The best daily-driver sports car ever!. Review on BMW M3

First, let me tell you that I own this car since last May and my review is based entirely on my experience with this car. This is not the kind of car review you will get in a car magazine, rather this is a review from someone who drives the car daily to-and-from work and ocassionally on the race track.

I got the car with all available options except the competetion package, so here are the features my car has: sport package, premium package, SMG transmission, 10-speaker Harmon Kardon Sound system, 19-inch wheels, cold weather package, navigation system, basically all the bells and whistles you would expect in a GT car. Now on to the review..............

General impression:

The M3 first of all is a race car masquerading as a streetcar. You will know this the second you start to drive it. The tight suspension will make you feel every crack and crevice inthe road and the F1 inspired SMG transmission will take quite sometime to get used to. It has huge brakes which do an excellent job of stopping the car but it takes time to get used to their massive/quick stopping power. You are sure to jerk your head many times while getting used to the brakes.

Interior:

The interior is not very flashy but it is comfortable as it was designed to keep your attention on the road and optimize driving duties.This is a true drivers car and as such the interior controls for everything including the stereo and climate-control systems are well placed and simple to operate. One cool feature is the passenger side-view mirrors that pivot downward when the car is moving in reverse, to help see what's behind the car. You will never know how useful this feature is until you use it.

Both front seats are very comfortable and you sorta "fit" into the seats. My car has the power lumbar adjustment which makes the seats even more comfortable on long drives. The back seat is ok for two adults but only for a short time. It will get uncomfortable for anyone taller than 6 feet. The nappa leather upholstery on the seats gives it that special touch.

I opted for the optional Harmon Kardon premium sound system and the sound quality is awesome. There are 10 speakers strategically placed around the car and a subwoofer in the back. This system practically immerses you in rich sound and is a pleasure to listen to. The head unti can play audio CD's as well as MP3 CD's. The system also integrates Bluetooth which allows me to pare my phone with the car and use the system as a handsfree system for making and receiving calls. In coming months I am planning on replacing the head unit with a pioneer AVIC N3 with Navigation.

One thing I did not like about the interior is the lack of storage spaces and cupholders. There are two cupholders on the center console but only one of them can be used when the handrest is down. This to me is poor design, but something I can live with.

Performance:

The M3 comes with a 3.2-liter, inline six-cylinder engine that makes 333 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. The engine redlines at 8,000 rpm instead of theusual 6,000 or 7,000 rpm. The transmission I got on this car is the F1 Sequential manual Gearbox, which works like a stick-shift, except you don'thave to operate a clutch pedal. It is operated via the shift pedals behind the steering wheel or the short shifter on the floor. This is essentially the same tranny as the manual transmission with the clutch being handled electro-mechanically. It takes some time to get used to this tranny and it can be finicky,especially when driving around town at lower speeds. But once you get used to manipulating the throttle, you can achieve near smooth shifts anytime.

One cool feauture on the car is a button on the center console marked "sport." Press this and the settings for the electronically controlled throttle are remapped to be more aggressive and allow for quicker engine response. Driving in the "sport" mode is truly exhilarating. The exhaust sound is also much deeper in sport mode.

Conclusion:

The M3 really shines in high speeds, but it can be a handful in the city. Its tight suspension that feels great around corners can be tiring on commutes in stop and go traffic. But once you get familiar with the driving techniques required for this car, it becomes second nature and you won't feel a difference. I drive it every day in rush hour traffic and on the freeway and with each passing day I love driving it even more.