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Review: 2008 BMW M3 Coupe

BMW: M3 Review

Third-party performance tuners like Alpina, AMG, Brabus, Ruf and others have thrived in the land of the autobahn, typically modifying cars from one particular brand. In the late '70s, BMW became the first of the German automakers to establish its own in-house tuning division, incorporating its motorsports arm into what's now know as the M division. The firm's racing knowledge disseminated down to its production cars with the introduction of the M1 and later the M535i. In subsequent years, M ... Read the rest of the review →

More M3 news

Active Autowerke BMW M3 headed for an Autobahn near you *UPDATE 22 days ago on Autoblog

The BMW M3 is already one of Germany's best Autobahn burners, but U.S.-based tuning company Active Autowerke has taken BMW's pride-and-joy M car to the next level. Active Autowerke has made a few minor tweaks to the engine by way of a performance software upgrade. We're told that the M3 is ...

Rumormill: 2011 BMW M3 coming with Competition Package 1 month ago on Autoblog

As far as we can tell, there's little if anything wrong the E92 M3. However, according to a post on Bimmerfile, that small point will not be stopping BMW from offering a Competition Package on 2011 models. What goes into a Competition Pack? We're not certain, and Bimmerfile can only speculate ...

Report: BMW to launch 335iS coupe to slot in above new 335i, below M3 1 month ago on Autoblog

Now that BMW has replaced the twin-turbo 335i with the new twin-scroll, direct injection model, the question everyone's been asking – and by everyone, we mean Bimmer fanatics – is what will happen to the outgoing N44 engine? The new N55 produces the same power and the same torque, ...

Video: Sickest model car lighting kits ever 2 months ago on Autoblog

That's not a real Audi R8 pictured above. That's a 1:18-scale Kyosho die-cast model, fitted with a Modell-Lichtsystem (ML) illumination kit. The ML light packages can turn a model car with photo-realistic detail into something that's almost a smaller version of the real thing. On the BMW M3's ...

REPORT: More details on BMW's rumored M1(s) 3 months ago on Autoblog

Audi has the mid-engined R8 (now available with a 525-horsepower V10). Mercedes-Benz now has the AMG SLS (with more power than the R8 – 563 horses). BMW has... a 500-horsepower V10 in a 4,000 pounds M6. Not exactly competitive in the supercar department these days. Well, according to ...

Autotechnik + Tuning brings the rain with its Thunderstorm BMW M3 3 months ago on Autoblog

Autotechnik + Tuning has done a job on the BMW M3, but if you don't look closely, you might miss it. Echoing a sentiment we love, they declare "At first glance you cannot estimate the scope of retrofitting." However, while we appreciate their tuning philosophy, we're not so sure about their ...

Spy Shots: BMW M3 caught with new LED taillamps 3 months ago on Autoblog

Just a couple of years into its run, this is your slightly revised BMW M3, free of camo save for the taillights. The photog on the scene said there is nothing we should expect from the next Munich mauler save for new LED lamps in back and an updated interior. We speculate that cabin changes will ...

VIDEO: BMW M3 GTS takes to the track 4 months ago on Autoblog

For a company that earned its reputation years ago as "the Ultimate Driving Machine," BMW's more recent efforts seem to have been based around inherently less sporty vehicle formats – SUVs and wonky looking crossovers, namely. Further, like most everyone else, the automaker's roadsters and ...

BMW M3 GTS unveiled! 4 months ago on Autoblog

Well that was fast. As well it should be. Because what you're looking at is the most hardcore roadgoing M3 to date. It's called the GTS – not, as had been previously speculated, the CSL, GT or GT4 Street – and after seeing a few spy shots and some speculated details, BMW has just ...

Rumormill: $170k BMW M3 GT/GT4 Street probably not coming to U.S. 4 months ago on Autoblog

No three letters get Bimmer fans as riled up as CSL. The initials have historically been applied to lightweight, performance-focused versions of BMW's most extreme machinery. But while BMW isn't currently offering any CSL models for public consumption, the emergence of an M5 CSL and spy shots ...

Spy Shots: BMW resurrecting the M3 CSL? 4 months ago on Autoblog

We're not sure what to believe anymore. A bit over a year ago, reports surfaced that BMW was planning a successor to the E90-generation M3 CSL, a highly coveted, track-focused version of its legendary sports coupe. Within a month, the Bavarian automaker had announced that it was canceling the ...

VIDEO: V10-powered E30 M3 vs. V8-powered E92 M3 5 months ago on Autoblog

Ah, the Swedes, with their eye for tuning and their wide open spaces to run in. A gent named Johan stuck an M-Division S85 V10 in an E30 M3, and the results look nothing short of devastating. No surprise when you add Big Power + Light Car. Stack it up against a current M3 on a runway, and what ...

BMW considering offering M3 GT4 to gentlemen racers 8 months ago on Autoblog

Although BMW's M division may have arguably veered off course with the recent introduction of the X5M and X6M, well-to-do M-ophiles may have something to look forward to in the form of a M3 GT4 available to consumers. Campaigned at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this past May, the GT4 variant ...

BMW introduces exclusive M3 Edition models 9 months ago on Autoblog

It's difficult to make the new BMW M3 even more appealing, but that's exactly what the boys from Bavaria are trying to do with the new M3 Edition models. The limited run of 2009 M3s feature a choice of four bespoke paint schemes – Alpine White Non-Metallic, Black Non-Metallic, Dakar ...

Andrew J. Feustel: Astronaut, Hubble mechanic, car guy 10 months ago on Autoblog

Sometime today, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis are scheduled to begin fitting the Hubble telescope with three new gyroscopes. But why does Autoblog care? Well, apart from the fact that the whole mission is super cool, one of the galactic grease monkeys wielding a wrench today will be ...

Turbo'd fours and sixes could power future BMW M machines 11 months ago on Autoblog

With new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards looming on the horizon, automakers are in the process of developing engines that strike a balance between ultra-efficiency and high-performance. Aware of the challenges ahead, BMW has begun development of the next generation 3 Series and 1 ...

Attention, Canadians: BMW wants you to drive 8 of its cars in 120 minutes... for free 12 months ago on Autoblog

The BMW 3 Series is one of the most fun cars to drive for under $50,000, and if you live near Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, you may be eligible to try out the entire lineup at no cost to you. BMW is inviting select Canadian registrants to drive all flavors of the 3 Series for two hours and ...

Rendered Speculation: BMW M3 Touring wagon by Jon Sibal 1 year ago on Autoblog

Some of us live in the real world, while other spend time in Fantasyville. Jon Sibal falls into the latter, and we're happy for it. The talented illustrator had given us glimpses of upcoming supercars – including the Ferrari Scuderia Spider, Mercedes SLR Speedster (later revealed as the ...

Brabham races back into the scene with trio of custom BMWs 1 year ago on Autoblog

It's hard to make a BMW M3 any more bad-ass than it already is. Fortunately Brabham Racing is up to the task, as you can see from the image above. If the name sounds familiar, it could be because it's one of the best known names in racing. Or at least it was. Founded in 1960 by legendary ...

NSFW VIDEO: Dad has bad reaction to son's M3 Turbo 1 year ago on Autoblog

If we had a turbocharged BMW E46 M3 that kicked out 630 horsepower to the rear wheels, we'd be pretty damn proud of it. In fact, we'd likely head right over to our old man's house and take him for a spin. Hopefully he wouldn't react to our ass-kicking, super-tuned Bimmer like the dad in this ...

REPORT: BMW cancels development of E92 M3 CSL 1 year ago on Autoblog

There were around 1,400 examples of the BMW e46 M3 CSL built, and by all accounts they were exceptionally well received. However, according to Ludwig Willisch, the boss of the automaker's M division, the current e92 M3 won't get the same treatment. He – or perhaps the accountants – feel ...

BMW M3 facelift revealed, along with new hue 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click either image for a high-res gallery of the 2009 BMW M3. We've only had a few months to get to know the new BMW M3, but the 2009 model has already gone under the knife. For 2009, the M3 sedan gets the revised taillights that originally debuted on the 328i and 335i, but the nip and tuck up ...

BMW working on M3 CSL with 470 hp 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 BMW M3. The rumormongers at AutoZeitung are reporting that BMW plans to unveil a stripped-out, track-ready M3 at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The E90-based M3 CSL will use many of the same tricks BMW employed on the E46 model in an effort to shave ...

Review: 2008 BMW M3 Coupe 1 year ago on Autoblog

Third-party performance tuners like Alpina, AMG, Brabus, Ruf and others have thrived in the land of the autobahn, typically modifying cars from one particular brand. In the late '70s, BMW became the first of the German automakers to establish its own in-house tuning division, incorporating its ...

BMW M division celebrates 30 years and 300,000 vehicles 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of BMW's latest M3 It's been 30 years since the first BMW wearing a trademark tri-color marking was introduced in a homologation effort as the M1. Since then 300,000 vehicles have been graced with that coveted "M" telltale, and still countless others have had the ...

VIDEO: WebridesTV pits the BMW M3 against the Dinan 335i 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above to view the shoot-out between the BMW M3 and the Dinan 335i. This is a head-to-head battle we've been waiting to see: BMW's new M3 versus a Dinan-tuned 335i coupe. But we're only going to talk numbers and let the video tell the tale. The BMW 335i has proven itself as a credible player ...

We say BMW, you say... Part 2 1 year ago on Autoblog

Hot on the heels of the recent brandtag exercise that saw BMW drivers labeled as a-holes (and a lot of explanations and justifications in the comments), we have this classified ad from an M3 owner in Peoria, Arizona. Its starts off rather plainly, with a rundown of the aftermarket components with ...

Donk Daytons take out uber-clean M3, we weep silently 1 year ago on Autoblog

After (Above), Before (on right) As a fellow E36 owner (non-M), my heart momentarily stopped when Mike S. sent us this link to BimmerForums, where one member had a close encounter of the multi-spoke kind while driving down I-880 near San Jose, CA. The wheel apparently fell off another vehicle going ...

Pics Aplenty: BMW M3 Convertible 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 BMW M3 convertible. To signal the beginning of sales of the M3 convertible in the UK, BMW decided to release two-dozen more photos of its drop-top super coupe, and that's enough of a reason for us to include them in a gallery with its white ...

VIDEO: The making of BMW's M3 "Revolution" ad 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above to view video after the jump If you haven't seen BMW's M3 "Revolution" ad, then you need to do that right now. For those of you who have seen it, no doubt you were wondering how they created such stunning video without the use of CGI. Fortunately, additional cameras were on hand to film ...

VIDEO: CGI be damned! Inside the BMW M3's V8 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above to view the BMW M3 ad. Ever since Industrial Light and Magic dropped Jurassic Park onto the scene, it's rare to see a movie, TV show or advertisement that doesn't involve some form of CGI. It's amazing what can be done by a handful of programmers and a case of RedBull, but something ...

BMW builds big @$$ ad in Moscow 1 year ago on Autoblog

In terms of sheer size, Russia is the largest country in the world. That must have something to do with this gargantuan advertisement found in Russia... According to the caption, the surface area measures more than 1.5 acres (billboard haters should stop complaining right about now, as it ...

BMW considering cutting the cylinder count on M-models? 1 year ago on Autoblog

Of all the things that have hampered performance over the last two decades, vehicle weight is at the top of the list. Automakers have responded by putting more power under the hood to make up for the extra pounds, and BMW is as guilty as the rest – particularly with its M cars. The first ...

BMW dealer auctions new M3 for $60K on eBay, doesn't want to honor the deal 1 year ago on Autoblog

UPDATE: 3-24-08 -- This was left on the original M3 forum thread by Ken, the nearly-defrauded winner of the eBay auction: "Sorry its taken so long to post a update. The site is very slow (understandably). This morning, BMW of Lincoln has agreed to sell me the car at a price of 60K, with certain ...

2008 BMW M3 Coupe being marked up to $100,000 2 years ago on Autoblog

Click above for more high-res pics of the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe We've been getting reports from all over that the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe has begun to arrive in U.S. dealerships. Dealers, however, have also begun taking advantage of the high interest in these Bavarian über coupes by marking up the ...

Chicago 2008: BMW back in ALMS with Rahal Letterman Racing M3 [w/VIDEO] 2 years ago on Autoblog

click above to view more high-res live shots of BMW M3 ALMS race car The American Le Mans Series is going to get a dose of Bavarian brilliance in 2009, as Bobby Rahal and David Letterman are teaming up to bring the fourth-generation M3 to the racing series. To properly battle the best competition ...

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Autoblog Podcast #169: Wagons and SuperDuty and NASCAR, Oh My!

Chris Shunk, Alex Nunez, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan Roth talk about the Cadillac CTS-V SportWagon, Acura TSX Wagon, Honda CR-Z, Ford SuperDuty, and NASCAR carnage - plus the usual tangents
 

 
 

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