The new BMW M3 has a complex personality


He says: “The M3 has always been special. The earliest, mid-Eighties version was a racetrack spin-off with a chassis sharp enough to cut yourself on and a rev-hungry, four-cylinder engine. The updated car became bigger and heavier, but its rasping straight-six delivered absolutely ballistic performance. Now the M3 gains a 4.0-litre V8, producing a hefty 414bhp, with the promise of a more refined demeanour to match. In other words, this is BMW the heavy rock band unveiling its new jazz direction and hoping that we like it. It’ll trundle along contentedly, giving no clue to the beast within, provided you don’t ask it to. Unleash the full 414bhp and things rapidly get more engaging, not to mention rapidly more rapid. Better than even that is the M3’s dazzling handling: once you’ve got accustomed to its initially rather over-light steering, you can make the M3 dance and drift its rear end perfectly from apex to apex.”

You need to know:
> Engine: 4.0-litre V8, 414bhp
> Performance: 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds
> Price: £50,625
> Contact: www.bmw.co.uk