10 Quirks and Features Of The New 2023 BMW M3

The BMW M3 has been around for a long time, 36 years to be precise, and unlike the 911, a whole lot has changed since its inception. Starting with a four-cylinder and then moving up to six-pot mill, then onto V-8, and again back to straight-six, the M3 has seen it all. BMW has been around the block a few times before it settled the M3 into its cozy inline six-cylinder home which it still resides in, to this day. The M3 has been through six different generations in the following order - the E30 (‘86-’91), E36 (‘92-’99), E46 (‘00-’06), E90/2/3 (‘07-’13), F80/2/3 (‘14-’20), and finally, the G80/2/3 (‘21-Present) ( the 0/2/3 stand for sedan, coupe, cabriolet.). Here, our focus is on the G80 M3, more specifically, its quirks and features.

iDrive 8 with a Curved Display

The 2023 M3 is blessed with the latest iDrive 8. The iDrive 8 is laid out with one large screen that connects the gauge cluster with the infotainment screen, not exactly what you want in a performance car, let alone a manual transmission performance car. As more and more cars are going towards digital controls for prompts such as climate control, volume, and navigation, the cars that are left with solid buttons are looking so much more appetizing. The Mk8 VW Golf R has so many digital buttons that it cannot even complete a lap of a racetrack without your fingers accidentally hitting buttons on the wheel changing drive modes. While the iDrive 8 fits so nicely in the new BMW iX, it looks a little weird here. It's clear that it was obviously just slapped into the G80 M3 without much thought.

Michelins or Pirellis?

When you order your new M3 you should know everything that comes with the car, down to the tires. As your new M3 rolls off the truck, you take a peek to see what shoes it's wearing. It's riding on Pirelli PZ4 and you don’t think much; you see the next car roll off the truck - Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. You think it's because it's a different variant, but nope, the same variant. The new M3s come with two different types of tires, you just have to pray yours comes with what you want, otherwise, get your checkbook ready.

No Hands-Free Trunk!

The M3 is not a Ferrari F8, it is a practical everyday car that is for the enthusiast, a great one-car solution. Imagine this, you just traded in your 2015 BMW 328i for the new M3 and you take it for its first shopping trip. You come back to your car, hands full of groceries, swipe your leg under the rear of the car waiting for the trunk to open. You look around to see if anyone thinks you lost your marbles, then swipe again… No luck. And, that's when it hits you that BMW did not equip the new M3 with the hands-free trunk option like it did with the previous generation 3 Series!

All The Attention On The Odometer

As is with most cars that include a digital gauge cluster, the BMW M3 has many different settings you can choose from - on both, the iDrive 7 as well as the iDrive 8. For example, on a 2019 VW Golf R, you can toggle between all the different settings on the digital gauge cluster and keep the odometer visible. With the M3, if you want to see the odometer, the odometer is all you will get.

No Active Driving Assistant On The Manual M3

Having standard cruise control with a manual transmission has been around for a long time. Adaptive cruise control with a manual transmission has also been done before in a few cars. However, the M3 isn't a beneficiary of the latter. The M3 Competition, which comes with only an eight-speed auto, features BMW’s Active Driving Assistant. This is a brilliant feature that allows long-distance cruising to be a pleasure, keeping you in your lane and slowing down with traffic for you. Unfortunately, you cannot get this system in the six-speed manual, unlike other manual sports cars like the Civic Type R or Mustang GT 5.0.

Brake Ducts To Breathe Better

When you track your new M3, you want to make sure that the brakes are kept cool. BMW engineered a quick and easy way to get more air into your brakes. If you turn your wheel all the way left or right, you can look into the front of the wheel well and remove a small plastic flap that will allow more air to enter the brakes. Cool beans, BMW! (no pun intended).

Different Badges For Different Models

A quick and easy way to tell if a new M3/M4 on the road is a six-speed manual is by looking at the color of the badge. If it is chrome, that means it is a base model, thus it is a six-speed manual only. If it is black, that means it is a Competition model with an eight-speed auto.

Only One Door Panel Color

If you don’t believe BMW is trying to cut costs with their new M3, this might change your mind. For the 2023 model, you can no longer get the Kyalami or Silverstone interior color with matching door panel colors, they only come with solid black.

Missing Center Console Ambient Lighting?

Ambient lighting will not be the main reason to buy the new M3, but at the end of the day, it is still an expensive luxury item and it should not have any obvious cost-cutting measures. While there is no shortage of ambient lighting in the BMW X5, the same cannot be said about the M3. On either side of the center console, there are two strips of aluminum that resemble what looks like an ambient light strip. As the sun goes down and the lights come on, you'll notice that there is nothing illuminated in the center of the interior, just the small strip on the passenger above the glovebox and small strips on the doors. If this is really bothering, don't fret, the aftermarket has some solutions for you.

The Model Designation

The G80 M3 comes in three different configurations, the base M3, the M3 Competition, and the M3 Competition X-Drive (all-wheel drive). The Base M3 is the slowest and softest one out of the bunch (473 horses, 406 pound-feet), and you can only get this model with a six-speed manual transmission and RWD. The M3 Competition is a more powerful (503 horses, 479 pound-feet) variation of the M3 that is sharper and quicker than the base M3. You can only get the M3 Competition with the eight-speed automatic transmission that is aimed at daily driving than sheer driving pleasure.

Finally, the M3 Competition X-Drive is a sports sedan that has 0-60 numbers that rival Ferrari (2.98 seconds). You can only get this model with an eight-speed automatic as it is mechanically identical to the regular M3 Competition with the addition of all-wheel drive. Why would BMW make the slowest and most comfortable M3 a manual-only option? They should’ve considered making the M3 Competition a manual-only option as it is more enthusiast-focused.

Conclusion

The New BMW M3 is an unbelievable feat of engineering. It is amazing how good it is at traveling across the country at high speed as well as tearing up a race track, rivaling M5 characteristics. Some say this is good, some say this is bad, nevertheless, it is truly an amazing, do-it-all car.