Test: BMW M3 Competition M xDrive Sedan - When the amps go silent

The most outrageous version of BMW's sports sedan received its second facelift at the end of last year, bringing a new lighting signature and a slightly updated interior, while hiding 20 more "horses" behind the huge but controversial grille.

Although at first glance the changes compared to the previous generation seem quite minimal, they will become even more apparent when the current M3 is placed next to the generation before the facelift. The first thing that catches the eye is the new headlights, which after the facelift are no longer lasers, but use LED technology in all trim levels. Not only has their technology changed, but also the shape, which for the first time in the history of the M3 model has abandoned BMW's typical light signature with four circles, which enthusiasts call "angel eyes".

On the new M3, instead of four circles, we now find four slanted lines, which enthusiasts quickly nicknamed "snake eyes", and given the aggressive look, it's not hard to see where this name comes from. Because the new headlights coincide somewhat more nicely with the other lines of the front end, it also seems that the absolutely huge kidneys are slightly smaller than before, although their actual size has remained unchanged. A major change has also been made to the air ducts on the lower part of the bumper, which have become even more aggressively shaped than before. The rear, apart from the model designation, which now has a chrome trim, remains essentially unchanged, which means that the four real exhaust pipes remain, and on the sides the hips are still distinctly convex to the point that they look more Latin than Bavarian.

Inside, as with all BMW models, everything is oriented around the driver – what else would you expect from their slogan “the ultimate driving machine”? The changes compared to the previous model remain quite minimal here, which means that the quality of workmanship in the interior is at an extremely high level, and the materials are almost everywhere very high quality and pleasant to the eye and touch. The only things that are distracting are the slightly cheap handles for controlling the air conditioning and the steering wheel-mounted pedals for manual gearshifting. The arrangement of switches, although few, is also logical. There are enough drawers for storing various small items, and our mobile phones are also provided with a place for wireless charging.

Inside, two absolutely huge, slightly concavely curved screens still dominate – the left one in front of the driver acts as a gauge cluster, while the right one houses the latest version of BMW's interface. The system itself is quite complicated at first, with a lot of different menus and submenus, but you get used to it pretty quickly, because despite the huge amount of information the interface contains, everything is very logically arranged. On top of that, the processing unit itself is also very fast, and the screen is responsive accordingly. For those who find the touch screen annoying, there is still a rotary knob on the center console for controlling the interface, but unfortunately the interface itself is very clearly adapted for use via the touch screen, so the once indispensable rotary knob has become more or less redundant.

Up to this point, everything is basically the same as in the regular three-door, but where the M3 really comes into its own is in the seats. The carbon fiber bucket seats are part of the M Race Track package, which costs a whopping €15.634, and despite their extreme hardness, they are quite comfortable. Their main purpose is to provide lateral support during dynamic driving, which we will of course come to later. Few seats in any car look as brutal as these, but few are as difficult to get out of. The extremely high and hard lateral support on the underside of the seat makes getting in and out of the vehicle extremely uncomfortable and rather inelegant, as you have to somehow get one leg over the lateral support. This turns every entry and exit into a not-so-spectacular gymnastic exercise. If you happen to be in the market for a new M3, I highly recommend that you try the seats out before you check them off in the configurator, as they are definitely not for everyone.

Now for more specific topics – let’s start with one of the most important aspects of any M car: the powertrain. The new M3 Competition is powered by a three-liter inline six-cylinder engine that, with the help of two turbochargers, develops a whopping 390 kW (530 hp), which is another 20 hp more than the model before the facelift. What hasn’t changed in the facelift is the torque figure, which is still a respectable 650 Nm. The M engineers achieved all of this without any electrical assistance – all the “horses” are fed only by good old dinosaur juice, i.e. gasoline. All the power is transmitted to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission, which allows the new M3 Competition to launch from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3,5 seconds. A figure that many an electric car would envy.

This is helped by a very fast and responsive 8-speed automatic transmission, which offers three levels of aggressiveness. The first level works like an average automatic transmission - nothing special. In the second level, it feels like a child kicking the back of the seat when shifting. In the third, most aggressive mode, the acceleration feels like Mike Tyson himself punching the back of the seat with full force. Without gloves.

Accelerations from a standstill with Launch Control are brutal to say the least, especially because the car never runs out of power. The practically zero turbo lag gives the illusion that acceleration is constant from zero to very high penalty points, so you'd better not do this on public roads. The beautiful sound of the six-cylinder also provides the theater during acceleration, which we, car enthusiasts, expect from sports cars. I admit, several times during the test I found myself getting out of the car after starting and walking back to the exhausts to hear the sharp sound of the six-cylinder at idle even better.

Fuel consumption is of course completely irrelevant for a car like this, but I know you're interested. On test, it averaged 13,3 l/100 km, although with dynamic driving this figure can rise to north of twenty liters.

When you drive the new M3 Competition on the beautifully winding regional roads, it quickly becomes clear why the bucket seats have their purpose. The car's position on the road is simply incredible. "The car sticks to the road as if it were on rails," has become a cliché among automotive journalists, and this is true for the M3 Competition. Even at higher speeds, the car is like on rails, thanks to the excellent all-wheel drive, which can also be switched off for various antics, although you will hardly become Sébastien Loeb due to the rather large dimensions of the car.

In the pre-programmed M2 program, which can be easily activated on the steering wheel, the car switches to 4WD Sport mode, which means that a larger proportion of the power is sent to the rear axle, and the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system is deactivated in this mode. This is especially felt when accelerating out of corners, when the rear becomes a little more restless than usual. Purists will like this, but those who prefer things under control should stay in 4WD mode. The ideal driving program can be set up much like in racing games - everything is adjustable: steering wheel, gearbox, engine, chassis ... practically everything.

The steering mechanism on the new M3 Competition is very nicely weighted and direct in SPORT mode for dynamic driving, although – if we are very demanding – we would like a little more feedback. The driver is also confident in the new, very chunky steering wheel with a flat bottom and a red mark at the 3 o'clock position. The suspension is, as expected for such a car, very stiff and precise. You will feel every imperfection on the road, which is ultimately desirable when driving dynamically. Of course, the suspension is also one of the key reasons for the excellent road holding – due to its above-average stiffness, the lean in corners is practically zero, so corners for the M1.855 Competition are a breeze. Purists may be slightly disappointed only by the weight of XNUMX kg, which is very well hidden, but is somewhat felt during quick changes of direction.

When the serpentines end, comfort and everyday usability take on greater importance. It should be emphasized that the M3 Competition is capable of doing both. Of course, it is important to know that a car with this much power under the hood and bucket seats will never be a completely civilized variety, but with a little adjustment it can be a completely decent car for everyday use. When we forget all the sports modes and set the car to the comfort setting, the transmission becomes gentle and smooth enough, and the control over the direction of travel is not harsh. The steering mechanism becomes pleasantly soft, so that we do not struggle too much when driving in the city and parking. Parking is quite annoying due to the good two meters width and the poor turning circle, but it is still made somewhat easier by the excellent high-resolution camera system. The brakes are nicely progressive even at low speeds, although they occasionally squeal very annoyingly. Once they are well warmed up, they become almost unbearably loud when braking gently and tickle the eardrums quite unpleasantly. This is completely normal with carbon ceramic brakes, but it's still very annoying. The suspension also softens up nicely, although it's not soft in any sense of the word.

The test car was also equipped with the Driving Assistant Professional package, which adds radar cruise control (let's be honest, this should already be standard equipment), semi-autonomous highway driving, and navigation that displays directions directly on the image feed from the front camera. A package that I highly recommend for those who will be spending a lot of time on the highway.

In terms of space, there is not much change compared to the regular 3 Series sedan. The space in the back seat is more than satisfactory, although not above average, and the trunk is quite large at 480 liters, and the correct opening also helps. For those with even greater space requirements, there is also a Touring wagon version available.

Bottom line, the new M3 Competition is a true psychotic amphibian. Civilized when we want it to be, and a madman when we want it to be. A car that – apart from the uncomfortable getting in and out of the seats and the sometimes very annoying squealing of the brakes – we can hardly find any weaknesses. With its excellent powertrain and incredible road holding, it will convince even the most demanding drivers. Whether it is worth the almost 136 thousand is actually pointless to discuss, because those who want such a powerful and at the same time useful car, full of character, have almost no other choice. It is true that several significantly cheaper electric cars or even hybrids achieve similar numbers on paper, but I dare say that none of them will be able to awaken the sparks in the driver like the M3 does.

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