The Mighty M3

BMW’s Motorsports division has been responsible for creating high-performance racing and road cars for the company for over 28 years, starting with the M1 sports car and the 1300hp turbocharged Formula 1 engine. However, the M3, a tuned version of the 3-Series, has been by far the most successful project to ever come from the M stables at Preussenstrasse. The M3 has spanned three generations of 3-Series cars, with the 2001 version wholly embodying everything the car and the BMW Motorsports division has ever stood for.

The first M3 was brought to life in 1987 under the FIA’s mandate that 5,000 road-going versions of a racing car were needed to compete in Group A competition. From the beginning, the M3 has been all about performance, as the original model featured the 2.3L four-cylinder S14 powerplant. This engine, a direct descendant of the M10 Formula 1 unit, featured dual overhead cams, an ultra-stiff block, forged crank, free-flowing four valve head and suitability-strengthened internals. When the M tuners were done with it, the S14 produced 192 horsepower at 6,750 rpm, with a lofty 7,250 rpm redline. This high-revving race-bred engine was fitted to a car that featured an M-tuned suspension, massive brakes, close-ratio 5-speed manual, and subtle outer aerodynamic aids. Needless to say, the first M3 was a major sales success, bringing true mass production to the M facility for the first time. Now that the public had been introduced to the M3, their love affair with this car would never end.

However, with the next major redesign of the M3 came mixed feelings. The E36 M3 was introduced in 1992, with an evolution version brought to market in 1996. However, the car had gained weight, and its high-revving four-cylinder was replaced with a larger 3.0L inline-6 (later bumped up to 3.2L in the ’96 evolution model). While the E36 M3 was a superbly engineered car, one that performed beautifully on the road and track, some purists felt that it had gone “soft.” However, BMW has just shut up all its critics with the new E46 M3, which makes previous models look like Honda Civics by comparison.

While the new M3 is based on the current 3-Series platform, it shares little with its tamer brother. The highlight of this new M car is its awesome, 3.2L inline-6 engine, which produces a massive 333 hp and 262 lbs-ft of torque. This represents a huge increase in power over past M3s, which only reached a maximum of 240 hp in the United States. This new M-spec engine features a crossflow-cooled, DOHC, 24 valve head with lightweight intake valves, sodium filled exhaust valves, and stronger valve springs with lighter retainers. Breathing is further facilitated by BMW’s Double-VANOS variable valve timing system, which helps to spread power evenly across the rev-band. And this engine will rev too, with the aforementioned lightweight hardware and 40% less valvetrain friction compared to the previous 3.2L engine, a stratospheric 8,000 rpm redline is achieved. Formula 1-inspired composite intake runners, free-flowing exhaust system and six individual throttle bodies add to the performance symphony. The M3’s awesome power is channeled through a 6-speed manual gearbox, a first for a US-spec M3, from the M5 sedan. Power reaches the ground through 225-45-18 front and 255-35-18 rear wheels and tires along with a hydraulic clutch-actuated M differential. To complete the package, the M3 has 12.8-in disc brakes from the M5, as well as revised suspension geometry to help the car through the twisties. Performance is expected to far eclipse pervious M3s, with 0 to 60 mph times listed as 4.8 seconds with a computer-limited top speed of 155 mph.

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