2002 BMW M3 Coupe

BMW's M squad has always been in a class by itself, even when judged against its sibling Ultimate Driving Machines. The latest M3 raises that blatant-overachiever benchmark to a heretofore-unseen level. Despite a multitude of refinements and creature comforts, the third-generation M3 comes closer than ever to being the near-perfect embodiment of a road-going racecar.

The third-generation M3 comes closer than ever to being the near-perfect embodiment of a road-going racecar.

Derived from the standard 330Ci, the M3 was introduced as a 2001 model and remains available in both coupe and convertible body styles for 2002. However, it's the former that seems best suited to wearing the distinctively bulged bodywork that rightly warns lesser pretenders: "Don't mess." Tasteful visual distinction is provided by more aggressively shaped front and rear fascias, a power-domed hood made from lightweight aluminum instead of steel, pronounced wheel arches to frame its standard 18-inch wheel/tire package, low-drag M-style aero mirrors and functional gill slits on its fore-flanks.


Beneath that purposefully rendered sheetmetal is the fire-breathing heart and soul of the M3, a free-revving 3.2-liter/24-valve DOHC inline six that churns out 333 horsepower at 7,900 rpm and 262 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,900 revs. This is the most potent six-cylinder engine BMW has ever offered in any of its passenger cars, and boasts 90 more ponies and 37 lb.-ft. of additional twist compared to the 3.0-liter engine found in its predecessor. More important to U.S. buyers, the M3 engine comes to America for the first time in the same glorious state of tune that it enjoys elsewhere in the world.

The heart and soul of the M3 is a free-revving 3.2-liter/24-valve DOHC inline six that churns out 333 horsepower at 7,900 rpm and 262 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,900 revs.

Code-named S54, this high-winding wonder has a lightweight aluminum head but employs a cast-iron block for added strength. Included in its bounteous bag of techno tricks are individually controlled throttles for each cylinder, discrete throttle management programs for normal and sport operation, and BMW's proprietary Double VANOS system that steplessly varies the timing of both the intake and exhaust cams to optimize valve activation over the engine's entire operating range. This last fillip guarantees remarkably tractable operation under all conditions, from rush-hour crawl to wide-open wailing in search of the M3's electronically limited 155-mph top end. Things start to get seriously interesting about the time the tach needle sweeps by the 2,500 mark. From there on up to its 8K redline, the ride just keeps getting more and more intense. You can expect to see 60 mph come up in about 5 seconds and the century mark in roughly 12 ticks!


BMW has added an optional 6-speed sequential manual gearbox (SMG) to the U.S. M3's potent powertrain arsenal for '02. Fitted with shifter paddles and a fully electronic clutch, this competition-inspired setup is an upgraded version of the SMG package previously offered in Euro-spec cars. Given that it also commands a stout $2,400 premium, we opted for a more cost-effective traditional experience and had our test coupe fitted with the conventional 6-speed counterpart. Despite a bit of vagueness in the linkage and a fairly narrow clutch engagement range, the well-spaced gears in this Getrag-supplied unit work exceptionally well in consort with the extremely flexible S54.