German Car Zone

Introduction


In 2000 BMW introduced a sport sedan that changed everything. It measured 188 inches overall, rode on a 111-inch wheelbase and weighed just over 2 tons. But it was motivated by a screaming V8 capable of delivering 400 horsepower at a mind-bending 7,000 rpm. Gears (there were six of them) were changed with swift motions of hand and foot. This, of course, was the E39 M5, a genre-busting super sedan that redefined not only what sedans could do, but also what reasonably responsible adults were allowed to drive without compromising their cover.

That car died in 2005 and its exotic V10-powered replacement has always seemed all wrong to us.

Inside Line's newest long-term test car picks up where the E39 M5 left off. It rides on a smaller platform, measuring 180.4 inches overall with a 108.7-inch wheelbase. It also weighs significantly less at 3,762 pounds. But the six forward gears are stirred by hand. It seats five adults. Most of all, it has a screaming V8, only this one's more powerful at 414 hp. And the redline is even higher at 8,400 rpm.

The 2009 BMW M3 is the baddest racecar-masquerading-as-a-sedan that BMW has ever built and Inside Line is testing one for the next 12 months and 20,000 miles. Is this combination of adult practicality and driver-focused bad attitude still as magical as we remember?

What We Got

Our 2002 BMW M3 long-term test car represents one of the finest examples of the M3 breed. We bought it used for about $30,000, but whoever originally ordered it knew what they wanted and paid significantly more to get it. Over the course of our time with this M3, we've found few flaws in it and we wanted our 2009-edition M3 to measure up to it as closely as possible. Well, except for exterior color. This M3 comes in Alpine White, a stark contrast to our black E46 M3. The E90 body style looks better in white, and we don't find ourselves heading to the car wash every other day like you do with any black car, which makes even a light coating of dust seem like evidence of a dedicated program of driver abuse.

The 2002 M3 in our long-term fleet wears red leather. So does our 2009 M3. The Fox Red Novillo leather adds $950 to the ticket, but we're sure it will get the same kind of admiration the '02 car's upholstery always gets.

Our 2002 M3 has a six-speed manual. So does our 2009. A dual-clutch automated manual is available at a $2,900 premium, but we're starting to believe that dual-clutch automated manuals are for people who don't really want to drive — and in this case, probably don't really want an M3.

The new-generation M3 makes available 19-inch wheels, which were also optional for our old M3. Nevertheless, the 2002 rides on 18s, as does the 2009 M3 — and for the same reasons. The 18s might represent a slightly lower performance threshold compared to the optional 19s, but the more comfortable quality of ride afforded by the taller sidewall of the tire more than makes up for it in the real world. Our seven-year-old M3 has gone through a few pairs of shoes already and now wears aftermarket Sumitomo HTRZIII tires, while our new one rolls on 245/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s.

During its year in our fleet, praise has been heaped upon the E46 M3 like so much used rubber on a tire fire. Except for the CD-based navigation system, that is, which was quite good nearly 10 years ago but now seems slow, incomplete and pixelated. The 2009 BMW M3 Sedan offers a modern, hard-drive-based navigation system featuring BMW's infamous iDrive control system. Navigation is lumped into the $3,250 Technology package, which also includes comfort access and HD radio. The Technology package also includes M Drive, which lets you set your own personal calibration of the various power, stability control and throttle settings and tie them into one button on the steering wheel. In our 2002 M3 you have to start the car, press the stability control button for 3 seconds to disable the electronics, press the sport button, and then get to it. For 2009 you just have to press the M button.

Our 2002 BMW M3 has a moonroof and our 2009 M3 has one as well, to the tune of $1,050 added to the bottom line.

Harman Kardon made the advanced-grade audio system that rocks our E46 M3, complete with the trunk-mounted CD changer that was necessary because the dash hadn't been designed with such electronics in mind. The Enhanced Premium Sound ($1,900) in our 2009 M3 E90 isn't branded, but it still kicks ass with an 825-watt, nine-channel digital amplifier with high-quality crossovers (signal processors designed to limit certain frequencies to particular speakers; we don't want 20hz tones pushed through tweeters do we?) and 16 speakers, a system that claims to offer quality only heard previously in high-end home applications. We'll see.



Current Odometer: 928
Best Fuel Economy: 16.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.5 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 16.0 mpg


Full Story: Edmunds Inside Line - 2009 BMW M3 Long-Term Test


Can we make this a sticky since this is an ongoing test......should be interesting.


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On Tuesday we tested our M3 on with 1,166 miles on the clock in 96-degree weather. Neither of these conditions were ideal. But do either of them really matter? No, probably not. Why not? Well, because the 34 miles remaining to our official 1,200-mile milestone wouldn't have made the M3 any faster or extended its durability any longer. And the weather, well, we correct for weather.

Still, we could tell the M3's 414-horsepower, 4.0-liter V8 was working hard in the boiling atmosphere at our test track.

Acceleration

0-30: 2.0 sec.

0-45: 3.4 sec.

0-60: 4.8 sec. (4.5 sec. with 1-foot rollout like on a dragstrip)

0-75: 6.7 sec.

1/4-mile: 12.9 @109.8

These times are identical to those produced by the last M3 sedan we tested which just happened to be in a comparison test against the Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. That test was performed in 82-degree weather.

Braking

30-0: 26 ft.

60-0: 105 ft.

The M3's brakes needed quite a few stops to reach maximum efficiency and achieve this stopping distance, but they never hinted at fade.

Handling

Skidpad: .90g

Slalom: 70.0 mph

These numbers are both lower than our previous test car which was fitted with the optional 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport rubber (our car has 18-inch wheels). We also tested the M Dynamic stability control mode which produced .87g on the skidpad and a 69.4-mph slalom speed.

Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor @ something more than 1200 miles. Relax.


2009 BMW M3: The First Test | Long-Term Road Tests Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line


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There have been many updates since this test started, they can all be seen here: Edmunds Inside Line - Long Term Roadtest Blog: 2009 BMW M3


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This subject doesn't really need to be brought up again, so of course I will anyway. When it comes to the great M3 wheel and tire debate, Oldham is big on 18s, Jacquot thinks the 19s would look better.

Originally I was with Jacquot on this, at least when it came to buying our '02 M3 coupe. Then those 18s grew on me and I switched to the Oldham camp. He's also the boss, so I figured it was the smart move anyway.

When it was time to decide on the rubber for our M3 sedan, I had no trouble with the 18s. And whenever I look at them I have no regrets. I mean check out that sidewall. Sure, it's a little taller than you may be used to, but the way its rounded off and smooth makes it looks like some sort of racing slick. And in a world of increasingly frail-looking wheels and tires, these look sturdy and durable. Nothing wrong with that.


Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line


2009 BMW M3: The Final, Final Word On the 18-Inch Wheels | Long-Term Road Tests Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line


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