Everyone knows the new M3 looks good, goes like stink and handles like it’s on rails. But how is it like to live with?
Nitish Ramanujam

Frankly, I don’t see what more can be said about a car whose virtues have been extolled by the motoring press the world over. Almost every car magazine worth its titanium con rods have heaped praise upon praise, after claiming to have driven BMW’s newest, fourth-generation M3 to its limits. But could it be any other way? After all, the E92 comes from an illustrious family bearing the hallowed M badge, starting with the iconic E30.

As with the Motorsport models of regular BMWs, the current M3 looks far more aggressive than the 3-Series on which it is based. Past generation models like the E46 M3 looked handsome, but were subtle in a way that it didn’t score quite high on the style factor. The new one, on the other hand, is all bulges and creases yet, in the Alpine White shade of our test car, looks suitably restrained. The exterior benefits from M-specific goodies like 19-inch rims, a roof made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic - it helps lower the centre of gravity and complements our car colour perfectly - vents and a power dome on the bonnet, large air dams in the front bumper, a rear diffuser, spoiler, and of course, the traditional quad exhaust pipes. It’s a looker no doubt, the kind of car you park in the driveway, and keep looking back at.

Now that we’ve read from umpteen sources about how it behaves on the limit, let’s see how the new M3 fares on its most difficult test – the daily grind. The appeal with cars like this is that they offer near supercar pace, along with daily drivability and space for more than just two people. Truth be said, cars like the M3 are more of a lifestyle statement these days more than anything else, likely bought by people who wouldn’t know their M from AMG. And our car does that very well; be it parking lots or simply pottering around town, you can quite feel the warmth of appreciative glances and respect from other road users. Note, the latter is not the kind you get by bullying others in a gargantuan SUV, looking like a dork.

The interior, though it is much like the standard issue 3, gets the necessary elements to make you feel special, starting with the special orange-red M seats and unique carbon fibre-look leather panel that runs along the length of the dash. A futuristic gearshift, buttons for adjusting comfort and stability settings, and a multifunction M-badged wheel with the all-important M button, sort of complete the picture. Thumb the starter button and the V8 growls into life, before settling down to a mellow idle. Courtesy of mixing and matching various settings, you have a huge list of ways to decide how the M3 reacts to your inputs but, being too lazy to fiddle around with the myriad settings, I let the car do its thing in default mode. Regular driving around town is a breeze, but the throttle feels edgy and hard to finesse when crawling in super slow traffic, thanks to the engagement characteristics of the 7-speed transmission. Like most dual-clutch transmissions, this one feels better the harder you drive the car, with bang on, lightning fast shifts.

Unlike many sporting coupes, there is genuine seating for four adults, with the ones in the rear getting their own storage space, cup holders and individual climate control settings. As expected, the ride is stiff - more so due to the 19-inch rims – but not uncomfortable, and trans-Emirate jaunts are dispatched with ease. The only issue is that, with about 414hp at your disposal, it’s pretty easy to obliterate speed limits in this car without even knowing. The 4.0-litre V8 is a gem, sounds great and lets you punch ahead of slow-moving traffic without even blinking.

Hardcore enthusiasts might crib about how the car has lost its edge when compared to previous generations, but the E92 M3 is comfortable and an easy car to drive fast. Its talents are accessible to a lot more people than ever before, and don’t need to be a race car driver to explore them, but when you do, the M3 will reward the skilled pilot with all the thrills and sensations associated with the M badge.