Auto News 5

I love the looks of this BMW M3 not just because of its big wheels and carbon-fiber spoiler, but also because the flared fenders and squat stance make it look deliberate and purposeful. I love the M3's V-8 engine not simply because it makes 414 hp, but because of the way it furiously races toward its 8400-rpm redline. I love the quad-tip exhaust not simply because it's loud (and it is very loud), but because it snarls and barks and growls like a race car. And I love the dual-clutch transmission not only because I can drop it into automatic mode when creeping around in rush-hour traffic, but because in full-bore mode it shifts with a ferocity and swiftness I could never manage with a manual gearbox.