Exorcism not required
Remember the 1973 movie The Exorcist, in which a delightful young girl played by Linda Blair is possessed by the devil and only an exorcism will save her? Well in many ways the M3 is the automotive equivalent to that movie. In BMW's version, a sweet beautifully refined 3-Series sedan is bitten by the devil and infused with unearthly power and performance, less the evil that Linda harbored.
Head-turning styling cues
Like Linda's performance in which her head rotated 360-degrees, many heads turned sharply to have a good look at the new M3. A series of dramatic styling cues draw attention and separate it from its 3-Series genus, making it far more aggressive in appearance.
Most dramatic of which is the M3's hood, into which a substantial bulge has been stamped to provide room for the M-exclusive V8 scrunched-in beneath it. Two intake ports (one real and one fiction) add to a sense that something sinister is lurking just below the surface.
A revised front fascia accommodates a huge air intake below the traditional bi-kidney grille to ensure sufficient draft flows over the heat-generating elements up front. A side view of the M3 reveals massive wheels filling the fender wells. Thanks to the optional 19-inch dual spoke alloy wheels on my tester, the Michelin Pilot Sport tires up front measured 245/35/ZR19 while the rear Pilots came in at 265/35/ZR19.
From the rear a pair of twinned exhaust pipes jump out at the eyes, hinting at what's cooking at the other end of the tubing. A small lip-spoiler along the trunk line further distinguishes the M3 from garden-variety forms of the 3-Series Bimmer.
Interior styling retains BMW's sense of "business only" when it comes to aesthetics. The discreet addition of a few important buttons, such as 'POWER' and 'M' add to the M3's distinctiveness, but more on that later.
Remember the 1973 movie The Exorcist, in which a delightful young girl played by Linda Blair is possessed by the devil and only an exorcism will save her? Well in many ways the M3 is the automotive equivalent to that movie. In BMW's version, a sweet beautifully refined 3-Series sedan is bitten by the devil and infused with unearthly power and performance, less the evil that Linda harbored.
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| The M3 is a car of extreme performance capabilities combined with real-world functionality and driveablity. |
Head-turning styling cues
Like Linda's performance in which her head rotated 360-degrees, many heads turned sharply to have a good look at the new M3. A series of dramatic styling cues draw attention and separate it from its 3-Series genus, making it far more aggressive in appearance.
Most dramatic of which is the M3's hood, into which a substantial bulge has been stamped to provide room for the M-exclusive V8 scrunched-in beneath it. Two intake ports (one real and one fiction) add to a sense that something sinister is lurking just below the surface.
A revised front fascia accommodates a huge air intake below the traditional bi-kidney grille to ensure sufficient draft flows over the heat-generating elements up front. A side view of the M3 reveals massive wheels filling the fender wells. Thanks to the optional 19-inch dual spoke alloy wheels on my tester, the Michelin Pilot Sport tires up front measured 245/35/ZR19 while the rear Pilots came in at 265/35/ZR19.
From the rear a pair of twinned exhaust pipes jump out at the eyes, hinting at what's cooking at the other end of the tubing. A small lip-spoiler along the trunk line further distinguishes the M3 from garden-variety forms of the 3-Series Bimmer.
Interior styling retains BMW's sense of "business only" when it comes to aesthetics. The discreet addition of a few important buttons, such as 'POWER' and 'M' add to the M3's distinctiveness, but more on that later.
 |
| A revised front fascia accommodates a huge air intake below the traditional bi-kidney grille. |