BMW M3 2017 first drive

What makes us so sure BMW has gone to work on the 2018 car’s chassis? Quite simply, the latest M3 Competition is the best F80 so far - and not by a small margin. Whereas the very early cars were so lacking in body control that they could be downright intimidating to drive on a country road, and later models were a little better but still somewhat unpredictable, this latest version is altogether more cohesive – BMW more so even than pre-facelift M3 Competitions. 

There’s some tension in the low-speed ride quality, but that settles really well at motorway speeds so the car doesn’t feel busy or fidgety. And in Comfort mode, in particular, the M3 Competition feels beautifully damped on a lumpy B-road, absorbing bumps and dropping into compressions without skipping off course or wallowing lazily. Body control has gone through the roof compared with BMW the very first F80 M3s, which simply means this car works with, rather than against, you. Simply, it’s much less intimidating to drive.

BMW The F80 has always been short on traction, more so even than more powerful rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG C63 S. This latest version is no exception; those rear wheels will still light up very suddenly as the twin-turbo straight-six dumps great lumps of torque upon them. 

Another area where this car feels very different to previous models is the M Dynamic Mode, the halfway-house setting for the stability control. It previously gave you enough freedom to have some rather alarming moments, particularly in the wet. Now, though, it’s much less lenient. BMW has responded to criticism of those early cars being such a handful. 

With the systems off, the car is as playful as it has ever been, though, and if you’re confident with the throttle it will slide around like the best of them. It can feel quite snatchy as it breaks away, however, whereas other sports saloons, notably the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, are much more languid and progressive right at the limit. 

The drivetrain is unchanged, which means the engine still develops 444bhp – 19bhp more than the base car – and the standard transmission is a six-speed manual. BMW Just about all M3 buyers specify the very rapid seven-speed DCT gearbox, though. The engine is still short on character and the soundtrack is bland, but there’s no doubting the throttle response or sheer performance.