![]() ![]() There also seemed to be more differentiation between the M3 and the lesser 3-Series in E46 form, so you didn’t get the hordes of 318is with M3 body-kits and twin tail-pipes cruising the strip on a Saturday night, giving real M3 owners (and anybody else who could spot a ringer) the irrits. It had that thing going on, too, where every panel looked stretched tight over the frame. And for some reason, it didn’t date as quickly as the E36. The E46 bodyshell in two-door form looked bigger than the E36 in every direction, but it was also more muscular and better balanced. (And, yes, I know the next M3 will revert to six-pot power – see the bottom of this page – I’m speaking historically, okay.) Anyways, the E46 M3 was some kind of sweet ride. And then, when the E46 arrived, it seemed like BMW had chucked everything at the concept.Īnd when you consider that BMW knew then that it was to be the last of the six-cylinder M3s, maybe that’s exactly what happened. The original version with three litres and five-speeds was a rocket, but the update model with 3.2 litres and a six-speed manual was even rocketier. And according to that formula, the very last of the six-potter M3s, the E46, is the big kahuna. I even acknowledge that the original M3 was, in fact, four-cylinder powered, but for mine, a true M3 will always have an inline six-banger with an ear-shredding soundtrack and a redline way up here. And yes, I am aware that it was a 309kW V8 and, yes, I know it revved to 8000rpm and beyond.Īnd yes I’ll admit it was faster than the old six-cylinder M3. ![]() ![]() Shout me down if you want (and I’m sure some will) but the M3 lost me philosophically when it went from a howling straight-six to a V8. It’s not that I don’t like the M3, just that it doesn’t make me want to sell my family to own one. This feature article was first published in MOTOR magazine's January 2013 issue. AS much as I appreciate the abilities and sheer speed of the current-model BMW M3, I, for one, will not miss it when it’s gone. ![]()
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