Priceless
Pulling into the BMW Canada western zone office always sparks a little excitement, no matter how often it occurs. Rows of gleaming 3s, 5s and 7s, X5s, Z4s and even the odd Z8 are in parc fermé. Although any such model could easily make me the envy of my neighborhood, it's the M cars that send shivers of excitement up my spine.
 |
| From the moment I was handed the keys to the BMW M3 SMG coupe, I knew this could be the perfect combination. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
I recently returned a black-on-black 745i, an impressive car to say the least, and my heart jumped at the sight of a stunning silver-on-red M3 coupe. Silver is the quintessential German hue, being the country's racing colors since time immemorial, and the red leather interior takes me back to fond memories of a particularly sweet 3.0 CSi coupe that wore the same combination.
I immediately phoned my BMW 'connection' and booked it. Maybe it was the fact that I'd driven the M3 previously, both in coupe 6-speed and convertible SMG sequential manual modes, which caused my anticipation. Adding to the excitement was that this particular car would be the first coupe SMG variant I'd laid my hands on, which might just be the perfect combination.
 |
| At about $25,000 less than its closest competitor, the Porsche 911, the M3 SMG is definitely close to the number one spot on my personal top ten list. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
But to be fair, I haven't yet decided on what transmission I prefer. Oh, I couldn't think of a better car when it comes to power to weight ratio, engine performance, handling, interior quality and overall styling, all key factors in making my top 10 list, and the fact that at $73,800 it slots in about $25,000 less than the its closest competitor, the Porsche 911, its value proposition puts it close to my number one pick overall.