M-aturity 2021 BMW M3 Competition

Besides, the handling is every bit as good as an M car should be. Precise, intuitive and exhilarating. There’s the precision which you expect from a car from its lineage and there’s the fun in making it work around a corner. The Timmelsjoch pass offers roads which are definitely a step ahead in terms of pure driver’s experience. It’s a great driver’s road, the one you would love to drive to for 2 hours just to get to the top. The M3 might not be the beast it used to be but it is now definitely a whole new breed of Munich rocket… and it’s a corner-hunter, the one you’ll want to drive for hours and smile every second.

The new BMW G80 M3 is perhaps the most curious evolution of this queen of sports-sedan. In a few words, the M3 is a grown-up car now: it’s more refined, less aggressive but still, very fun to drive.

Not that the M3 has never been an excellent Gran Turismo per se: with the sole exception of the E30, all the other series weren’t featherweight either and have always been great driver’s cars with excellent everyday capability. In many ways, the M3 can be considered as one of the original “super sports saloons” of the last 40 years. Born as an homologation special with the engine of the M1 minus 2 cylinders, it has always been the choice for the enthusiasts looking for a true “point of balance” in the BMW range. It has never been as luxurious and opulent as the Series 5 and it distinguished itself for the sharp and “refreshing” driving style it has always offered. The evolution has taken into consideration that remarkable feeling of driving a car closely related to competition, with a rev-hungry engine, direct and sharp steering. Yet, with the G22, the M3 has become something different, just like when an old friend of yours suddenly changes mannerism, style and looks.

The M3 has become…a “mini” M5. It’s comfortable, feels bigger than ever and has a refinement that is best suited to a larger saloon. This mean that the fun is gone? Absolutely not. Let us say that the whole M line up has been uniformed in similar products which share the same philosophy, traits and characteristics. Since the introduction of the X3 and X4 M which used variants of the B58 twin turbo engine, the whole M Division offering became more uniformed. Purists might cry out that they’re missing the old days, where M cars were different between each other but in the end, the substance is what is making the real difference now.

When the now gone M2 arrived, everyone agreed that the whole M Division line-up “shifted” up by 1 step: the M3/M4 became the big saloon it was never meant to be in the first place. The G80 in Competition trim is quite a beast, offering 510 hp on tap and all the benefits of the M Division’s knowledge in chassis development. You can point out that the steptronic gearshift takes out much of the rawness that was, at least on EoW opinion, a majon fun-factor in the old DKG system. It’s smooth and very pleasant to drive, but it doesn’t give that edge that was so distinctive in the previous generation. Besides, the torque-converter transmission is more pleasant in everyday driving than the old DKG, making the M3 more focused on road performance rather than being the track machine in disguise it has always been.

The Timmelsjoch for sure is one of our favourite roads. Last time we had the pleasure of driving there was with the Mini GP. With its mix of both narrow sections and fast sweeping corners has proven to be ideal for our Escapes. Especially on the Austrian side, when the road opens up, you find yourself driving into a valley with incredible scenery. After you reach the top, there’s a road which is a favourite among motorcyclists, cyclists and people like us, who love to drive. For sure, it’s an M3 sort of road: it’s the one you want to stop at the top, after having had fun, to gaze at the panorama while smelling the burnt brakes and feeling the heat coming out of the bonnet of the car. The new M3 has a very imposing persona: normally it would disguise itself to non-enthusiasts, but now, it’s everything but. 

It’s quite nervous when driven at the limit but still retains that great oversteery behaviour which made the M3 a favourite among drifters. The broad powerband, combined with the 8 gear Steptronic ‘box, the big torque and the big dimensions make the M3 feel more like an M5. Is this a bad thing? Not at all, but you have to constantly remind yourself that this car is the “little one”. The engine lacks that signature M edge: not that it’s short on power, but it rather feels like a super-pumped up 340i. With an M, you need to have that special engine which revs quickly, packs a punch at the high revs and just feels special. Not to denigrate the excellent work done by the BMW motorists, but where power is present, charisma seems to have been put on retirement.

Besides, the handling is every bit as good as an M car should be. Precise, intuitive and exhilarating. There’s the precision which you expect from a car from its lineage and there’s the fun in making it work around a corner. The Timmelsjoch pass offers roads which are definitely a step ahead in terms of pure driver’s experience. It’s a great driver’s road, the one you would love to drive to for 2 hours just to get to the top. The M3 might not be the beast it used to be but it is now definitely a whole new breed of Munich rocket… and it’s a corner-hunter, the one you’ll want to drive for hours and smile every second.

Many thanks to Nanni Nember BMW