Do you like your BMW raw?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Sounds, looks, and feels like a classic, high-powered sports car

Cons: Droning engine, shudders a bit over bumps

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
The essence of a sports car. One of the most fun cars I've ever driven.

Author's Review
I had to be forced to drive this thing. Ever since I first saw a photo of one I've felt it's one butt ugly car. Still do. I like the looks of the Z3 roadster. But M Coupe's squarish greenhouse on top of the quite rounded body of the Z3 is just too much of a clashing contrast for my eyes. But we have a BMW salesman in our midst, BobMc. And he told me to forget about how it looks (thought he actually likes the attention-getting nature of the "lines," if they can be called that), and to just drive the damn thing.

So, when I registered for the Komen drive to benefit breast cancer research this was one of the two vehicles I signed up for (the X5 being the other). Well, when I arrived, the M Coupe was out. So I drove a 323i first, and came away thinking "nice Lexus." Then I jumped into the M Coupe. We're talking night and day here, folks.

First off, you know you're in something different (well, I guess the styling should tell you that) when you first get in. The sill is high and the roof is low. I'm not tall, and I still had to work a bit to get into the seat wihtout hitting my head. Then I, all 5'9" of me, powered the seat all the way back to get it where I want it. Never done that before to my recollection. This is one tight little car. Now, I had enough room once inside, but just barely. If you are taller than me, be prepared to scrunch up a bit.

Looking about the interior, I'm immediately aware this car shares little with the 323i. There's not a soft surface to be found. Most prominent is a swath of hard blue plastic flowing down the center stack of the instrument panel and then along the top of the center console. Usually I don't care for such material, but stay tuned, it works here. Together with the chrome instrument surrounds and myriad other interior details it lends a strong retro ambiance to the interior. Frankly, I'm not sure which decade this interior recalls, but it's not like anything else created since 1975.

The view through the windshield is also unique to this day and age. The round hood appears to rise up in front of you and extend quite a ways. I think the view from the driver's seat of an old Jag E-Type is much the same. Small car, long hood.

The retro sports car flavor is not just skin deep. The M Coupe is raw sports car to the core. Where the 323i engine was silent most of the time, this one always lets you know its there. The note is much deeper than that in the 323i. The sound is just plain raw, like a good old carbureted sports car engine. There aren't many ponies lost to the exhaust here. (There are some lost to timing: this engine makes 320 hp in Euro tune, but only 240 for us cupholder-loving, soft Americans.) Every time you touch the throttle you hear the engine. You feel it to. This thing responds instantly. Blip the throttle in neutral and the needle jumps instantly. Hit the throttle in gear and the effect is much the same, except the whole car jumps too. Unlike the 170 hp 2.5 liter engine in the 323i (which is admittedly a bit heavier), the 240 hp 3.2 liter engine in this car has the umph to give you a solid push in the lower back.

That said, I'm not sure I'd want this car as my daily driver. The noises were exciting during my drive, but would probably go tiresome on the daily commute. But that's not what this car is about now, is it? Only purists need apply. Maybe that's why they made this thing so damn ugly, to drive that message home?

The suspension, as one would expect, has very high limits. With a lot of throttle in turns I could get the rear end to step out a little, but it never felt like it was about to break loose. The steering reacts to inputs immediately, and you feel the road surface clearly through the wheel (and through your rear end). No Lexus mimicry here. This thing hearkens back in feel, as in style, to a time before the Japanese were even a factor.

This is not entirely a good thing, even from the perspective of a sports car. Like classic sports cars, this one could use a bit more stiffness to the unibody. It shuddered and creaked a touch over road imperfections. I'd like to say this is just part of the character, but that would be a stretch.

One element in the interior was definitely out of character. No, I'm not going to say they should junk all the power accessories. Even fans of raw sports cars in this day and age are unwilling to manually operate their windows, locks, and seats. I'm thinking of that other modern convenience, the cupholder. Now, Germans can't stand the things. But for us Americans they've become resigned to the fact that they must throw a set into every car. For the M Coupe, BMW tacked a clunky looking matte black plastic thingee onto the top of the center console. It sticks up a good couple of inches. Looks like something you'd find at K-Mart. Clearly a half-hearted, last minute addition.

I have one more nit to pick. Although I generally steer with my left hand, since my right is doing the shifting, sometimes while cruising I like to rest my left around along the window sill. This isn't very comfortable in the M Coupe because the window even when all the way down still sticks up above the sill about a quarter inch.

This is, all around, a love-it-or-hate-it car. I must say I'm still on the fence, but I can't help but admire what the M Coupe is about. Most cars, even some BMWs, have given up driving excitement in exchange for greater refinement. Not this one. There's very little of a refined nature here, and this is part of what makes the M Coupe such a blast to drive in a way that the new 3 is not. It's a raw sports car, pure and simple.

Reliability

People often email me asking about the reliability of the cars and trucks they are considering. Existing sources of reliability information just aren't helpful enough.

In response, my website, truedelta.com, will more clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Z3 rather than something else by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). Those who help provide the data--which will require just a few minutes a year--will earn free access to the site's reliability information. To encourage participation, this access will otherwise cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.