BMW F80 M3 Review Takes it to the Dyno

Now, we know why they were so low. As you’re about to see in his complete review, the dyno they used didn’t have proper vents up front that would feed the engine at high RPMs. Lack of air means lack of performance, especially for the naturally aspirated unit that will have to work harder to get the needed amount of oxygen.

But that’s only a small part of the entire review. The new M3 was put through its paces in every test the guys from Motor Trend usually do on every car they get. On the figure eight, the car posted an time of 24 seconds flat with an average lateral acceleration of 0.85 G, while the Carbon Ceramic Brakes stopped the sedan from 60 mph in just 99 feet.

That’s not what you wanted to know, now is it? You are more interested in the drag strip results, right? Well, the M3 got a 3.9 second run to 60 mph and the 1/4 mile was covered in 12.2 seconds at 117.3 mph (189 km/h). Those are good numbers for a car with only 431 HP and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque.

If for other cars, taking them to the track wouldn’t make too much sense, for a proper M model (especially one that has a rich Motorsport history like the M3) it’s a must. That’s where Carlos discovered what this beast is capable of.

Using expressions words like ‘fantastic’, ‘great’ or ‘amazing’ you probably know what kind of conclusion he arrived at. The new steering proved to be ‘fantastic’ while the chassis was described as enticing, making you want to drive more and harder at the same time, offering the kind of feedback people stopped expecting from a car a while back.

Bottom line, the new M3 is a complete car for the usual track enthusiast. It offers practicality, it can be comfortable and it will keep you running at the forefront of the pack on any circuit, all at the same time. Sure, you don’t get the same ‘exciting’ V8 from the E9x platform but the new I6 is not bad at all. And torque is always welcome, right?