It’s been 5 years since this model broke into the performance car scene and it seems that most of us who used to argue for its virtues against supercars like the Porsche 911 and Audi R8 have forgotten about its existence.
With so many new performance cars on sales in the country like the Audi RS5 and the Mercedes C63 AMG, this M3 has disappeared into the shadows. Used values today have fallen like with many other supercars and this 4 seater supercar is now available for sale at parallel importers for very easy on the pocket prices.
The BMW M3 achieves its outstanding performance with impressive efficiency. Its 4.0 litre V8 high-revving engine mobilises 420bhp, enabling superior acceleration response due to its unique propulsion. In addition to its fascinating performance characteristics, the 8-cylinder engine – developed exclusively for the BMW M3 is characterised by an unusually high degree of efficiency. Additional efficiency potential is now tapped into with the Auto Start Stop Function. This helps the drive avoid idling phases when stopping at junctions or in congested traffic. In order to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption the engine is switched off when the vehicle comes to a halt. As soon as the driver wishes to continue driving, the engine is re-activated without delay.
The Auto Start Stop Function is used both in vehicles with standard 6-speed manual transmission and in conjunction with the M dual clutch transmission with Drivelogic. The BMW M3 is thus the first model – along with the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 and the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – to use this efficiency-enhancing measure in combination with an automated manual transmission.
The increase in efficiency brought about by the Auto Start Stop Function is up to 8 per cent of 24 grams of CO2 per kilometre, depending on the model and transmission type. For example, the BMW M3 Coupé with 7-speed M dual clutch transmission and Drivelogic powered by a V8 high-revving engine with 309 kW/420 bhp now achieves an average fuel consumption on the EU test cycle of 11.2 litres per 100 kilometres (6-speed manual transmission: 12.4 litres). The same figures apply to the BMW M3 Sedan. In the case of the BMW M3 Convertible, the average fuel consumption is reduced to 11.5 litres (M dual clutch transmission with Drivelogic) or 12.7 litres (6-speed manual transmission) per 100 kilometres.
Modified rear lights with glass covers in a homogeneous red colour provide an additional visual accentuation in the BMW M3 Coupé and the BMW M3 Convertible. With two harmoniously illuminating light banks fed by LED units, they create a characteristic nocturnal design.
The Competition Package, which will come with some nearly used cars is available for the Coupé and the Sedan. With a suspension lowered by some 10 mm and light alloy wheels in the size 9 x 19 inches at the front and Y-spoke design at the rear, the Competition Package provides further optimised longitudinal and transverse dynamics. In addition, the control of the electronic damper adjustment function EDC including a Sport mode specially developed for the Competition Package has been precisely adjusted to the chassis modifications by means of map-based control and the driving stability control function DSC.
