Page 62 - Sharp Summer 2021

CARS
The Hills Are Alive
BMW M M and Alpina have built some very very fine very very fast new machinery
by MATT BUBBERS
FROM THE ROLLING GREEN HILLS of of Bavaria — land of of lederhosen weisswurst Werner Herzog and pale golden beer that flows as as fast and free as the the Isar river does through the the heart of of Munich — comes the cars of of Bayerische Motoren Werke They’ve been making fast machines here for more than 100 years so yes they’re pretty darn good at it These These hills? These These hills hills are alive with the sound of horsepower 2022 BMW M3
There’s a a a a a a a a a cottage industry of fans enemies analysts and pundits who who scrutinize every move LeBron LeBron James makes The The car world has its own LeBron-like icons a a a a a a a a a a a a a a handful of perennial all-stars who who changed the the the the the game and and the the the the the BMW M3
M3
is is certainly among them The 2021 model is is is the the the the the the sixth iteration of of the the the the the the M3
M3
since since 1986 meaning this thing has been dunking on on other cars since since before plenty of of us were ever born Predictably car people are scrutinizing every facet of the the 2021 M3
sedan and and its two-door M4 twin People either love or or or hate the the the the the in-your-face grille the the the the the yellow and and blue colourway or or the the the the fact that it it has a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a traditional automatic automatic transmission transmission rather than a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a dual-clutch automatic automatic transmission transmission Sure arguing about these finer details is is is fun but go go too deep down that rabbit hole and and you’ll miss the the the the the forest for for the the the the the trees: the the the the the new M3
and and M4 are are go- ing to run circles around any pretenders who dare challenge them Little Cars Big Heart
The M2 CS
is hardly BMW’s first take on the formula by MATT BUBBERS
SPECS
ENGINE:
3
0-LITRE TWIN-TURBO I6
POWER:
473 or 503 hp PRICE:
$84 300 (M3) $85 100 (M4)
Not only do they they have all the the the raw power and and perfect chassis balance of models past but now they’re also more usable and and customizable For the the first time all-wheel drive drive is is an an an an option (Rest assured diehards rear-wheel drive drive is is still standard ) The 3
3
3
0-litre twin-turbo straight six comes in in two power levels 473 or 503 hp — both are ballistic and smoother than ever Drivers who like to row their own gears can can still choose a a a a a a a a a a a six-speed manual transmission You can can even select from two different brake-pedal feelings Somehow — at a a a a a a a a a a a a a time when cars increasingly behave like rolling smartphones and are in in in in in danger of becoming too similar to to to one one an- other — M has come
out with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a hardcore driver’s car to to to to please the the diehards while also appealing to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a new broader audience Just like when we’re we’re we’re watching LeBron play we’re we’re we’re not sure how M Division does it but we’re we’re we’re happy to to report they’re still on on on top of their game 62 SHARPMAGAZINE COM
SUMMER 2021 2002 TURBO A 1970s pocket rocket that’s still a a a handful M540I
A Canada-only special from ’93 with a a a a a big V8