Why The 2014 BMW M3 Is The Most Perfect Car I've Ever Driven

The new BMW M3 and M4 pairing represent a big change in the model’s history. For starters, there’s the new M4 name which still confuses and surprises people. In case you’re one of them, the M4 is the coupe version of the M3 saloon, which explains the new 4-series (the coupe version of the 3-series) line-up you’ve probably heard about.

Away from the naming system, the biggest changes come under the skin. For the first time ever, the cars (including the forthcoming M4 convertible) are powered by a turbocharged engine.

From 3.0 litres and with the addition of two clever turbochargers (the turbines are integrated into the manifold to save weight and reduce thermal losses), BMW’s M division has extracted a whopping 425bhp and 406lb ft of torque.

“Both cars are as good as it gets in terms of sex appeal, performance, dynamics, noise and driver involvement”

The performance is equally impressive; 0-62mph takes just 4.1 seconds, which undercuts the previous generation M3 V8 coupe’s time by 0.5 seconds. What’s more, the new car offers 28 per cent more range from one tank of fuel and is 26 per cent kinder to the environment, dipping under 200g/km CO2 for the first time since the original, four-cylinder E30 M3 of the 1980s…what a car that was.

Formal introductions aside, how do the new 2014 M3 and M4 cars perform? Without trying to sound like too much of a BMW fanboy, both cars are as good as it gets in terms of sex appeal, performance, dynamics, noise and driver involvement.

Starting from the outside, there’s no denying that the M3 and M4 look awesome. The coupe is the slightly smaller of the two, yet offers all the bulges, attitude and road presence that we’ve come to expect. The M3 is the more handsome and imposing of the pair (it’s 7mm wider, 41mm taller and 23kg heavier) and is also the car you’d take home according to our recent poll.

Because great attention has been focussed on weight saving, you’ll find plenty of carbonfibre on both cars - including the roof, drive shaft and engine strut - which not only serves to trim the fat, but also looks spectacular. See for yourselves how good these cars look on the move…

On the open road, the pairing are, simply put, sublime drivers’ cars. The M4 feels more edgy and twitchy on the limit (it’s slightly stiffer than the M3), which demands greater concentration from its driver. For me, it was the M3 saloon that suited my driving style best, a sentiment shared by many on the same trip. Despite this, BMW estimates that 61 per cent of sales will go to the M4 coupe during the car’s life cycle, leaving sales of the M3 flagging at just 11 per cent (the remaining 28 per cent of sales will go to the M4 convertible).

Both the M3 and M4 are tuned for fast driving, rapid changes of direction and eye-popping acceleration. The steering - the focus of which has been on removing synthetic feel - is direct and super-sharp which, combined with the cars’ lightweight 19-inch wheels and wide rubber, makes mincemeat of sweeping corners and tight hairpin turns (of which there are many in the Austrian mountains). The steering feel itself is as confidence-inspiring as the car’s ability to dart from point to point like a scared squirrel (trust me, they’re fast little creatures).

Twinned with incredible steering is instant torque (there’s 38 per cent more twist than the old naturally-aspirated V8), which shoots you out of a bend with a meaty slap on the back. In Sport Plus mode, this allows the car’s tail to slide slightly without inducing involuntary bowel movements. Switch the systems off completely, however, and both cars are happy to smoke their way through a corner sideways.

With big speed, comes the necessity for strong stopping power, something which the M3 and M4’s optional M carbon ceramic brakes (an eye-watering £6250) have plenty of.

Over a period of a few hours of punishing mountain driving, the brakes remained strong, despite the brake pedal itself working its way closer and closer to the bulkhead. Quick deceleration is also helped by the M4’s sub-1500kg kerb weight, which is no mean feat considering its power, poise and luxurious interior.

As standard, you get everything you’d expect from a £55,000+ sports car and super saloon (the cabriolet will cost considerably more at £59,330). On the list are 19-inch lightweight wheels, leather everything and a carbonfibre-reinforced roof which, again, looks the nuts.

Speaking of which, there’s been a lot of concern from people who are convinced that the new six-cylinder turbocharged engines will sound anything but the nuts. I can say, unequivocally, that they’re all wrong. The cars sound wicked from both inside and outside, especially when you’ve got a few tunnels handy. Which we did…

The quad exhasts pop on the overrun like any thoroughbred sports car and the six-pot scream at high revs is truly intoxicating. It’s for exactly these reasons that we were seeing just under 13mpg from a spirited few hours of driving. Officially, BMW claims a combined figure of just over 32mpg, which I’d say is totally plausible once you’ve spent long enough with the car to not want to floor it. Everywhere.

When you do just want to kick back and chill, the M3 and M4 are your friend. Simply knock the suspension, steering and gearbox settings into comfort and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you were cruising in a 335i, let alone a car with more than 100bhp more and the ability to smoke more tyres than Ken Block.

The seven-speed M-DCT gearbox (again, the only option available to us over the two days) is smooth and responsive, which makes driving at any speeds a doddle. Although you’re probably expecting the famous last words - a DCT is the only option with the car - there is good news, because you can have your M-car with a six-speed manual gearbox. That applies to both the M3 and M4.

Now back in the real world after having driven the M3 and M4 in the winding mountains of western Austria (a true Mecca for petrolheads), I am convinced that the BMW M3 is the most perfect car I’ve ever driven. Okay, so over £55,000 is a lot to pay, but it’s all the car you’d ever want it to be. Good looks? Check. Power and performance? You bet. A decent noise? You’ve heard how great it sounds in the videos above.

So why the M3 and not the M4, you ask? Well, despite being heavier and a little more expensive, I prefer the look of the M3 saloon. It’s got more presence, more clout and simply oozes cool. Then there are the little things like the fact that you get grab handles in the M3 and not in the M4, plus the former car being the more practical and slightly more supple of the two without losing out in performance and agility.

If you’re in the market for a supercar for all occasions (or if you aspire to own a car like this), I can’t recommend either an M3 or its bigger-selling M4 brother enough. In fact, I’m seriously considering launching a kickstarter page to fund my M3 habit. Well played, BMW.