Under the bulging hood
The crown jewel of the 2009 BMW M3 Coupé is found not over but under the skin. The 4.0-litre V8 effortlessly produces 414 horsepower and growls with excitement anytime you hammer the throttle. Said excitement translates into blistering accelerations from 0 to 100 km/h and a quarter-mile run in 12.9 seconds only.
It sure helps when the car is optioned with BMW’s lightning-quick double-clutch transmission featuring Drivelogic, a technology that optimizes engine speed and shifting performance under acceleration and deceleration with no momentum loss. While purists tend to loathe this type of driving, I must admit that the unit’s quick and sharp operation make the whole thing immensely enjoyable and smoother despite the sporty aspirations of the car.
Throw in a surgically-precise steering and sporty brakes and you get an incredible machine that will help you fulfill your wildest fantasies. It’s just too bad that the ride suffers that much, even though the suspension is a tad more civilized (read: softer) than ever before. Cruising around town on pothole-filled streets turns into a bone-jarring experience.
But that’s a rather small price to pay when you consider the refined manners of the M3 on above-average roads and of course its wonderful ability to control weight transfers and deliver easy handling when the strip starts to wind.
M3 wrap-up
Stylish, racy and decidedly sporty, the 2009 BMW M3 Coupé is all that and so much more. Unfortunately, the side effects include a lower ride quality and less money in your bank account. Yet, when you factor in the performance levels, the extra investment seems justified after all.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
The crown jewel of the 2009 BMW M3 Coupé is found not over but under the skin. The 4.0-litre V8 effortlessly produces 414 horsepower and growls with excitement anytime you hammer the throttle. Said excitement translates into blistering accelerations from 0 to 100 km/h and a quarter-mile run in 12.9 seconds only.
 |
| The crown jewel of the 2009 BMW M3 Coupé is found not over but under the skin. |
It sure helps when the car is optioned with BMW’s lightning-quick double-clutch transmission featuring Drivelogic, a technology that optimizes engine speed and shifting performance under acceleration and deceleration with no momentum loss. While purists tend to loathe this type of driving, I must admit that the unit’s quick and sharp operation make the whole thing immensely enjoyable and smoother despite the sporty aspirations of the car.
Throw in a surgically-precise steering and sporty brakes and you get an incredible machine that will help you fulfill your wildest fantasies. It’s just too bad that the ride suffers that much, even though the suspension is a tad more civilized (read: softer) than ever before. Cruising around town on pothole-filled streets turns into a bone-jarring experience.
But that’s a rather small price to pay when you consider the refined manners of the M3 on above-average roads and of course its wonderful ability to control weight transfers and deliver easy handling when the strip starts to wind.
M3 wrap-up
Stylish, racy and decidedly sporty, the 2009 BMW M3 Coupé is all that and so much more. Unfortunately, the side effects include a lower ride quality and less money in your bank account. Yet, when you factor in the performance levels, the extra investment seems justified after all.
 |
| This latest generation, however, turns out to be slightly more refined than its predecessors. |
photo:Matthieu Lambert
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