With the push of the ignition button the BMW M3 roars to life. The engine rumbles as the pistons begin to warm up and the dew begins to evaporate from the vehicle's hood. It's the perfect fall day, not too hot, not too cold and just warm enough to drive with the windows down. I've been looking forward to this drive for a few weeks, as soon as BMW let me know they had an M3 I could borrow I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas day.
I've always had a thing for cars, and like I mentioned in my last BMW blog, most of the cars i've had a thing for are BMWs. The M3 is one car that really needs no introduction, it's always been one of the most powerful machines in BMW's lineup. Under the hood is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The lime green version with the M racing stripes that I drove had the competition package which includes the 20 inch spoked rims that you see below (excuse the dirt, we actually drove the car).
I was lucky enough to keep the M3 for an extra couple of days after my Sunday drive and let me tell you, this thing turns heads. I really should have recorded the sound of the engine because it's absolutely sublime, it's got just enough rumble to turn heads but it's definitely not overdone. You can set it in comfort to drive around the neighbourhood stealthily or change it to sport plus if you want your neighbours to hear you coming from around the block. The change from Comfort to Sport and Sport plus also gives the M3 multiple personalities. It's just as comfortable in the grocery store parking lot as it is at the race track, and I love that. This video gives you a pretty good idea of what this beast sounds like.
I saw a turkey in the distance :).
The interior is gorgeous, there are so many little details that I absolutely loved like the M stripes stitched into the seatbelt. The seats hug you through every turn and the Harmon Kardon audio system let's you blast "Highway to Hell" as you burn rubber.
I tested the 7 speed automatic transmission and was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the M3 drives like a manual automatic if that makes sense. It feels like someone else is pushing the clutch down and shifting for you rather than the boring pedestrian feeling that you get driving a regular automatic vehicle.
I definitely thought about high-tailing it to Mexico and disappearing with this vehicle but unfortunately didn't have the guts to do so. All in all I would definitely buy a BMW M3, it's a fantastic mix of sporty and practical, maybe I should pull the trigger on it. What do you think?
