The E46 BMW M3 has one of the tallest statures in all of automotive history. It's the one that every M3 is judged against, save for the E30, and is almost universally beloved. For the average BMW fan, there isn’t an M3 that can quite match the original magic of that car. I think that the newest facelift for 2025 (LCI, to BMW nerds) is finally that M3.
For our newest YouTube video, I got to drive the latest M3. And I found myself pleasantly surprised. I would hear arguments for more interesting or more exciting M3s, but the G80 generation is one of the most complete since the E46–And I think it finally hits the chord of excitement. Odd, because I was one of many journalists who beat the ugly drum on the buck-tooth’d G80. I almost hate that the car has proven me wrong, but the earliest variants of the car were OK at best.
It’s a matter of technology. This is the first all-wheel-drive generation of M3, the latest refinement of a wide array of integrated chassis systems like adaptive dampers, brake vectoring, and advanced traction control. It is so technologically leveraged that tuning the systems is as important as tuning spring rates and sway bars. Finally, after some teething years, the 2025 G80 is something approaching M3 perfection. Find out why by watching our video.
