X

2021 BMW M3 drives better than it looks

The new M3 might not have a pretty face, but it's a damn fine sport sedan.

Steven Ewing
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
2021 BMW M3
1 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

This is the new 2021 BMW M3 sedan.

2021 BMW M3
2 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

And yeah, it's way better looking from the rear.

2021 BMW M3
3 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

The inside is nicely appointed, and I love the orange seats.

2021 BMW M3
4 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 makes 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque in its base tune, or 503 hp and 479 lb.-ft. in Competition spec.

2021 BMW M3
5 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

You can get the base version with a six-speed manual transmission.

2021 BMW M3
6 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

BMW's iDrive 7 infotainment system comes standard.

2021 BMW M3
7 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

That nose, though -- yikes.

2021 BMW M3
8 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

The new Isle of Man green paint is awesome.

2021 BMW M3
9 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

The M3 is pretty great to drive, too.

2021 BMW M3
10 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

Keep clicking or scrolling for more photos of the 2021 BMW M3.

2021 BMW M3
11 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
12 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
13 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
14 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
15 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
16 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
17 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
18 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
19 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
20 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
21 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
22 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
23 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
24 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
25 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
26 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
27 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
28 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
29 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
30 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
31 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
32 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
33 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow
2021 BMW M3
34 of 34 Jonathan Harper/Roadshow

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos