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Like a deafening sound system or 19-inch wheels, an identity crisis seems to come standard with pedigreed sports cars. Sure, the outsize engines kindle a hankering to tear up the commute, but there are basic transportation needs—stowing golf clubs or the occa-sional child—that also need attending to. The eureka-inducing solution to this eternal übermensch-vs.-family-guy debate may be the latest BMW M3 coupe, on sale this month.
The new M3 integrates S-turn-devouring specs born of the series's touring circuit heritage—414 horsepower, 8,300 rpm, zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds—with the luxury BMW phenotype one would expect, including an actually comfortable, feature-laden interior and a dynamic yet subtle body. Some carmakers would have resorted to a stripped-down race model, dropping the rear seats for a safety cage and forgoing the heated tan leather seats for some less-eye-catching cladding. But BMW's Munich-based M division packed it all in through some strategic weight loss: A wafer-thin yet steel-strong carbon-fiber roof lightens the load; the V8 engine is 33 pounds lighter than its six-cylindered predecessor; and everything that could be hollowed—even roll bars—has been. Though not as quick off the line as a Porsche 911 Turbo or as fuel-efficient as a hybrid, the M3 again proves itself the car for the man who has everything but wants to drive like he has nothing to lose.
