2001 BMW M3

Brag all you want about the last BMW M3. Hey, we sure did. Profess about its being the king of compact sport coupes/sedans. But the fact is that the previous E36-platform M3 gets flat-out trounced in just about every way by the new E46-based design. How? Thanks to a thrilling new 3.2L DOHC inline-six that delivers a sky-high 8000-rpm redline, 333 serious horsepower, and a torque curve flatter than Kansas. Don't forget its wider-track, larger-rubber, race-inspired brakes and redesigned suspension. Factor in a more aggressive look and upgraded interior appointments, and you begin to get an inkling of what the '01 M3 is all about.

Clearly, the main performance-generating element of this new, maximum-strength M3 is its M-tuned inline six-cylinder engine, which shares only 5 percent of its parts content with the old one. At 198.1 cu in., its displacement is but 1.4 percent larger than its predecessor's-yet it cranks out an impressive 93 more horsepower and 33 lb-ft more torque. That's a serious increase in specific output. Moreover, it delivers 80 percent of its maximum torque at 2000 rpm, and maintains that level all the way to redline. The icing on the cake is that the engine will happily assault your nearest autobahn all day long-while still complying with strict LEV emission standards.

What makes the new engine so much brawnier than its older brother? The key is a new crossflow-cooled, four-valve-per-cylinder head that incorporates lighter intake valves, sodium-filled exhaust valves controlled by smaller (lower-rate) springs and lighter retainers. An all-new rocker arm-like setup replaces the previous, heavier cup-style tapped design, which in turn delivers a 30-percent reduction in valvetrain weight and 40 percent less valvetrain friction. This low mass hardware is what allows that nearly stratospheric 8000-rpm redline (the previous M3's limit was 6200 revs).

BMW's technologically advanced double-VANOS variable-cam adjustment system returns, but now works in harmony with a new, more aggressively programmed MSS-54 engine-management system. While the old M3's induction setup consisted of three two-barrel intake runners, this powerplant makes use of six individual throttle bores with inlet blades controlled by a throttle-by-wire setup. Additionally, specially contoured, F1-like composite air inlet runners translate into a 7-hp increase alone, according to BMW. Don't forget about the free-flowing, four-pipes-out-the-back exhaust system, which is quickly becoming another M trademark.