While everyone else was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the M3 Coupé, this was the car I’d been itching to get my hands on. You might think I’m mad, but hear me out… A blast over Franshoek Pass in an Audi RS4 late last year whet my appetite for über saloons – the kind of machinery that combine enough power to shift a small landmass in a practical saloon shell. So, when BMW decided to transplant the M3 Coupé’s high revving 4,0-litre V8 engine into a body based upon its much-lauded 3 Series a true rival to the RS4 finally emerged. Is it better than the RS4? I’ll come to that later. In the meantime let’s look at what this car is all about.
Stylistically, BMW has done well to differentiate this car from the standard 3 Series without resorting to overtly boy racer bolt-ons. The Saloon borrows the Coupé’s rakish nose, with that distinctive power bulge sitting proudly atop the bonnet. The other M3 staples are also there: the signature chromed “gills” on the front flanks, the gaping front air dam and merest hint of a boot spoiler and the signature four exhaust tips. The cabin follows the exterior’s subtle-yet-effective lead – it is typically BMW-solid and sports touches such as unpolished carbon fibre trim accents.
We’re now familiar with the outputs issuing forth from the 4,0-litre V8 powerplant: 309 kW, 400 N.m at 3 900 r/min, 0-100 km/h in 4,9 seconds, top speed electronically limited to 250 km/h… all impressive stuff, but it does little to impart just what kind of driving experience this car offers.
The M3 is alive. A corny explanation, but it’s the best one I can think of. The steering is simply sublime – full of feeling, exquisitely weighted and immensely responsive. The Saloon turns in keenly at the slightest request from the tiller and grips with a beguiling tenacity that allows you to carry more speed through sweeping bends than you’d otherwise account for. The ride is supple enough to absorb the ruts and bumps without jolting the occupants and the chassis is completely unfazed by anything you throw at it. In fact, the M3 Saloon’s suspension conspires with the steering to communicate exactly what the car is up to at any given time.
You’d think that with the barrage of compliments there would have to be a negative thrown into the mix at some juncture, but it’s difficult to think of anything that seriously tarnishes the M3 Saloon’s credentials. There is more road noise intruding into the cabin than you’d expect, but its augmented by the addictive snarl of the V8 that managed to coax a broad grin from a die-hard Mercedes fan such as myself. The effortless manner with which the Saloon gathers momentum is also worth of a contented smile. As you snick through the ratios and appreciate the fact that this car’s clutch does not require Herculean calf muscles to operate, the awareness of this powerplant’s sheer flexibility sneaks up on you. There isn’t that immediate pin-you-down dollop of torque under hard acceleration that you experience in the RS4 – the M3’s engine simply spins ever higher up the rev range and reels slower traffic in with pleasing rapidity.
A couple of laps around Port Elizabeth’s Aldo Scribante circuit simply amplified what ability the M3 has – an RS4 will ferry you around a circuit in a suitably brisk manner…and that’s it immensely forgiving and flattering, but not that involving. The M3 makes you work for its respect and pays you back with superb poise and a more engrossing overall experience.
Is it better than the RS4? In terms of packaging, power and torque, there’s little to separate the two, but as then again, we’ll have to wait for the RS version of the new A4 for a fairer comparison. As things stand at the moment, I’d leave you folks with the following: Those seeking a touch more refinement will prefer the RS4, but they will be missing out on what makes an über saloon something to really savour – the juxtaposition of engaging dynamics and thundering soundtrack in an otherwise conservative package – the M3 Saloon has all of those bases covered and, for me at least, manages to eclipse the Audi.
However, the M3 Saloon will not be able to rest on its laurels. Mercedes-Benz SA is preparing to launch the C63 AMG in the near future, and considering the favourable reviews the Affalterbach bullet has received in the international media, the BMW and ‘Benz rivalry is not just set to continue, it’s bound to escalate!
To hear the guttural snarl of the M3’s 4,0-litre V8, click here.
To check out all the details and specifications for the BMW M3 Saloon, click here.
