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For decades, BMW's M3 has been the definitive sports sedan, the mark by which all of its competition has been measured.
But with its latest generation, it changes its tune.
Quite literally.
Gone is the high screaming V8, replaced by an inline six cylinder with a turbo.
It make more power now, 425 horsepowers as a matter of fact.
It's also got more tech, but it costs more too.
Starting at $63,000.
Is it worth it?
Let's find out.
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Of course being an [UNKNOWN] car is all about driving dynamics on the road, and driven hard on the road.
So it definitely comes alive, especially when you get it configured exactly how you like.
The BMW has very softy placed a series of button heres on the center console so I can dial in the throttle response, the suspension, and even the stiffness of the steering.
You can get it perfect.
And once you get it perfect you can assign your favorites onto one of two buttons here on the steering wheel so you can have a nice mode for cruising into work in the morning and another mode for flying home from work At the end of the day.
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Now, this car's been equipped with BMW's optional [UNKNOWN] breaks They're a very pricey option.
And, honestly, I don't really like them on the road that much.
They've got a really sharp initial bite, which if you're just cruising up to a stop sign, little bit too harsh.
But on the track, they're definitely well worth thinking about, especially if you're gonna be going to the track quite frequently.
They have great feel.
They have no signs of fade, even if you're going lap after lap on a hard track.
That said, I don't think the M3 is actually the best Track car.
On a wide, fast flowing track, you can definitely have a lot of fun.
But on the slower corners, the traction control is way too limiting.
It just cuts the power way too early.
It doesn't really let you stretch the car's length at all.
You really need to turn the traction control all the way off before you can start to have a really good time in this car.
And once you do, You gotta be careful.
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And the M3's, of course, using BMW IDrive system, which relies largely on a centered wheel, as it has for a long, long time.
This system has evolved greatly over the years and, frankly, it's one of my favorite in car systems for controlling navigation, stereo, heating controls, everything.
It does mean you're going through a lot of menus and that'll take some time to learn and get comfortable.
But once you do you can pretty quickly and easily toggle everything from seat controls to driving controls to radio Radio presets and everything else, it's all very easily done with this one wheel, and you can do it without being distracted, which when you're driving a car this fast, is an important thing.
And overall, the interior, it's a very nice place to be.
We've got nice leather surfaces.
We've got hints of carbon fiber.
And being a BMW, you can of course configure this to look pretty much however you want to.
If you don't mind spending the money.
So it doesn't sound quite as nice, you can always hear that nagging fear in the back of your mind, that what you're hearing is actually coming out of the speaker and not out of the engine.
It's also pretty expensive, but some of the upgrades in the M3 are really nice, and ultimately this is still a class-leading car.
Yes, the competition is very close and in some ways.
Maybe even ahead.
Cars like Cadillac's ATS-V, the Mercedes AMG C63 are on par, or in some cases, better.
But the M3 is still a great car.
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