…in 2014, came the F80 (M3) and and the change to M4 for the coupe (F82), the M3 living on as the sedan. Closely related to the E60 M5’s V10, it was lovely and rightly regarded as brilliant. The 4.0-litre V8 spun out a massive 309kW (420PS) at a stratospheric 8300rpm. Then came the E90 V8-powered machine with its carbon fibre roof, twin-clutch transmission to go alongside the manual and, oh, that noise. That was closely followed by a less hardcore M3 CS. Lighter (by a massive 110kg), harder and completely bonkers, there was a lot of the unruly E30 in it (yes, I have driven that, and may yet do so again…). The E46 also spawned the instant classic – the M3 CSL. The SMG still wasn’t that good or popular, but hey, BMW had to start somewhere. The E46’s inline six delivered 252kW (338PS) and 365Nm. Sticking with the straight six, it got heavier again but more powerful. It’s safe to say that this was not a popular move. The E36 is also famous for the introduction of the SMG single-clutch semi-automatic. The upgrade in 1996 that also brought the six-speed manual also offered a consoling 15Nm of torque, rising to 320Nm. Weirdly, the US and Canada had different engines to the European M3s, soldiering on with the 179kW (243PS) S52. That brought the car to life in a big way. Another reason for that was the power jump to 239kW (325PS). Thankfully, in 1996, a six-speed arrived along with extra torque with the move to 3.2-litres. But with that extra gear, it became a more flexible, more impressive car. That car was famous for top gear having a 1.0 ratio – that’s third gear on most cars from the time. Initially a controversial machine, the first version had a five-speed manual paired with a 3.0-litre in-line six. Hugely popular, it sold from 1992 to 1999. It was a very different car to the E30 – heavier, more luxurious, a bit more mainstream. The second M3 was the straight-six powered E36. The M3 world rages over which is the best. As the years went by, power went up from 143kW (195PS) to 160kW (220PS) in the EVO2 and finally, for a limited run, the 175kW (238PS) 2.5-litre EVO3. Powered by a four-cylinder engine from BMW Motorsport, the first M3 makes people who haven’t even driven it dewy-eyed. The first M3 was the two-door E30, a completely bonkers, benchmark-defining sports sedan. And it might be to do with all of the above. It’s difficult to say exactly what it is. Not just the revs – a lack of revs has become a fact of life – but something I’ve come to call “the spark” because I can’t really define it. Still do, but I will concede that there is a tiny something missing, something the V8 M3 had and the E46 M3 six before. The steering isn’t great, the turbo straight-six isn’t the V8 (oh, der), it’s heavy. There wasn’t a lot wrong with the new M4, but there were (and continue to be) complaints. And it looked amazing in the right colour and with the right wheels. High revving, naturally-aspirated and if you chose, a bit of luxury. The M4 replaced the V8 M3 Coupe which was a cracker of a car. Some years ago, BMW released the M4, which replaced the M3, which itself was replaced by the sedan-only M3. I need to take you on a little journey here.
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