100,000 km with the BMW M3: reliable enough for the long term? (CONTINUED TEST)

480 hp they drive us on business trips for 100,000 km. And indeed, with the BMW M3, everything went smoothly and was a joy to drive piese auto online ieftine.

100,000 km with the BMW M3: reliable enough for the long term? (CONTINUED TEST)

In the EDITORIAL we have had models for which even after 50,000 km we asked ourselves: will it even last 100,000 km? Some cars need a service stop to get them going. We've also had models for whom we were glad the marathon was over. Because they offered a boring ride, they weren't particularly pleasant for business trips, or they were simply unremarkable companions on long trips. Then HE appeared. Oh, rather SHE! This MACHINE. The noisy MONSTER. In any case, a hot LOVE, for some a real BEAUTY, for others a DRUG, which finally got a FULL SIX in our reliability rating.

At this point, we have to take stock of the long test of the 480 hp. BMW M3 G80 with 6-cylinder turbo petrol engine and rear-wheel drive: none of the 200 cars we have had in AUTO BILD's extensive tests over the past 30 years have passed the test so flawlessly and convincingly. Not one. We give the best rating for the most fun 100,000 km without problems and worries. Congratulations to the specialists from the M-division in Munich! But let's start from the beginning. In the summer of 2021, the M3 equipped with many extras and costing BGN 223,000 arrived in our underground garage. He stirred up spirits in the AUTO BILD editorial office, even before he had walked a meter. Of course, the appearance with the huge "kidneys" and the green color of the body were a matter of taste. But the emphasis here is not on appearance. The M-XD 8188 divided opinion mostly with its drivetrain. Because this M3 has a 6-speed manual gearbox. So it offers less power, less torque and less comfort than the M3 with the 8-speed M-Steptronic automatic transmission.

Pessimists have quite a few doubts about the drivetrain. Will the clutch last? An automatic transmission would provide lower mileage, wouldn't it? Switching yourself is old fashioned! The opposite camp immediately objects: there are no automatic gears, so the weight is lower, there are shorter gears, six gears that you change tangibly. Mechanics that want to be driven with feeling and skill - this makes up for any shortcomings.

It was the transmission that was the biggest turning point in the long test. The manual gearbox turns the M3 into the definitive machine for driving pleasure. You control the clutch engagement yourself, "conduct" the synchronizers, feel the thrust peaks and control the machine with the short gear lever, while with your left foot you control the power deployment - as you shoot forward.

You monitor the revs, synchronize the throttle and release the clutch - everything is much more active than with an automatic transmission. It is this mechanical activity that turns the manual M3 into an authentic sports car Amortizoare Koni.

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In the EDITORIAL we have had models for which even after 50,000 km we asked ourselves: will it even last 100,000 km? Some cars need a service stop to get them going

At this point, we have to take stock of the long test of the 480 hp