The new BMW M3 - Love knows no limits By Vince Bodiford

SOMEWHERE NEAR CHEYENNE, WYO. - Pure, unremitting love knows no limits. If that passion of flesh can be pounded into steel and glass and leather and wood - it has been done in the new M3 Cabriolet from BMW.

Just as there may be no limit to your lusting for this piece of automotive jewelry - there is no limit to the M3's offering up of neck-bending performance, eye-popping sexy lines, and luxury.

This third-generation M3 is cause for celebration for enthusiastic drivers and fear among other carmakers. At just 1/10th of a second slower than the Corvette Z-06 in zero-to-sixty trials - roomier than a Porsche 911 Carerra Cabriolet - and a chump-change price tag in comparison to supercars of equal stature - the drop-dead gorgeous M3 Cabriolet easily captures your heart.

The M3 is more than meets the eye, and much more than a performance-enhanced 325i. Although both are closely related in many ways, the M3 is a model unto itself. Crafted in Germany at BMW's M (for motorsports) skunk werks in Regensburg, the M3 is the thoroughbred that has captured the attention of world.

"M cars are the purest expression of BMW," explains Jim O'Donnell, Managing Director of BMW in Great Britain, where the new M3 went on sale in April of 2001. "The new M3 is the clear embodiment of this principle." All BMW M cars have five essential ingredients - a high-revving, naturally aspirated engine with exceptional performance; at least one pioneering technical innovation; a docile nature for everyday road conditions; a distinct and individual character; and outstanding value for money in terms of performance.

"The new M3 delivers all this in spades," says O'Donnell. It behaves like a docile sedan touring across open roads, yet is as responsive as the most potent sports car threading the needle up a winding coastal highway. "There is simply nothing like the new M3 on the road" he concluded.

And we agree. Finding anything to compare to the M3 offered up an impossible challenge. Excluding super-tuner cars and the million-dollar Bugatti, we settled for comparing the M3 to our imagination - which the M3 never failed to inspire.

Open-air motoring itself sparks a passion for driving that is just being rediscovered this decade. Today it is a practical, safe and fun experience that is enhanced by BMW innovations like Rollover Protection, air bags and integrated safety harnesses.

With BMW's technical and performance innovations - such as the hydrogen-powered BMW engines that may power M3's of the future - we will continue to anxiously await the arrival of every new M car. And unlike the masses of poorly built and styled vehicles that clutter our highways, an M car of any vintage will turn our heads with as much interest as the first.

If we were ever curious (and I actually was), why to world has billed BMW as "the ultimate driving machine," then this M3 handed those answers over in live, 3-D, action-packed reasons.

HIGHS: An "E" ticket ride... from the moment you turn the ignition switch on. Throaty exhaust sound, supple leather seats, Herculean power under the hood. Real rear seats with legroom. Premium German craftsmanship from nose to tail.

LOWS: Single-disc CD player; key fob requires practice; oval-shaped inside rear mirror has blind spots. Racetrack tuned suspension offers a harsh touring ride that the seats alone cannot overcome. Great potential for speeding tickets.

The verdict? This is a real BMW. The M3 hits performance benchmarks that are impressive; and you get more BMW than what you bargain for. If you have room in your garage but for one BMW, make it this.

BMW M3 CABRIOLET SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINEERING
Two-door, four-seat Cabriolet roadster
Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
3.2 litre, 24 valve S54 engine
343 horsepower @ 7900 rpm
365 lbs. ft. torque @ 4900 rpm
Infinitely variable valve timing
6 individual electronic M-throttle valves
6 speed Sequential M Gearbox
M differential lock
Speed-sensitive power assisted steering
M calibrated 4-wheel independent performance geometry suspension
Dynamic Stability Control with M sports tuning
M Double spoke 18" alloy wheels
High Performance tires
Tire pressure monitoring
Cross-drilled compound brakes
M tuned quad performance exhaust

STYLING AND FUNCTION FEATURES
M aerodynamic body styling
Fully automatic power top with glass rear window
Heated M sport outside mirrors
M-oval height adjusting Xenon headlamps

VEHICLE COMFORT FEATURES
Remote keyless entry with memory
On-board computer
Micro filtered climate control
Harmon-Kardon AM/FM cassette, CD, anti-theft
10-way power front M sport seats
Multi-function M sport steering wheel
Cruise control
Auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror

PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds
62-0 mph in 2.6 seconds
Maximum published speed 155 mph (electronically limited)
City MPG: 16
Highway MPG: 23
Estimate actual mileage tested: 25 MPG

MANUFACTURER'S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$53,400., plus $645 destination charge.
PRICE AS TESTED, $56,420., including destination charge, gas-guzzler tax, Harmon-Kardon sound
system, AM/FM CD player, Xenon headlamps.

WARRANTY
3 year/36,000 mile Full Maintenance Program
4 year/50,000 mile warranty
Six year limited rust warranty
4 year/50,000 mile BMW Roadside Assistance

FOR MORE INFORMATION about BMW Cars and M-Power, and to locate a dealer near you, visit www.bmwusa.com or call 800-334-4bmw.

ENJOY THE DRIVE...Remember, always buckle-up, drive safely, obey all highway laws and never drive impaired. Driving maneuvers, impressions, and statements of the author are that of a highly skilled, professional driver; do not ever attempt high-performance driving.

COPYRIGHT © 2001, The Weekend Drive®, All Rights Reserved. BMW, M-Power, M3 names and logo, Copyright © 2001, BMW North America, All Rights Reserved. Test vehicle, some specifications and information provided courtesy of BMW. Used by permission.