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The 2010 BMW M3 is offered as a sedan, coupe or convertible. All are powered by a high-revving, 414-horsepower 4.0-liter V8, with a standard six-speed manual transmission.
The four-door M3 sedan ($55,850) seats five. Standard equipment includes leather sport seats with driver memory, automatic climate and headlight control, high-intensity Xenon adaptive headlights with washers, heated windshield washer nozzles, rain-sensing wipers, 10-speaker AM/FM/CD and BMW's self-braking Dynamic Cruise Control. HD radio is standard on all M3s for 2010, and all come with a gas-guzzler tax ($1,300-$1,700, depending on the model).
The two-door M3 coupe ($57,850) seats four. The M3 convertible ($66,500) looks much like the coupe, but its metal hardtop opens and closes at the touch of a button in less than 30 seconds. Thanks to the top-operating mechanism, it also loses a couple of cubic feet of maximum trunk space, compared to the coupe.
All M3s are available with BMW's M-Double double-clutch transmission ($2,900). This seven-speed works like a conventional automatic for daily driving, but it can also be shifted manually and very aggressively. Options are clustered in popular groupings, including the Premium Package ($1,350 convertible, $2,000 sedan and coupe), which adds power folding outside mirrors, universal garage-door opener, a digital compass on the rear-view mirror, a leather-upholstery upgrade and choice of interior trim. The Technology Package ($3,250) is the big-ticket option group, adding GPS navigation, Electronic Dampening Control variable suspension, Comfort Access proximity key, driver-adjustable electronics integration. MDrive allows the driver to tailor suspension, steering, and engine response to personal tastes and style, with almost 300 possible combinations, using a single button on the steering wheel. Most options, including the Navigation System ($2,100) and Park Distance Control obstacle warning ($350), are available individually. For 2010, the M3 offers Automatic High Beams ($250) for the first time.
Safety features include front-impact airbags that deploy at different rates depending on the severity of impact, front passenger side-impact airbags and full-cabin, curtain-type head protection airbags. The convertible adds knee airbags that help keep front passengers from sliding under the seat belts. Active safety features, designed to help the driver avoid collisions, include Dynamic Stability Control and the latest generation antilock brakes. The ABS preloads the brake pedal when the driver suddenly lifts off the gas pedal, and includes a feature that lightly sweeps the brake discs dry every 1.5 seconds when it's raining.
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