BMW M3 Competition XDrive

Café Racer

BMW M3 Competition XDrive. The name says it all. The latest offshoot of the mean 3 Series is not only the top model in the range, but basically the most extreme and impressive incarnation of the M models. Indeed, BMW’s high-performance offshoot turned 50 in 2022, and has been celebrating this in fitting style with a series of events throughout the year. But in the end, actions are always more important than any written affirmation, which is why we took a closer look at the most powerful 3 Series of all time this summer.

The M3 Competition XDrive is the flagship of the 3 Series. As the first of the M3 variants offered for more than 30 years, this XDrive has an all-wheel drive that puts the 510 hp (375 kW) of the three-litre biturbo in-line six-cylinder on the road by means of a ZF 8-speed automatic. Equally important, however, is the beefy torque, which promises 650 Nm from 2750 rpm thanks to the two turbos (a smaller one for the low revs and a bigger one for the top end).

A car like this, with “Competition” written all over it and on the boot lid, is for many the epitome of perfection. BMW in perfection. I myself, however, am rather sceptical about the subordination of all the characteristics of a car to the title of “Competition”, just as I am about the Bavarians’ new front-end design with the reviled “buck teeth”.

But how wrong one can be. Let’s start with the exterior. In terms of taste, I prefer the elegant, the subdued to the shrill and loud. Now, in front of me at the Garching headquarters is M’s secret weapon, a four-door M3 sedan in captivating tanzanite blue metallic with a carbon roof and an interior in black and orange “Kyalami” Merion leather. Matte black forged wheels measuring 275/35 ZR19 at the front and 285/30 ZR20 at the rear cover internally ventilated and perforated brakes measuring 400 and 380 mm in diameter respectively. The radiator grille, also in matt black, combined with the deep blue colour that shimmers in the sun, makes for a truly tasteful appearance. At the rear, a completely new look with four more closely spaced exhaust pipes, beguilingly wide wheels and the widest wing flares ever seen as standard on a 3 Series.

Inside, apart from the bright orange colour, the most striking feature is the carbon moulded seat buckets with a hard base, a firm front edge and a slight rise between the legs, which quickly gained a nickname from my readers who were fond of me, which I must not repeat here.
So what was it like to drive the M3 Competition XDrive over longer distances? In short form: “really wonderful, if it didn’t have those awful seats”. The long form: a 500+ hp M3 must be a dream for anyone who likes cars. With a top speed of 290 km/h and an acceleration time of no less than 3.5 seconds to 100 km/h, the M hunk, which already weighs 1860 kilos when empty, easily ranks alongside super sports cars of the calibre of a Lamborghini or Ferrari. Nevertheless, the M3 Competition XDrive offers itself in everyday use in a form that is second to none. It can roll through town normally, wait civilly at the traffic lights and blend into the traffic around it. But woe betide it when it lets go. On the motorway, this M3 shows that no one can take it on. On the fast, unrestricted stretches of the A96 westbound towards Lindau, every now and then someone lines up behind us when we are held up in the passing lane. AMG, 911, RS – usually no chance. Again and again the game takes hold when the vastness of the two-lane motorway opens up in front of us and behind us the “pursuers” become smaller. Childish, of course, but wonderful. Deceleration is with similarly brute force, underlining the impression that all you have to do with this M3 is order it and it will be delivered. With incredible nonchalance, it simply covers everything that is asked for.

Comfort (quite pleasant in the normal setting, correspondingly harder in Sport and Sport Plus, but simply ‘bumpier’ on normal German motorways). Performance – over and over again. The acceleration is a pleasure I can never get enough of. So fast am I at 275 km/h that the car reports “speed too high – increase air pressure” in the head-up display. While the all-wheel-drive M3 stoically keeps to the lane in this elongated curve, I’m sure I’m not going to do that now. Anyway, the electronic governess. Because modern cars can do so much electronically, they also want to keep us from doing so much electronically. With its width of almost 2.07 m (!) with mirrors, the M3 Competition stood out, especially in Italy. The wide butt with 285 tyres not only makes life difficult for us in narrow lanes, but also parking in narrow bays doesn’t always work out as it should. Open the door, have a quick look to see how close we are to the edge, put the car in gear. No way, says my 100,000 euro car. “Door open”. I know, I just want to roll forward and straighten the car. “But not like this”. M remains stubborn. It takes some getting used to.

And last but not least: sound – now we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty. Because driving really fast, at any time, is no longer possible. Most of the time we have to roll along with others who dictate our speed. But the sound. That SOUND. The M sound modellers have achieved the unattainable, and given the top M a rumble that is there, but not loud. At least not if you don’t want it to be. Always present, always in the background, without the slightest doubt that it can go off at any time. But never intrusive. We can discuss the coming M electric cars and sound generators and whatnot for weeks. Nobody comes close to this sound.

Oh, and yes, the seats. The interior was designed with DTM drivers in mind, not mine. During our short test period, friends and journalists – mostly of the same age – were allowed to sit in these chairs from time to time. No one – and I mean no one – got in (or out) without making appropriate sounds of fatigue. A track day tool, without question. Suitable for the long haul? For me, rather not.

Anything else? Yes, the various displays that can be selected at the touch of a button are all great fun and can also be changed while driving, just for entertainment. Great. The head-up display, a technology that has been around for decades, is exemplary. The biggest plus points, however, go to the display of speed and permitted speed, which are shown side by side. Especially in heavily controlled regions such as Switzerland, this is a truly invaluable detail. In the end, even this BMW has to go back home. It indeed deserved a more athletic driver than me – yet I will miss it.

Thanks to Axel Catton for this text. And the pictures. We have more interesting vehicles in our archive.