BMW M3 DCT Competition Package
German chocolate cake.
BMW baked this automotive version of a German chocolate cake to celebrate the M3’s 30th birthday: an M Competition package containing a 444-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six (a 19-hp upgrade over the standard M3), 20-inch wheels and tires, a retuned Adaptive M suspension, revised exhaust plumbing, and a few distinctive exterior-design touches. This delicacy is available on both the M3 and the M4 coupe for $4750; because the seats are not included in the M4 convertible, the cost of the Competition package drops to $4250.
The M3 was born in 1986 as a limited-production racer, the ideal gambit for BMW’s Motorsport division (later shortened to the M division) to advance its tuning expertise in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) racing series. Major power upgrades, handling and braking gains, and lighter body parts ensued through five design generations. Starting with 16-valve four-cylinder engines, the M engineers stepped up to 24-valve inline-sixes in 1992. A hellbent 32-valve V-8 arrived in 2007, followed by a twin-turbo six for the current (fifth) generation in 2014.
Keeping Up in the 4.0-Second Club
BMW had little choice. With Cadillac’s two V-cars, overpowered Chevrolet Camaros, the Shelby Mustang GT350R, and the Mercedes-AMG C63S all cracking the 4.0-seconds-to-60-mph barrier for less than $100,000, the boys from Bavaria had to put up or go home. Give BMW extra credit for assaulting V-8 enemies with its supremely potent twin-turbo straight-six.
The M3 and M4 are BMW’s double-whammy gifts to owners willing to sacrifice some suppleness during regular driving for razor-edged reflexes on the occasional track day. The adaptive M suspension and a wealth of steering, damping, throttle-response, and transmission-calibration settings give this pair flexibility unmatched by any competitor. Our experience with these M&Ms during routine commuting, on visits to the test track, while hammering our favorite back roads, and while lapping Chrysler’s 10-turn, 1.7-mile closed circuit in the M3 convinced us BMW has definitely not lost the scent.
Kudos go to the M3 for topping the M4’s value. The sedan’s $64,495 base price is $2200 cheaper, and you get two more doors and a third seatbelt in back, which the M4 lacks. This may be all the ammo necessary to convince a skeptical spouse that the M3 is, in fact, a dual-purpose “family sedan.” Also, a four-door tends to draw less attention in traffic than a slinky, fast-moving coupe.
Athletic at the Track
Even though the comp-pack M4 we tested broke the 4.0-second zero-to-60-mph barrier with relative ease (in 3.8 seconds), the M3 reviewed here did not. Reporting a lack of launch adhesion, our test driver clocked the sprint in 4.0 seconds flat on the way to an impressive 12.2-second, 120-mph quarter-mile. While that’s a tad slower than a Cadillac CTS-V (3.6 seconds) and a Mercedes-AMG C63 S (3.9 seconds), it’s comparable to a Corvette Grand Sport, a Shelby GT350R, and a few of the current Camaro SS cars we’ve tested. The M3’s most impressive feats were hustling to 160 mph in 26.1 seconds and beating the aforementioned Vette to 150 mph by two seconds.
While it’s no secret we prefer three-pedal cars, this M3 uses its dual-clutch automatic to excellent advantage. The 7500-rpm upshifts are crisp and perfectly timed to keep boost on the boil and the superlative six in the meat of its powerband. With a significant share of its exhaust energy recycled to the intake tract and only three liters of piston displacement at work, this engine accelerates the M3 with less commotion than is typical for the V-8 crowd. For majestic motor music, a BMW inline-six is tough to top.
Other track stats are just as impressive as the M3’s ability to streak in a straight line. Stopping from 70 mph in 146 feet with no hint of fade and circling the skidpad at 0.98 g with all four tires shouldering their fair share of the cornering effort are performance figures to envy.
Adaptable to Daily Chores
Five switches and the dual-clutch automatic’s shift lever let you play the M3 like a baby grand. In addition to a full-auto mode, the stick and paddles behind the wheel offer ratios perfect for every occasion, holding each gear in manual mode even when the engine runs out of revs at 7500 rpm. One quirk is the lack of a park position; when you switch off the engine with the lever left in gear, the driveline automatically locks with a P displayed in the instrument cluster.
A drive-mode switch below the shifter offers efficient, relaxed, and sporty modes when the shift lever is in D and comfortable, fast, or really fast shifting when the S (sequential) position is selected. Control freaks will also love the Efficient, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ programs for the power steering, the dampers, and the engine dynamics provided by push buttons to the left of the shifter.
Cycling through every alternative takes patience, but that’s the only way to plumb the depths of the M3’s personality. Doing so, we discovered that care must be used in first gear with the engine dynamics button set in Sport+ to avoid neck-kinking jumpiness. We were surprised to find that with the dampers maxed out in Sport+, the ride quality never enters the punishment zone, although the tires clomp heavily over even mildly broken pavement.
The stability-control button at the top of the M3’s four-button stack merits due deliberation. One tap disables traction control, handy for extracting the M3 from a snowbank. Pressing and holding the button for a few seconds engages the M Dynamic mode, where nearly all stability-control assistance is suspended. This eliminates understeer at the limit of adhesion. M Dynamic mode should be restricted to the racetrack, where neutral handling allows you to glide around sweepers with the tail hung wide in perfect synchronicity with the steering angle you’ve dialed in to the front wheels. Let your driving ability and insurance coverage be your guide.
Ultimately, the Competition package’s prime attraction is its split personality. Without sacrificing daily-driving practicalities, it allows this sedan to shine as a weekend track star. Like the M2 and M4 that bracket it, the M3 never turns a cold shoulder to BMW’s better days. Source By Caranddriver.com
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