First Drive: 2011 BMW M3

The M3 is an icon – and with the 4.0-litre V8 under the bonnet, it’s the best it’s ever been. Antioxidants. They’re supposed to be good for you. As far as my medical prowess goes, that’s all I know. That’s all I want to know, too, because apparently dark chocolate is full of the stuff, which is all the permission I need to go on a gorging spree.

You see, it’s better than milk chocolate – it’s darker, fuller, richer. But there’s a bitterness that offsets the sweetness. The trick is to get that harmony right. If you stay around 50 percent cocoa, it’s too weak. Around 85 percent, it’s way too bitter, and a bit powdery. It hits the sweet spot at somewhere between 65-70 percent. It’s that balance that makes dark chocolate a very memorable experience.

Sort of like BMW’s M3. This car has some of the most balanced characteristics out there, and for the price, it’s near impossible to beat.

The purists will still be crying foul over BMW’s decision to stick a V8 under the bonnet (get over it already….) but they couldn’t be more wrong. This is one of the greatest engines ever made and it makes the E92 M3 what it is.

Insert the key, press the starter, the engine quickly cranks and then grumbles into life. At idle, there’s deep bassy thump, a metallic whirring, and almost a tappety sound, making it seem a little crude and unsophisticated. I couldn’t help myself, though. After immediately hopping in my press car at BMW, a quick prod of the throttle was needed, and a sharp echoey bark filled the underground carpark. Ah yes, you will smile. You can’t hold it back. Follow for more.