2008 BMW M3

Our track-test numbers tell the story: The DCT car is a tenth of a second slower than the regular six-speed manual version to 30 mph, even to 40 mph, and then it's all over. Zip to 60 mph in the M3 DCT takes 4.1 sec, two tenths quicker than in the stick version, and by 100 mph,the gap has stretched to four tenths of a second. The standing quarter mile comes up in 12.6 sec at 113.2 mph versus 12.7 sec at 111.3 mph.

The driver's choice. It has the best handling, the fastest cornering, the most responsive engine, and is the most nimble. Plus, when you're bearing down on the 8400-rpm cutoff, engine yowling like a Formula 1 racer, you know you're in something truly special.

...the M3 remains the leader of the pack, the example by which all other sport sedans are judged even if it throbs with a 4.0-liter V-8 heart.

Not quite double the displacement of the original E30 M3, this new engine is definitely double the cylinders and more than double the power. Under the power-domed hood, the E90-series V-8 makes 414 horses and 295 lb-ft of torque. With an 8400-rpm redline and 103.5 horses per liter, this is one of the highest-revving and most powerful naturally aspirated V-8s on the planet.

I'm an enthusiast and I'd take the M3 with M-dynamic mode and EDC. Yes they are expensive options, but my philosophy is, if you can afford them, better to have than have not. If you get to the point where you don't need them, just turn them off. Along your way there, these systems provide a margin of safety and fun.

Balance is the word that describes the M3.

The 2008 M3 sedan is about three inches shorter overall than the coupe but weighs about the same.

The BMW is agile and athletic, tells you everything you want to know, and has high limits. It's the most fun on a road course, yet is never rough-edged or jarring. The M3 shucks off mid-corner bumps, has great stability at speed, and is a neutral handler.

But buyers of today's two-pedal M3 won't need to make any excuses. Available on all of the M3's body styles (coupe, sedan, and convertible), BMW's brand-new dual-clutch seven-speed transmission shaves 0.2 second from the M3's 0-to-60-mph time and performs near-instantaneous, barely perceptible shifts in normal driving.

A Drivelogic button allows the driver to select from five different automatic settings, which vary both the intensity of the shifts and when the shifts occur. In the D1 setting, the M3 starts out in second gear and upshifts early and slowly. Even in D5, the most aggressive mode, part-throttle upshifts are imperceptible, but the engine hangs onto revs longer and is much quicker to downshift.

On the streets and freeways around Ann Arbor, my initial impressions were that the new car is a lot more refined than the old M3.

If you're a weekend racer, sure, you'll want the M3. But now that the "regular" 3-series is so good, with that wonderful twin-turbo six, the V-8-powered M3 is overkill for most.

Lurking under the suggestively bulging hood, the V-8 makes a robust414 hp, but it's actually lighter and more rev-happy than the previous M3's 3.2-liter straight six, reaching its power peak at 8300 rpm, just shy of its 8400-rpm redline.

A four-door variant has once again joined the M3 stable, and in so doing makes BMW's raciest 3-series not only ergonomically more practical but also financially more palatable, with a base price that undercuts the coupe's by nearly $3000. Happily for bargain shoppers and kid schleppers, the extra doors have not dulled the sensations of this most sensational 3-series.

There is a consistent two tenths of a second improvement on 0-to-62 mph times over the standard six-speed manual on all three M3 body styles. The convertible makes the dash in 5.1 seconds (versus 5.3 for the manual) and the coupe - the quickest of the M3 range - gets to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds when equipped with the M DCT.

The four-door M3 shares the coupe's 414-hp, 8400-rpm, 4.0-liter V-8, along with that car's basic styling cues and suspension. Like the coupe, the four-door boasts an aluminum hood complete with power bulge, side "gills" on both front fenders, and a discreet lip spoiler on the trunklid. Four round tailpipes live under the rear bumper, and the front bumper forgoes the foglamps traditionally found on ordinary BMW sedans and coupes.

The cockpit is clean and refined, very much like a standard 3 Series but with several special touches, including: carbon fiber dash paneling, M-spec stitching and a sizable, contoured steering wheel. Seating is reminiscent of the previous M3, and that's a good thing, as it's virtually impossible to not find the perfect driving position.

Why we love it: Elastic powerband, smooth ride, great exhaust note

Why we don't: No sequential manual gearbox, no direct injection, somewhat isolated chassis, light steering