The new M3 isn’t the quickest or fastest performance car you can buy. Cars like the 600-hp Dodge Viper will likely beat it in a drag race. So why is this Bavarian hustler our performance pick for ’08? Because nothing can touch BMW’s mastery of refining and redefining the entire performance envelope. This is one of the few performance cars that can triumph at weekend track days and still carry four friends in perfect comfort and luxury to an evening movie. It’s as at home tearing up a winding mountain road as it is commuting on the freeway. The original high-spirited asphalt eater from the 1980s had the heart and soul of a race car. Today’s M3 is much more sophisticated and elegant. But don’t let a new suit of armor fool you into thinking this road warrior has gone soft. Under the hood, you’ll find a 414-hp, 4.0-liter V8—an M3 first—that produces 81 hp more than its predecessor. To handle the power, BMW heavily modified the 3 Series chassis. And many components are made of aluminum for weight savings. The V8 is backed by a slick six-speed manual gearbox. But a new seven-speed, double-clutch unit is on the way. The M3 is elegant and powerful, and it does its job at a comfort level not many cars can match.
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