First Look:
Not many of the sports car are unlike the conventional sports car, and the 2011 BMW M3 that we are covering here is one of the very few of those type. The M3 is a sports car with unlike sports car look; the car has a lot of seats and one of the body styles of the car has a lot of doors. The car even has a useful trunk. Also you can drive the car comfortably in city traffic. And despite all these unlike sports car features the 2011 BMW M3 comes with a 414 hp V8 engine that takes the car from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. The car stops from 60 in such less time that you could be stunned for a while, and it performs in the corners in such a manner that that many of the city cars will fail. To sum up 2011 BMW M3 we would like to say that it is a sports car for the people who want practicality of sedan, convertible or coupe in their sports car.
But at the same time we won’t say that the 2011 BMW M3 is all about engine, the car is an ultimate driving machine, with superb stability and controlling. The car will appeal the modern sports car fanatics with its huge engine and immense practicality.
What’s New for 2011 BMW M3?
The 2011 BMW M3 sedan and coupe now is available with a Competition package, which gets you 19-in wheels, a lowered suspension, reprogrammed electronic stability and damping controls and a wider track. Also this is not as hard-core as the preceding M3’s Competition package, but it should it still should be able to deliver that much handling sharpness.
Body Styling and Features:
The 2011 BMW M3 comes in three body styles: coupe, convertible and sedan body styles. The list of standard equipments for the vehicle should include automatic wipers, 18-in wheels, adaptive and automatic xenon headlights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a limited-slip rear differential, leather-cloth upholstery, 8-way power front seats having modifiable side bolsters, manual thigh extender and 4-way lumbar adjustment, a 10-speaker sound system having an auxiliary audio jack and HD radio and driver memory functions. The Coupe version will get you split-folding rear seat and a carbon-fiber roof, while the convertible will get you sun-reflective leather and a completely powered retractable hardtop.
There are plenty of optional packages available for the vehicle, and the Cold Weather Package for the car will give you retractile headlight washers and heated front seats. There also is a Premium package, which will add BMW Assist telematics, power-folding auto-dimming mirrors, leather upholstery, different interior trim and Bluetooth. Go for the Technology package and you could get you M Drive adjustable settings, electronic damping control, keyless entry/ignition, a navigation system having real-time traffic and voice controls and the iDrive electronics interface.
You can get most of the aforementioned items as stand-alone options in addition with 19 in wheels, rear parking sensors, a split-folding rear seat (sedan), a sunroof (it wont get you carbon-fiber roof on the M3 coupe), power rear sunshade (sedan and coupe), automatic high beams, an USB/iPod adapter, satellite radio and a 16-speaker premium sound system.
The Sedan and Coupe trim can be equipped with Competition package that will add 19-in wheels having high-performance tires, EDC (electronic damping control), different programming for EDC, a lowered suspension and stability control.
Under The Hood:
The most important ingredient in a sports car is its engine, and we are happy to see that the 2011 BMW M3 has a potent engine concealed by its hood. The power for 2011 BMW M3 comes from a 4.0-ltr V8 engine generating 414 hp of maximum power and 295 lbs-ft of maximum torque to its rear wheels.
The standard transmission here is a 6-speed manual transmission, while the optional transmission is a 7-speed automated-manual dual-clutch transmission (M DCT). The 7-speed automated-manual dual-clutch transmission (M DCT) offers manual operation through steering-wheel paddles in addition to a complete automatic mode. All the BMW M3s comes with a specialized locking back differential.
As far as performance is considered, we are happy to see that almost every variant of M3 performs respectably. The BMW M3 coupe having manual transmission sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 secs, while the sedan having manual transmission and the convertible having M DCT does it easily in 4.8 seconds. With both the transmission, the estimated fuel economy for the vehicle is of 14 mpg in city and 20 mpg on highways, which comes to a combined fuel efficiency of 16 mpg. The manual transmission equipped convertible delivers fuel economy of 13 mpg in city.
Safety Equipments:
Safety becomes primary concern when we talk about racecars and we were happy to see the 2011 BMW M3 comes loaded with plethora of standard safety equipments including complete side curtain airbags, front seat side airbags, stability and traction control and antilock disc brakes. The convertible model doesn’t have side curtain airbags, but the regular front side airbags extends up to head level, and the car also comes with pop-up rollover hoops.
Verdict:
Finally after seeing and examining each and every aspect of the 2011 BMW M3, we would like to say that this car probably is the perfect all-around car for the car fanatics. No matter what you want, the 2011 BMW M3 will give it all to you.
