2009 BMW M3

The 2000-06 BMW M3, also known as the E46, was a tough act to follow. Its clean, understated lines draped over a smooth straight-six engine and balanced chassis were peak analog BMW. It was truly the company’s best. The 2007-13 BMW M3 that followed, collectively known as the “E9x” series, didn’t exactly try to mimic the E46’s success but rather took the M3 in a slightly different direction. Yet it was still a balanced, refined driver’s car in true BMW M fashion.

Known by the codes E90 (sedan), E92 (coupe) and E93 (convertible with retractable hardtop), this latest M3 stood out from its predecessor thanks to both larger dimensions on the outside and an entirely different engine under the hood. The first E30 M3s were four-cylinder cars and the next two generations of M3 used straight-six power, but the E9x is the first and only M3 with a V8. A 4.0-liter unit called the S65, it is rated in the M3 at 414 horsepower at 8400 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 3900 rpm. A 6-speed manual was the standard transmission, but in 2008 the M3’s first dual-clutch semi-automatic debuted with the available Getrag 7-speed M-DCT transmission.

Regardless of transmission or body style, all E9x M3s are quick with 0-60 times ranging from the mid-4-second range to the low-5-second range, and the automotive press was effusive about the car’s driving dynamics. A Competition Package, also known as the ZCP, arrived for 2010 with upgraded suspension and 19-inch wheels, but the most recognizable special edition of the E9x M3, at least in the American market, is the Lime Rock Park Edition. Named for the famous Connecticut road course, the Lime Rock Park Edition came in loud Fire Orange paint and added a carbon fiber front splitter and rear spoiler, lowered the ride height, quickened the steering ratio, tweaked the stability control, and fitted a lightweight exhaust system. Just 200 were built.

Speaking of race tracks, E92 M3s won the Hours of Nürburgring in 2010, finished 1-2 at Sebring in 2011, and took the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) championship in 2012. For 2014, BMW introduced the next generation F80 version of the M3. Available only as a four-door, it signaled a shift in BMW nomenclature, as its two-door coupe and convertible counterparts were now known as the M4. In the end, E9x M3 production totaled 40,092 coupes, 16,219 convertibles and 9674 sedans.