I’ve finally found the perfect M3

Eights. Nines. One ten, sure. But something was missing. It’s hard to find a BMW M3 that I think is raw enough to earn a perfect score. But I finally did it, because this supercharged E90 M3 has me lying awake at night, figuring out if I’m still good-looking enough for an Only Fans page.

Everyone else, from G8X to IS-F to C63 to RS 4 – whatever sedan you have, understand one thing: it is not this car.

The 2008 BMW E90 M3 overview

If you’re thinking that this is a repeat from last year’s supercharged E92, you’d be wrong, because not only is this car a sedan (M3s work best as sedans), but it is a stick. In this car, a stick changes everything.

Not the stock car’s transmission – we need something beefier. Meaner. Something that makes you regret leg day five days after leg day. That’s because we’re bolting a supercharger onto the vaunted S65 here, and as you know, it’s the best way to bring that aging motor up to “speed”. Haha, dad jokes.

No but for realsies though. This M3 has the power of a G80, with the soul of something much smaller and more intimate. Despite all that, it’s still an M3 and it can take your kids to the park. I think it’s probably the best-looking too, without the slab-sidedness of the Coupe’s long rear half.

Have I done it? Have I finally found the perfect M3?

Performance Score: 8. Magnificent motor

Each time I get into a car, any car, there’s a few minutes required to acclimate. The clutch takes up here. The brakes grab there. And historically, M3s have always been extremely easy to hop into a drive quickly.

Not this one.

Engine

Directions: take one S65 V-8 with 414 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Add: One VF 595 Supercharger kit water. Dyno to perfection. Delicious.

The result is about 595 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. I think if you sneezed on an S58, it would pump out that much power, and it’s evident that a tuned G80 is much, much faster. But it doesn’t sound like this.

A Corsa axle-back unit brings the S65’s volume up to where it probably should have been from the factory, and a little supercharger whine makes everyone smile. Whatever issue you might have with low torque on a stock car, this one fixes without killing the need to rev it. Think Cadillac CT5-V, but with the DNA of an E60 M5.

Transmission

Matt, the very nice owner of this example, warned me that the clutch would take some getting used to. He was right, and on our drive I never could quite get the hang of it.

If you’re looking for a more modern experience, perhaps stick with the DCT I drove from last year’s test. It’s seamless and makes the car feel faster, which of course it is. But if it’s old school you want, this is the way. It turns the E90 into a much more involving drive.

To improve feel, a shifter from an F10 M5 is installed and turns gear-changing into an exercise in bolt-action joy. M3 shifters are usually like grabbing your daughter’s new boyfriend’s nervously limp hand for that first handshake, but this one is worth the speed sacrifice.

Steering and Chassis

It’s easier to say that the steering in this car is much, much better than any M3 to come after it. But that’s like saying you’re proud of graduating the fifth grade. You’re supposed to. It’s precise, but not as heavy as you might like.

The chassis too. Stock, it’s always been floaty. Lowering the car with a set of H&R springs helps, and adding a square setup with 19-inch 275 tires gives the car neutral handling, but all of that makes the ride a bit rough. This car was also lacking the EDC option, so softening everything wasn’t a choice. Remember that the E90 M3 weighs 3,700 pounds, just 200 less than a G80, and there was no carbon roof option.

Consider too this car’s age, which is over 100,000 miles. The only way to get rid of all the harshness is to zero out the chassis, and I don’t think there’s much of a need to do that until bushings and such actually fail.

I’m okay with the choice though – this isn’t a car you’d want to drive every day, but you still can. That makes it more special.

Brakes

I’ve never liked the brakes on this car – again, too soft. With even more speed (and weight) from the ‘charger, they can become a liability on track.

We’re talking old-school here  – single pot brakes, even in front. It’s okay for street driving, but a set of Brembos is important for anything beyond back-road beat downs.

It’s clear that while this M3 isn’t perfect, it’s perfect where it matters. Add in the fact that the kids can get in easily, and this might just be the best overall M3 I’ve driven.

Lifestyle Score: 6. Nothing has changed

Not really, anyway. The coupe is pretty much the same size and shape when it comes to the trunk. The biggest difference between an E90 and a current M3 is in the butt too – much smaller in this car. Still, plenty of room here.

The big advantage over the coupe is of course the rear seats with actual doors. The E92 is really pretty good as far as coupes go, but if you have kids this is so much easier. It’s tighter back there than the cars that have replaced it, so just know that moving up the front seats for rear-facing baby slings is a possibility.

I’ve already spoken about the front seats: I still don’t like them. The supercharged Coupe I drove last year had a set of Recaro buckets that look better and are much more comfortable (and supportive). Do that if you can.

Fuel Economy: 3. But it’s special

The S65 was never going to save the planet, and adding technology from World War 2 isn’t exactly meant to preserve the baby polar bears. Expect 13 MPG or less if you cane it.

In a way I suppose I was right – you do ruin the car a bit when you start bolting things on. You can easily daily a stock E90 (it’s sort of boring if you do) – but once you wake it up like this and it eats all the dinosaurs, it becomes less practical.

Features and Comfort: 9. Making it modern

If you’ve gotten this far and said “Mike, you are an obtuse automotive writer – that’s an LCI, not a 2008”, you’re wrong. Sort of. But the makeover goes far beyond tail lights.

You drive, or iDrive?

For all the modern technology BMW puts into its new cars, have they really come that far?

We have here automatic climate control with real buttons that make sense, heated seats, ambient lighting (okay, so it can’t turn blue), a sunroof, and beautiful carbon fiber trim that is soft to the touch but still looks nice.

The sticking point is the original iDrive system, which would be extremely dated and useless. Matt instead outfitted a CIC iDrive unit from an LCI car, and added Apple CarPlay ability. I think the technology is still relevant – there’s an M button on the steering wheel for quick preset access, so you don’t need to go through the screen. Everyone goes bananas for a single-hump car, but you still need to find out where you’re going, so give me one of these.

Fun fact: This M3 is actually from Canada, and the instrument cluster must be changed from kilometers into miles per hour because this is America, damnit.

LC oh my

Wanna know what I hate? When people take those silly painted reflectors and plug them into the holes meant for the orange ones. Folks, you’re not fooling anyone, and now you have a stupid panel on the front of your car.

Instead, do this: get a Euro bumper. Since Germany is a lawless land, they’ve since decided that reflectors can go into headlights, and we don’t need extra ones. Imagine that. It’s much cleaner.

Elsewhere, there’s LED LCI taillights that requires an updated trunk, meaning you can no longer tell this is a 2008 model. Painted Alpine white over Fox Red leather, it’s a classic combination.

The BMW E90 M3 Sedan is peak M3 – if it’s supercharged

Let’s have a mini Talk Me Out Of It sesh. Here’s the cheapest E90 M3 sedan currently for sale: $16k and change.

We want it cheap because we’re going to touch it anyway. Our white example here needed ohhh…just a few things:

• BE rod bearings with ARP bolts
• New OEM Steering rack
• Throttle actuators
• Valve cover gaskets
• Oil filter housing gasket
• Oil pan gasket
• Thermostat
• Water pump
• All fluids 

Next, we need the supercharger kit for $10,000, plus install because I don’t know how to put one on. Those black wheels are crap, the car still needs to be lowered, the paint will need Larry, Dan, and the right hand of God…I could go on. My point about all this is by the time you’re done, you’re in really nice G80 territory.

But this isn’t a G80. It’s rough. Loud. Smells like burnt oil. You’ll sweat driving it. Good.

Owning a new M3 is kind of like having access to all the best chefs in the world and asking them to make you pasta with butter. It’ll be delicious and satisfy you, but there’s only so much they can do to make it memorable. Instead, try cooking a fancy meal yourself.

Once it’s served, you’ll enjoy it so much more.

Want MWS to review your car?

If you live in the tri-state area and would like to be featured, contact me!

Each review comes with a free professional photo shoot.

Support Machines With Souls

Nikon camera bodies and lenses, a Westcott Ice Light 2, Manfrotto tripod, B + W filters and an iMac Pro are used to make the art on Machines With Souls.