2008 BMW M3

If not for outstanding competition, unrivaled.

• What’s New – Returning from a brief hiatus, the 2008 BMW M3 is available in coupe and sedan forms with a 414-horsepower V-8 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The SMG has been replaced by a double-clutch seven-speed auto and a convertible M3 will debut for 2009.
• Why It Matters – For years the M3 has been at the pinnacle of mass-produced luxury sports cars, but that standing is continually challenged. The competition has intensified with rides like the Audi RS 4, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and Lexus IS F. To stay on top, BMW has created what it hopes you will find to be the best M3 ever.

BMW M3 – 2008 First Drive: Infallible. Unbeatable. Best. Benchmark. Live your life addressed by those terms and you may become intimately aware of yet another term: pressure. Even Tiger Woods misses an easy putt every once in awhile – its called being human, and much to the disgruntlement of type A personalities everywhere, perfection is elusive.

Case in point: the BMW M3. For as long as enthusiasts can remember, this German Autobahn-cruising and Nurburgring-tested thoroughbred has used class-leading dynamics to keep an ever-growing body of contenders at bay. Try as they might, engineers from all corners of the globe were unable to develop an alternative to the M3 that enjoyed fanatical praise equal to that bestowed upon the first four-cylinder model all the way up through the most recent 333-horsepower variant. It was good to be BMW, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Fast forward to 2008, where the luxury sport landscape has been riled by the introductions of the Lexus IS F and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, with the thunderous sound of RS 5s and supercharged CTS-Vs rushing to crest the horizon. BMW’s M3, last sold in coupe and convertible forms for the 2006 model year, took a hiatus during 2007 and has reentered the market in coupe and sedan guises; the convertible will be available later this year as a 2009 model. The intense pressure to remain on top has led to an M3 first: a V-8 engine, one with 414 horses and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, neither of which represents best-in-class. Nor does the 4.7-second 0-60 mph performance, or for that matter, the M3’s 155-mph top speed. Still, performance cars are based on handling as much as raw power, and that’s an area where the BMW continues to shine, thanks in part to M Dynamic Mode technology. Plus, the SMG transmission has been replaced by an optional seven-speed, double-clutch automatic, so there’s plenty for BMW and M3 fans to remain happy about…even if continuing to be the best of the best isn’t necessarily among them.

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Notable Features

For those familiar with the M3 nameplate, the addition of a V-8 engine will likely stand out as the most significant feature for 2008, with the new double-clutch automatic transmission coming in a close second. Shoppers new to the scene might want to simply focus on the numbers: 414 (ponies under the hood), 4.7 (seconds to 60 mph), 155 (top speed), 20 (estimated highway fuel economy rating), and 55,875 (price of admission).

Individuals of all backgrounds will surely enjoy the new M3’s M Dynamic Mode for customized performance, available HD radio, a USB adaptor for no-brainer iPod and iPhone integration, and by 2009 a total of three body styles from which to choose: coupe, sedan, and convertible.

More importantly, the M3 plays host to a variety of safety features, such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), traction control with Variable M Differential Lock, performance-tuned ABS, cornering brake control, brake drying, a tire pressure monitor, and side-curtain airbags.

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Driving Impressions

M3s at Laguna Seca Raceway – that’s all we needed to read before anxiously accepting BMW’s invitation to evaluate one of Germany’s most famous nameplates, a venture that also afforded seat time in the 2008 BMW 1 Series and the new Mini Cooper Clubman. Noteworthy cars, yes, yet these pages are dedicated to the M3, the rear-drive, V-8 powered sports car capable of hitting 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, tapping out at 155 mph, and returning an EPA-estimated 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Not bad, but what kind of automotive journalists would we be if we didn’t take advantage of Laguna Seca’s many twists and straights to challenge the validity of these claims? Hammering an M3 for a few hours on one of the country’s best tracks – the lengths we’ll go to for you people.

In our haste to get the fun started, we failed to notice that the M Dynamic Mode had not been selected, and as a result wasted a few laps suffering from an intrusive stability control system that obliterated all enjoyment on entry and robbed the V-8’s thunder on exit. We quickly realized this just couldn’t be right, clicked our M3 sedan into M Dynamic Mode, and hit Laguna’s corkscrew with all the Bimmer had to offer. Needless to say, the dumbfounded head scratch was replaced by a devilish grin thanks to invisible stability control policing and a tail that, with some prodding from 414 horses, was open to the possibility of stepping out. With M Dynamic Mode deactivated, the M3 has a tendency to push; turn it on and that understeer disappears, allowing for big speed heading into tight corners as the suspension enforces a strict no-body-roll policy. Steering feel and response was excellent, and after several abusive laps at the hands of both skilled and unskilled journalists, the cross-drilled and ventilated brakes grabbed with unwavering tenacity, though clicked loudly while resting in pit lane awaiting yet another punishing run.

Clearly, the 2008 BMW M3 is a capable track car, but with its four-passenger status and varied body styles, it’s also expected to be at least tolerable on public roads. Simply put, this high-powered 3 Series is easy to enjoy regardless of whether you’re planning a snail’s pace daily commute or a high-speed run through the canyons. Despite changing the setup from normal/comfort mode to sport/sport plus we didn’t find the ride to be anything other than stiff, but not to the point of being harsh.

And then there’s that new V-8 engine. With a rating of 295 lb.-ft., torque is relatively light, yet all that muscle rolls out early so there’s no lack of take-off power. The clutch is light enough to prevent calf cramps but can be a bit jerky in slow city traffic; a short-throw, slick manual shifter is a blast to row on and off the track. Throttle response can be set to normal, sport and sport plus modes with a button on the center console, and the tachometer features a variable redline that rises to a max of 8,400 as the engine oil comes to temperature. If a complaint could be had about the M3’s engine, aside from that unimpressive torque rating which makes the M3 feel a touch less eager than the Lexus IS F, we’d point to the exhaust note. Sure, it sounds good enough yet it lacks the guttural growl emanating from performance rides produced by Jaguar, Cadillac, Lexus, and others.

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Specifications

Test Vehicle: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan
Base Price: $55,875 (includes a $775 destination charge and $1,300 gas guzzler tax)
Engine Size and Type: 4.0-liter V-8
Engine Horsepower: 414 at 8,300 rpm
Engine Torque: 295 lb.-ft. at 3,900 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Curb Weight, lbs.: 3,726
EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 14/20 mpg Length: 180.4 inches
Width: 71.5 inches
Wheelbase: 108.7 inches
Height: 57.0 inches
Legroom (front/rear): 41.5/34.6 inches
Headroom (front/rear): 38.5/37.5 inches
Max. Seating Capacity: Four
Max. Cargo Volume, cu.ft.: 12.0