2011 BMW M3

Competition Package
For $2,500 (on a BMW option sheet, little more than chump change) you can imbue your M Coupe or Sedan with all of the goodness Munich ever intended. It is wider wheels, lowered suspension and enhanced poise added to a platform that is already on the cusp of an automotive nirvana. Passengers should wear earmuffs and blindfolds.

Performance Center Delivery
Show up in Greenville, South Carolina, receive track instruction in a similarly-spec'd M3, and head home in your new BMW boasting a newfound combination of pride and passion. BMW isn't the first to combine track instruction with delivery, but they're one of the few marques making it so accessible. Greenville, to be sure, isn't the Nurburgring, but is so much more accessible to an Interstate.

Regardless of how you decorate it (and there are numerous choices in leather and trim), the M3 driver's cabin is just that - a place for a pilot and (up to) three passengers. Both coupe and convertible are rated by the EPA as subcompacts, and there's a reason for that: Those with big luggage or big families need not apply. The M3 is arguably BMW's most driver-oriented vehicle (check out the M Drive button now mounted on the steering wheel...), and isn't for the poseur - although we're sure that class makes up an increasing number of buyers. Front seats are ultra-supportive, which speaks well to the target demographic; young, affluent and hyper-active. Convertibles are often relegated to recreational duty on weekends, with the top - depending on regional climates - rarely raised, while the M3 Sedan provides a sweet spot in family mobility.

BMW's M3 is, in a word, planted, sitting low and almost rakish on its four large alloys. The front fender gills remain, as do - in the rear - the prominent exhaust outlets. The front fascia is more aggressive - and its air intake more expansive - than the standard 3 Series, and the hood is domed, but general proportions mimic those of its more attainable brethren. We especially like its side skirts, which add immeasurably to its profile.

As noted, this is BMW's first foray with V8 power in the M3. Don't, however, be alarmed; this isn't Dodge's Challenger. The BMW edict of lightness and balance remain intact. The light-alloy 32-valve DOHC V8 is compact, and delivers 414 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque with the fluidity of an electric drivetrain. Despite upping the piston count by a third and providing 25 percent more displacement, the V8 weighs seven percent less than its in-line six predecessor. Mated to either the standard manual 6-speed or available 7-speed double-clutch gearbox, there is absolutely no interruption in the flow of power, all the way to the V8's 8,400 rpm redline. And with the optional double clutch with Drive Logic, eleven different shift programs - five automatic and six manual - are designed to suit the needs of individual drivers and any driving situation.

4.0-liter V8
414 horsepower @ 8300 rpm
295 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3900 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/20 (sedan and coupe, convertible with automatic), 13/20 (convertible, manual)

Pricing begins at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail price (MSRP) of about $58,000 for the 2011 BMW M3 Sedan, $61,000 for the Coupe and just over $70,000 for the Convertible. And while those window stickers can easily be elevated - by as much as 20 percent - via BMW's option sheet, the M3's performance envelope - especially in a track day environment - is the equal of exotics costing tens of thousands more. When buying, be sure and check kbb.com's Fair Purchase Price for a reliable indicator of what buyers in your area are paying. In terms of resale, we expect the M3, like all of BMW's lineup, to hold up well over time.

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