.2 litre block in the 1996 Euro M3 was developed to become the 3.25litre mill in the new model. With improved engine management, a mild displacement bump, and some new wiz-bang gadgetry, the S54 makes the jump to 333hp (343 in Europe) from the previous model’s European rating of 321. Stabbing the throttle at idle elicits a sound familiar to anyone with a modern inline-six Bimmer – only a bit deeper and more metallic. Sporting the stock exhaust and a mildly modified factory air box, Jay’s car has a more subdued sound than either of the earlier cars still manages to burble out a song that simply begs to be brought to full wait.

Like its E36 sibling, the silver car simply roars through the gears. Unlike ‘95, your sense of speed is even more detached, partially by the acres of leather and piles of sound deadening in the latest model. Illegal speeds still come up on you faster, than the local constabulary would like, but the added thrust of the latest motor would make any ticket worth the price.

But even this M3 isn’t about maximum power, it’s about canyon carving. I enter the first corner as I would in the E36 – at a moderate pace, swinging wide and taking a classic late apex. That’s when I discover just how superior the new car is to the previous generation. Instead of the drama of massive understeer and screaming tires, the new M3 simply tracks through the corner. No muss, no fuss. I charge into the next corner, thinking that I may have simply pussy-footed my way around a fear of a $50,000 mistake. Once again, the car simply glides through the corner at a speed that would have made the E36 scramble for grip and the E30’s tail step out in full drift. Impressive. This car is a grand tourer in the truest sense….all I’m missing is a latte to sip and the Brandenburg Concerto playing through the multitude of Harman/Kardon speakers.

As impressive as the handling of the car, the braking inspires as much confidence. Eschewing the factory cheese-grater rotors and single-pot callipers, Jay installed the finest six-puck AP Racing callipers with two-piece rotors. The brake torque generated by this racing-bred kit would haul down a Mack truck from triple digits. No chance of fade with these pizza plates.

It would be too easy to go to jail in this car. The comfortable high-speed cornering, aided by massive BBS RC’s and Bridgestone S-03 tires, compels you to get on the gas and rocket your way onto the short straights that slice through the trees. Speed steadily builds until all you see are blurs of green and brown, and the occasional blur of primary colours as you dive around packs of bicyclists. This is the Bavarian beast at its finest – motor roaring, tires dancing, feet and hands moving in perfect time to the tempo of the road. If I had 55 Large to spend on whatever I chose, no drug or drink could be as intoxicating as slipping behind the wheel of my new E46 M3.

4: Which Is The Real M3?

Get M3 owners together in groups of three or more, and at some point the question will always come up: Which M3 is the best car? Apples and oranges, horses for courses, pick you own cliché: This has to be the gasoline-veined equivalent of picking a favourite child. Each car offers the same level of excitement and involvement that all devotees of the blau mit weiss seek – and all three generation have the deep aftermarket support to help you make them your own. That’s the real key, you see: Drive what you love and love what you drive. Which is the M3? The one in your garage!

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Rob Mitchell, BMW NA’s Product Information Manager, called a while back and wanted to know whether I was interested in going to the M3 press introduction. No, Rob, I’d rather stay home and get whipped with stinging nettles and then have kerosene sprayed onto the resulting wounds! He understood me to mean yes. So it came to pass that at the end of June, I Twin-Ottered down to New Jersey from East Awfulgosh, met Rob at NA’s headquarters in Montvale, and wandered out to the back garage. Although there were probably seventy BMWs in the garage, one’s eye was immediately drawn to the one red (red!) M3 there. “Rob,” I said. “I’d really rather not drive the copcatcher red one!” No problem – mine was dark and as inconspicuous as an M3 can reasonably expect to be.

Since the M3 (5000 produced to qualify for the World Touring car Championship, Group A) has the capabilities of both a race car and a street car, this introduction was designed to give us a day on the road and a day on the track. We were provided with an M3 (one each), maps of the area (three each), scenic roads marked (“scenic” = narrow, twisty, sheer rock face on one side, flimsy guardrail and steep dropoff on the other), and the information that A) dinner at the Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, Connecticut, was at 7:30 that evening, B) radar detectors were illegal in Connecticut, and C) all moving violations were ours. Since the first day was to evaluate that M3’s road manners, we went our various ways and I began to look at what I had just been handed the keys to.

What do you get for your $34,000 that the 325i doesn’t have? How about two fewer cylinders (but four more valves and another cam? How about the interest and probable close scrutiny of your local constabulary? Or 192 horsepower at 6750rpm before the rev limiter cuts in? Interested in a 143mph top end? The speedometer is marked up to 160mph, and at 55 in a very thin, pale red line, the M3’s only concession to the 55mph NSL. Oh, and all the usual BMW goodies are there – two-position electric sunroof, eight speaker stereo, leather upholstery, electric windows, trip computer, halogen headlights and fog lights, electric mirrors, central locking, and like that. In fact, the only option is metallic paint, although if BMW were to offer electronic countermeasure paint, they couldn’t go wrong!

I had been a bit reluctant to take on this test drive because the longest I had driven any vehicle since a back operation three months before was about an hour/sixty miles, but the M3, even with its rather stiff ride (3.7degrees roll rate per G, for example), proved very easy on my recently-repaired back over two days and some 350miles. The leathers seats are so adjustable that you just wiggle all the movable pieces (fore and aft adjustment, seat back rake, front and back of seat bottom up and down, thigh support fore and aft) until you are comfortable and then wiggle them again later if need be. It would be nice if there were adjustable lumbar support. The seat bottom’s side bolsters are high so climbing in and out requires some dexterity. A day’s worth of driving through three states and on a variety of roads revealed only one vice, an engine resonance that makes the rearview mirror (and your brain cells) vibrate a la Volkswagen Beetle. Since the introduction of the M3 in Europe over a year ago, the car has gotten a new Getrag five-speed with an overdrive fifth, not the sport gearing it had in Europe, enough fitted underhood insulation to snug up a small house, and hydraulic/rubber engine and transmission mounts. It still buzzes, but it’s a small price to pay for 83.4 horsepower per litre, higher than any non-turbo engine now on the American market.

My drive started with wandering around the Montvale area for a bit, putting through traffic, bumping over roads under repair, checking out the site work at NA’s new headquarters and generally mixing it up with New Jersey traffic. Then, off to the “scenic” roads. And a treat they were. The M3 makes you wish you had a daily eighty-mile commute on the Taconic Parkway. The car tracks so well (three times the caster of the stock 3er), runs so strongly and has such good brakes, handling and acceleration that it’s pure pleasure to drive. Whether running along the Bear Mountain Parkway or trundling down main Street in West Furbush, the M3 is equally a home.

Although at $34k it’s an expensive grocery-getter, the M3 will perform that function perfectly, lugging four people and their stuff around in comfort (if they don’t mind the rather hard ride) and in style (if they don’t mind the boy-racer look). The M3 has those aerodynamic bits (side skirts, etc.) and an extended roofline and a high trunk lid for better air flow at speed. Although the trunk is as large as the stock 3er, the trunk lid is smaller so there is a limit to how large a piece you can stuff through the opening. There was no room for the radio antenna due to this new trunk lid, so onto the roof it went. A hand through the open sunroof will enable you to adjust the rake (but not length) as you drive. Speaking of radios, do you know how you can tell when you’re in a remote area? When you push the “seek” button on your radio and it goes all ‘round the dial and comes back to the station you were on, and you weren’t even getting that one well!

Upon arriving at the Interlaken Inn late in the first day, I noticed the copcatcher red M3 parked nose-to-nose with a Connecticut state tropper’s car in front of the office. Ooops! We’re in deep doodah already. Nope – just a bomb scare (but they let us check in anyway – and then kicked us out of our rooms until the appointed hour was well past. Best line of the night: Tom McGurn, NA’s General Manager of Corporate Communications – “Those Mercedes people have probably called in the bomb scare!”

If you always wanted to sign up for the Skip barber school, here’s what will decide it for you. They now have M3s! The nice clean M3s NA gave us for the press intro were going to Skip Barber for use in his school. Of course, they weren’t so clean after we were through with them, being now covered in mud, dirt, brake pad dust and pocked with cone marks.

Our day at Lime Rock started with the 40mph lane-avoidance exercises, with Ed “On Driving” Dellis giving us about a nanosecond to pick our lane, brake, turn and make it through without running over too many cones. Ed wouldn’t let me use a necker’s knob and I can’t shuffle steer as fast as he can so quite a few cones met my M3’s deformable front bumper. The mind boggles at even thinking of performing these moves in something like the usual state police ride, a Ford Crown Victoria. Ed must stay up nights thinking of combinations of reds, greens and even no lights to drive us nuts!

Next, we were off to the autocross course, a kidney-shaped loop where the M3’s minimal body roll, sticky tires, neutral handling and ABS braking earned praise from all. If you had the spare cash, you could keep an M3 just for weekend autocrossing. Drive to the track, empty the trunk, and you’re off. Put on some real gumballs and watch the times go down! After the autocross, motor sedately (or not) home. My M3 was equipped with Pirelli P600 205/55VR15s, although some of the cars had Goodyear Eagle NCT’s in the same size and these seemed a tad better on the autocross course. Sure would like to try some Gatorbacks or Yokohamas though. The M3 has a 25% locking ZF multiplate limited-slip differential to get you out of the corners quickly.

To really wear some rubber off, the skid pad was next. Get the M3 cranked up, back off the throttle, punch it, and out the rear end goes, a textbook example of throttle-induced oversteer. The trick, of course, is to keep it hanging out there, just aslidin’ ‘round that wet ol’ track. If you spin out (happens frequently!), just start off again in the other direction and wear out the tires that way! The real killer here is starting to spin, catching it, and just as you mentally pat yourself on the back, off in the other direction you go, having failed to move fast enough to stop the overcorrection-induced skid! The instructors sure make it look easy.

After lunch in NA’s hospitality suite, we were turned loose to see how the M3 does in the environment for which it was designed – the race track. It does well, racing fans. It does real well. I don’t think that the folks who run M3s in the Touring Car Championship do it with the air condition running, the stereo on, and the sunroof cranked open a bit, but I did, and enjoyed every minute of it. The hydraulic engine and transmission mounts do a good job of quieting engine vibration so that it is not carried through the Getrag five-speed to buzz your hand off. The coolant and oil temperature gauges barely moved, lap after lap. The gas gauge needle, however, was a different story. The M3’s EPA rating is 17/29 and that seems pretty accurate. Even at truly bodacious speeds on the highway, the needle drops slowly. Start opening up those four throttles around town though and your local petrol purveyor (premium unleaded only, please) will be seeing you often. A mix of city and a highway driving will take you about 370miles on a tank so crossing Death Valley will be no problem. Only about 2400 of the 5000 M3s made will end up in the United States, so if you want the most visually striking of the M-cars and a real dual-purpose sports sedan – street and track – pay your BMW dealer a visit. Just watch out for the copcatcher red one. Oh, and ask if they have the electronic countermeasure paint option yet.

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