Road test review: BMW M3 Competition

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

The new BMW M3 and M4 are here, along with its controversial grille and a huge amount of performance.

BMW M3 COMPETITION
Base price: $168,900
Powertrain and economy: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol straight-six, 375kW/650Nm, eight-speed automatic, RWD, combined economy 9.6L/100km, CO2 221g/km (source: BMW).

BMW’s latest M3 is here, and it’s superb.

Vital statistics: 4794mm long, 1903mm wide, 1437mm high, 2857mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 480 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels (front), 19-inch alloy wheels (rear).
We like: Awesome chassis, engine nice and loud (even if a bit fake), not horrid on fuel, interesting looks

The source of the M3’s power – a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six with no added electrical assistance.

We don't like: Automatic gearbox fast and efficient but somewhat unremarkable, bit heavy, some quality control issues with the infotainment system

The new BMW M3 has been unleashed, buck-toothed grille and all. Is the range-topping 3 Series still an incredibly capable sports car, despite the new-look haters?

Well, is it?

Short answer – yes. Oh man, yes. Long answer – still yes. But let’s get a bit more detailed.

Bulging wheel arches, four real exhaust outlets and massive power. Sounds like an M3.

You can only just see it here, but there’s a funny leg dividing island in the carbon seats. It’s shaped a bit like a rugby player’s cup.

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Now more than just the badge lets you know this is an M3.

The new M3 uses a turbocharged straight-six engine, displacing 3.0 litres in total, producing a thumping 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque. Compare that to the previous generation, which made 317kW and 550Nm.

And say what you will about the looks – I’ll get to that soon – this engine is superb. Torque comes in strong from 2750rpm, carrying up until 5500rpm and peak power hits at 6250rpm. The redline is set at 7200rpm, though it’s not worth seeking it aside for sonic pleasure.

The M3 is a hefty lad now, but the performance is just as searing as ever. Probably more so.

Although, the engine sounds so damn good and revs so hard you’ll probably find yourself flirting with the limiter anyway, regardless of when the spec sheet says peak power arrives. A bit of piped-in audio fakery is going on, but a decent amount of the sound is genuine exhaust noise.

Like any BMW M car, the electronics package spares nothing in the name of performance. In the M3, new additions include an adjustable brake system that lets you tweak how aggressive the pedal and brakes react, as well as a ten-stage traction control system.

This basically lets you set how loose the traction control is, from super-intrusive to super-slidey in case you really wanted to experience the rear-wheel drive experience. I didn’t touch it, dynamic traction control is plenty for me.

So the engine is good. What about the rest of the car?

The chassis is sublime. Combined with the highly calibrated electronics, it almost relegates the engine to second fiddle. Almost.

BMW’s fast, pinpoint accurate steering is on form here, and the adaptive dampers offer just the right balance between undulation absorption and firmness. There’s a fair bit of road noise in Sports Plus but that’s part of the trade-off.

Slinging the M3 through curves is a dream, the chassis and steering offering superb feel for the road. You know exactly where the nose is pointing and the electronics don’t neuter the experience much at all. Setting the traction control to the Dynamic and letting the car figure out what that means allows for tiny tail-out moments, but it’s all so manageable.

Honestly, it feels like the thing has all-wheel drive. You can take a corner at high speed, flatten the throttle on exit, feel the back step out, hold the loud pedal down, and the car will straighten and bolt towards the next bend. Part of that is due to a clever rear differential and another part is probably down to the superb Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.

I assume it’s partly due to various safety and emissions regulations, but the M3 is a bit on the portly side. The fact that it performs as well as it does say a lot about the quality of M’s engineers, but mass is mass. Breaking the 1700kg mark (1742kg in total) is pushing it for a RWD sports car, although it does open some doors for weight savings on future CS models.

The eight-speed auto is totally fine – blisteringly quick, in fact – but it doesn’t quite have the same thrill as a dual-clutch. Minor complaint, though.

But why does it look like Bugs Bunny?

Okay, it feels like people complaining about the look of the new M3 and M4 (and greater 4 Series) haven’t actually seen one in person. The grille genuinely doesn’t look that bad. I know Chris Harris thinks it's yuck, but that’s his opinion. You are allowed your own, you know.

I’ll defend my position by saying that it serves to clearly differentiate the M3/M4 and 4 Series from other BMWs. Aside from the badges models were almost impossible to tell apart (for a normal person, don’t start with “just look at the larger wheel arches and different wing mirrors”).

BMW made it look more aggressive, more appropriate for the power and performance it offers. I agree it’s not the restrained sports sedan it once was, but change is okay.

Also, for whatever reason, the grille photographs terribly. It always seems to look massive in photos. And the front wheels don’t quite fill the guards enough.

But I’m nitpicking now. The car is more than good enough in terms of raw performance to offset the looks.

Aside from subjective stuff, does the car do anything wrong?

There are a few oddities. I’d stop short of saying it’s a problem affecting the M3 but the audio system in the tester tended to pop, cutting out all of the bass in the audio. Sometimes it would come back but once or twice it didn’t, forcing a full car restart.

The standard-kit carbon-fibre seat seats are extremely supportive and comfortable, but they are pretty hard to get in and out of. Anyone who’s bounced off the firm lower side support of a bucket seat trying to get in knows what I mean.

Any other cars I should consider?

The usual culprits. Look for the Mercedes-AMG C 63 ($175,900), still available as a V8 for the next little bit before it turns into a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, and the Audi RS 5 ($159,900). Also consider the Alfa-Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio ($139,990).