BMW E46 M3

To kick off our car reviews, BMW Doncaster graciously granted MSCG the use of a brand new BMW M3. Although this is the outgoing model with the new E90 3 Series just having been launched, our hands were itching to drive any form of M3.

Firing the Beemer's 3.2 litre inline 6, I had the sensation of smooth and refined power flowing through from just under the power bulge on the bonnet straight through to the two twin exhausts sticking out if it's stubby arse. Nudging the car gently on to Doncaster Road was no mean feat as there was a deep crevice where driveway met road.

Step on the throttle and the next thing I know is I'm pulling 3 G's and 140km/h in a 70 zone uphill. Might as well be in a vertical climb at 10,000 feet in a F/A-18 Hornet for all I care. The silky smooth Bavarian powerplant generates 252kw at 7900 rpm and 365 Nm of torque which can take the M3 from go to woah in 5.2 seconds, easily in Porsche territory. And it's remarkably frugal on fuel, only 11.9 L/100km on the combined highway/city cycle. Amazing.

The first thing that grabbed me was its grip. This chunky Beemer holds on the road like a fat man holding his hamburger. The huge 18 inch multispoke rims (225/45 ZR rear, 255/40 ZR front) give the M3 phenomenal grip on the coarse bitumen of Warrandytes backroads. The more I pushed it, the more it hung on. Nothing, bar an even fatter man with no hamburger, could cause it to feel even a little bit uneasy. The combination of these huge wheels and firm suspension results in minimal body roll when turning. I found myself leaning into turns a lot less than I did with other cars.

Handling is sharp. Razor sharp. So sharp that if it was any sharper the steering wheel would cut your hands and you'd have to drive with your knees. And soon after that your knees would be cut off. Quick, simple and easy. Simply turn the wheel to face the car where you want it to go and it goes there. No fuss whatsoever. Road feedback is perfect through the chunky steering wheel. It never feels jittery or unsettled.

Which brings me to the transmission. Our M3 was fitted with one of the newer SMG II sequential boxes. The direct opposite of a Tiptronic or Autotronic or Megatronic boxes that are increasingly being found in pretty much all cars, the SMG is a clutchless manual transmission with the option of having it self shift if you find yourself busy like eating while driving. Laid out in a literal "h"gate, it feels like a classy and working version of the Daytona box that every Viet on Russell Street has played on. Simply pull back to go up a gear, push forward to go down. Reverse is across and up. The SMG is so advanced that it has different modes. For example, enable Sports mode and all your gear changes will be superfast, somewhere in the vicinity of 80 milliseconds, which is faster than an F1 car. Perfect shifts 100% of the time. A beautiful feature is the "Acceleration Assist" as the folks at BMW call it. It's more commonly known as "Launch Control". In a nutshell, this setting allows the M3 to fly off at the traffic lights against a riceboy in a Supra and kick it's arse so hard that the Hello Kitty's sitting on his dashboard will cry. You pull the gear selector back, mash the throttle and when you're happy, release the gear lever. The result? Minimised wheel spin, 4 G's pushing you back into your leather seat and a very sad riceboy.

Lookswise? Solid. A normal mother on her trip to Safeway in her Mitsubishi Pajero wouldn't be able to distinguish it from a 325Ci or even 330Ci. To be honest, they do look very similar. However, the discerning eye should be able to spot the ominous power bulge on the bonnet, the flared wheel arches, the massive 18inch M3 rims and the quad exhausts. Overall, the M3 sits much lower and wider than the standard 3 coupe.

The interior is beautiful as always, top quality BMW. Nice light leather (although I would've liked a darker colour, easier to clean), supportive seats and clear instrumentation. The only thing that I can pick on is the SMG shifter is really short and stubby...like a potato. Still, it looks very very cool with the chrome surrounds and blue lights.

My dream car?? If I had $140k to spend, this would be the FIRST thing I'd buy. No hesitation at all. If you have the cash to spare, buy one now. Stop reading and BUY ONE. NOW.

20/20

- MTC