2004 BMW M Series (BMW) Review

Specifications

A Straight-Razor on Wheels

Imagine a straight razor manufactured from surgical quality, high carbon steel. Visualize the skilled machining of its precision blade and the ergonomic contouring of its perfectly balanced, weighted handle milled from cold steel. Now feel how efficiently the finely honed edge of the blade follows the curves of your flesh while painlessly removing anything growing above its surface. With the confidence and skill of an old-world barber you effortlessly dance the blade over your skin with speed and accuracy. Never does the hardened razor slip from your steady hand or unexpectedly slit the vulnerable surface on which it glides. If this razor were a car, it would be a BMW M3.

I recently had the pleasure of dancing an M3 Cabriolet over the streets in and about my town and was awed by its capability for speed and accuracy. And like the imaginary razor, never did the M3 slip from my grasp or unexpectedly slide upon the surface it traveled. My test unit was a sensational looking Titanium Silver soft-top version of the Bavarian supercar. And because I view the design of this lionhearted beast so favorably, please dont assume Ive jumped on the yuppie “Bimmer” bandwagon - I havent. My admiration of the bi-kidney grilled two-door is based on BMWs long history of designing vehicles exhibiting cutting-edge style, with or without the Bangle effect.

Proportionally, the BMW 3-Series is downright perfect. That sizing perfection is retained when the 3-Series roof is dropped into its storage well by depressing a single console-mounted button. Once in place, a hard tonneau cover creates a beautiful and smooth exterior to interior transition.

The in-your-face front fascia, side cowling and massive 19-inch spoke rims, optional but fortunately included on my M test car, gave it a squat, powerful appearance that exceeded the already commanding visual character of the conventional 3-Series. An extra dose of M-coolness is delivered via the front fender vents, which have now become an M-car signature with the introduction of the new M5.

A close inspection of the exterior body panels proves that BMW is “details driven” as always. All panels are accurately matched, spaced and aligned. Doors open and close with a solid “thunk” that foreshadows the brick-like solidity soon to accompany a run over the typically decayed inner streets of my city. Its this type of automotive fortitude and substance that imparts a wonderful sense of strength and quality to its occupants - and in the M3, BMW has nailed it. The German automaker has also nailed the fit and finish of the soft-top. It seals wonderfully and ensconces as warmly as a hardtop.

Its difficult for me not to sound overly gushy about the interior build quality of my open top tester. Copying the title of a great Jack Nicholson flick, “its as good as it gets.” Of course given the M3s sticker shock, nothing less should be expected. Assembly of the many bits and pieces that make up one of the industries best interiors is tight and exact. I could live in this place. In fact I chose to remove my laptop from my home office and sit in the M3 to write this review - its interior environs are just that darn comfortable and splendid to look at. The M3s front seats are more therapeutic than an endless tab with the best chiropractor in town. Head and legroom up front is remarkable. However those in the rear may be pinched for both if their clothes hang on the “tall” rack at the local haberdashery.

The Nappa leather upholstery and trim panels in my M3 tester were finished in BMWs Imola red color, which looked sensational and contrasted brilliantly against the charcoal colored dash and console. The gauge cluster is comprised of a large circular tachometer and a matching speedometer sitting side-by-side, flanked left and right by smaller dials for the fuel level and engine temperature readouts. This grouping of the “essentials” is unobstructed and easily viewed through the upper half of BMWs sport steering wheel, which features thumb and forefinger operated audio and cruise control buttons. The leather wrapping of the beefy wheel and its ergonomically shaped hand positions added to my sense of being “connected” to the M3 in a way that was more than merely physical. The huge side-bolstering incorporated into the front perches and the steel-plate dead pedal ensured the hyper-connection would not be lost when the M3 strutted its “stuff” through the zigs and zags I went looking for, or should I say hunting for.

But it wouldnt be fair to prattle-on about the M3s handling without going first to the heart of the matter - its raucous powerplant. When the M3 badge is affixed to the valve cover of the

3.2-liter (192 cu-in), 24-valve inline-six powering the M3, it brings with it nothing less than 333-horsepower (102-horsepower per liter) and 274 foot-pounds of tire burning twist. With a sub-two-ton curb weight of 3,781 pounds, the mighty-I-6 moves the M3 with gusto befitting a high performance 8-cylinder trumpeter. BMW claims an impressive 0 to 60 mph time of 5.4 seconds. Because this dynamo of an engine is naturally aspirated, the power is on-tap from the moment the drive-by-wire throttle is squeezed until the ignition key is finally pulled. Theres no waiting for an add-on supercharger or turbocharger to contribute to the engines raw thrust. From idle through to the Ms screaming 7,900 rpm redline, torque is abundant.

And while generating the spin necessary to slingshot the M3 ahead of most other hardware on the highway, the inline-six issues a frenetic exhaust wail not far removed from the high-voltage screaming accompanying a BMW-Williams F1 race engine. Factor in the audible punch of a .08-second SMG gear change at near 8,000 rpm and prepare to be mentally transported to the Nurburgring, the European home of Formula 1 Grand Prix racing in the Eifel Mountains of Germany. Here, BMW puts its M cars to the test under the toughest conditions on the historic 12.9-mile Northern Circuit. Much of that testing has been applied to the development of BMWs race-bred, Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG), a clutch-less manual transmission that could make a stick-shift lover reconsider their loyalties. BMWs SMG technology is very sophisticated and a challenge to adapt to for those of us whose multi-setting coffee maker is too complicated.

I must confess that despite my 30-years behind the wheel and numerous advanced driving courses, I was a fish out of water when I first planted myself behind the M3s wheel. A quick read of some accompanying literature and the SMGs functionality becomes easier to understand mind you. Essentially, SMG technology very closely mimics a traditional manual transmission, sans the clutch pedal. When the vehicle is in motion, the engine is hooked directly to the rear wheels, as it would be with a conventional manual mixer. The SMG system so accurately reproduces the characteristics and benefits of a manual gearbox that a momentary power loss accompanies a cog swap, similar to what is experienced when a clutch pedal is depressed. After inserting a new cog, the race-bred technology hooks everything back up as if a conventional clutch had been released. The real beauty in this technology is this; under full acceleration a gear-change can be electronically completed in the aforementioned .08-seconds. SMG allows cogs to be traded manually or automatically, depending on the chosen setting. BMWs accompanying Drivelogic technology enables adjustment of the SMGs gear swapping dynamics, producing either rapid shifting at high rpm thresholds or softer shifting at lower rpm increments. A small LCD screen on the dash displays the selected level of Drivelogic, which of the six forward gears is currently spinning and whether SMG is set to the automatic or manual mode.

When SMG is in its manual mode, the driver controls the shifts, of course. This is achieved with either a pair of steering wheel mounted paddles, a la Formula-1, or by tipping the console mounted stick fore or aft depending on whether its a climb up the ladder or down. Maximizing the potential of SMG takes a few practice runs. I found it best to keep a steady and even foot on the throttle and just let the SMG technology do what it does better than most if not all humans - shift gears. Resisting the urge to release the throttle when ordering a shift change smoothens out the process, regardless of whether youre rowing up or down through the gears. As an added bonus, the technology blips the throttle when downshifting to ensure engine speed meets the anticipated need. It makes you sound like a pro.

So, youre thinking that the Bratwurst boys did a pretty good job importing track technology to the street, but without a clutch how does a person power-launch an SMG-equipped M car? Easy. Deactivate the Dynamic Stability Control system and choose the S6, Drivelogic program. With the car stationary, tip the stick shift forward and push the throttle to the floor. The engine will rev to 3,500-rpm, when the stick shift is released the full force of 333-horsepower will expel itself through the M3s rear wheels, lighting them up like Roman candles and thrusting the attached body forward like a bullet. Within milliseconds the tachometer will reach 7,900 rpm, setting off a series of shift lights indicating its time for the next cog. Tap the paddle on the right side of the steering wheel or pull back on the stick shift and .08 seconds later the rear tires light up again as second gear takes over. This is a tremendous open-air ride, full of G-force and raging auditory intrusions. Not to dampen the spirits though, this sort of motoring should only be undertaken on a closed course where safety can be assured.

Earlier in this road test, before getting your blood pumped and endorphins flowing, I alluded to seeking-out zigzags so the M3 could strut its “stuff.” Well, its now time to talk handling, the inspiration behind my straight-razor analogy. The BMW 3-Series chassis, on which the M3 is based, is world renowned for its lively balance and spirited blend of tenacious handling and decent ride comfort. In M3 form, the handling thresholds are pushed substantially further, resulting in razor-sharp handling and a stiffened ride quality. Some have decried the compromised ride-comfort as excessively punishing to the human condition; I on the other hand find the 04 M3 to be remarkably compliant given its Gillette-like handling characteristics. The M3s magical blend of compliance and slot car handling is attributable to a very rigid roof-less body structure. With the roof down, body-flex and cowl shake is negligible. Such stiffness is remarkable for a convertible, especially for one sizeable enough to house four adults.

On to the cement-like unibody structure of the M3 Convertible, BMW has hung some pretty sophisticated suspension components and specially tuned them for M purposes. The fully independent coil-spring setup also includes front and rear anti-roll bars to further weld the M3 to the pavement during forceful cornering. BMW should be proud of the work its engineers and chassis tuners have done. The M3 sets benchmarks when it comes to the 3-ps of steering - precise, predictable and progressive. The little voice that occasionally whispers in your ear, “Youre going too fast to make this corner” is wasting his or her breath. The M3 eats up anything that has a radius and is far more forgiving of over-exuberance than many other high performance machines. Now its rather cavalier and perhaps a tad irresponsible for me to say that, but I do so in an effort to emphasize the outstanding handling properties, and therefore safety of the Bavarian born soft-top. There are of course, speeds too great for any car, and most often too great for the drivers ability, so common sense and sound judgment apply when at the wheel. But when the opportunity safely presents itself, or if an emergency maneuver is undertaken, the M3 will inspire confidence by immediately and competently responding to driver inputs, while transmitting back exactly what is going on down where the rubber meets the road. Road feel and steering feedback is so tangible that it melds man and machine into a single entity. When cornering forces become wildly elevated, its always very clear to the driver just how near the M3 is to breaching the sticky contract between the rubber and the road.

If such a breaching point is detected, electronic stability control will intercede to preserve the rubber-to-road contract and keep the M car from spinning into next week. BMWs electronic overseer adjuster imposes itself very transparently and only when absolutely required, which means that man and machine can play a little more aggressively before technology says enough is enough. Combining with BMWs Dynamic Stability Control (DSC III) to enhance the M3s passive safety net is traction control and antilock braking, the latter of which is an ultra powerful cross-drilled compound vented disc setup at all 4-corners, aided by Dynamic Brake Control and Cornering Brake Control technology. These slayers of speed performed flawlessly, shedding top-tier velocity with startling efficiency time and again. No brake fade or undesirable “grabbiness” was ever detected.

If all of the M3s crash hardware and software is unable to avoid an MVA, there are numerous systems designed to mitigate the impending hurt, beginning with the cabriolets rear headrests equipped with BMWs integrated rollover protection. These use small explosive charges to shoot twin roll hoops upwards if an impending rollover is detected. Next up is a plethora of airbags. Standard on the M3 cab is driver and front passenger frontal airbags with seat occupant detection for the passenger side. Side airbags for the driver and front passenger are also part of the standard package. My test unit was also equipped with the optional side airbags for the rear seat passengers. All four M3 Cab seating positions feature 3-point, pre-tensioning seatbelts with force limiters. The car I tested was also equipped with the optional Park Distance Control, an audible warning system that lets you know how close exterior objects are from the car - especially handy when reversing.

As one would expect, the M3 Cabriolet is handsomely equipped without adding on the few options and packages that are available. Those fortunate enough to assemble a trunk full of green backs needed to free an M3 Cab from a dealers lot - assuming the presence of sufficient stock - will be acquiring a timeless example of cutting-edge performance. And yes, at a base price of $55,800, the M3 Cabriolet accounts for a lot of dough. But compare it to the base Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, which heads-out the door for no less than $78,400 and the Bimmers value proposition comes into perspective. Even after loading on the $2,400 needed for the SMG 6-speed transmission, plus the $1,800 navigation system, and every other M3 bell and whistle which may or may not include personalized options from BMWs Individual program, and the M3 Cab still eclipses the 911 soft-top by thousands.

Regardless of price, few cars can live up to my straight razor analogy, and fewer yet can transport four adults in a beautifully furnished, open-to-the-stars cockpit. The M3 Cabriolet can and does so with top-tier performance, attitude and style. Shaving has never been so much fun.