In the standard black interior, it can be a little spartan, and that was BMW's minimalist intent. With an options package (or delving into the Individual catalog), I'm sure you can have a quite impressive looking interior; from austere to somewhat bling, the choice is yours. Even the standard interior rates above par for overall quality. There will be a lot of little buttons missing, but that was the whole point of iDrive, however infuriating it may be.

I agree that the shifter (and surrounding area) look pretty drab. This has to be a deliberate design on BMW's part. I mean, they go through the trouble of shaving weight with CF roof and redesigning the suspension, yet the shifter looks more mundane than what you can get in a standard 3-Series or 1-Series (135i has no-cost optional woods and aluminum where M3 shift surround is vinyl). Curiously, in the US configurator, there aren't any options for a nicer shifter for the M3. There are numerous choices for the 1er and 3er. Who knows, maybe these may work in the M3.