Add BMW M3 to the list of muscle cars

Cars are like people. Some are clueless and crude, and you wonder how they survive in a complicated world. Others are overachievers, with qualities way beyond what they need to compete.

There are only a handful of cars in the latter category. Their sales numbers are low. They are expensive and they have capabilities that exceed the fundamental purpose of moving people and their belongings from place to place.

We're not talking about exotic cars. They have no purpose other than to provide an exciting driving experience, but don't work well for daily transportation chores. Nor does this category include the posh luxury machines that attract Middle Eastern sheiks and other megabucks buyers.

No, these overachievers seat four or five people, have two or four doors and trunks that can carry a reasonable assortment of suitcases and other cargo. They come from Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW, Dodge, Audi and Ford, and they are the muscle cars of the 21st century.

In the 1960s and 1970s, muscle cars had scary powerful engines and a lot of edge-of-the-seat excitement because they didn't have steering, suspension systems or brakes to match. "Great engines; couldn't turn, couldn't stop," was the description muscle car entrepreneur Carroll Shelby said of his own GT350 and GT500 Mustangs.

Now, with enormous advances in computer-assisted engineering and design, the new muscle cars have superior handling and braking attributes to go with their powerful V8 engines.

The BMW M3, the subject here, is one such car. It is based on the 3-Series compact sedan from the Bavarian manufacturer and is a favorite of enthusiasts who gravitate toward machinery with a balance of handling, ride, power and braking.

It is not a perfect car, mainly because it requires a certain amount of dedication and compromise. But the perfect is the enemy of the good, and the M3 is very good.

As a compact, the M3 has tight accommodations. There's plenty of room up front for a driver and passenger in snug and supportive bucket seats. But the back seat is compromised by a shortage of head and knee room. The trunk's 12 cubic feet of space is barely adequate.

The M3 is expensive. Its less powerful sibling, the 328i, with a 230-horsepower six-cylinder engine, great handling and braking, and city/highway fuel economy of 17/25 miles to the gallon, has a starting sticker price of $33,175.

If you want the M3, with its 414-horsepower V8 engine, you'll start at $54,575 and will be forced to pay a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax because of its 14/20 mileage rating.

The base price includes stability, traction and dynamic braking control, antilock brakes, tire-pressure monitor, side air bags and side-curtain air bags, heated outside mirrors and windshield washer jets, xenon headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, AM-FM-CD sound system, automatic climate control, leather upholstery and cruise control.

As always, BMW has an extensive options list. The test car had a cold-weather package, garage-door opener, power folding mirrors, heated front seats, a navigation system linked to the BMW iDrive control, HD radio, iPod and USB adapters for the audio system, and 19-inch alloy wheels with high-performance tires. The options brought the as-tested price to $64,450.

Despite that, the M3 doesn't come across as a plush luxury car. Development money obviously went into the high performance parts. The interior, while not Spartan, is more purposeful than attractive, with aluminum trim on the dash. Controls are relatively intuitive, but the instruments are dim and difficult to read in bright daylight.

You'll also want to be careful parking the M3. The low-profile performance tires barely extend beyond the rims, so you're likely to chew up those expensive alloy wheels if you scrape a curb.

The M3 demands dedication because it takes some skill to drive. The clutch engagement is stiff and abrupt, and the shifter for the six-speed manual gearbox requires the driver's attention to operate smoothly.

But the rewards -- as well as the frustrations -- are abundant. The rewards include acceleration to 60 miles an hour in slightly over four seconds, with a governed top speed of 161 miles an hour. Precise handling is abetted by shock absorbers that are adjustable to three settings, as well as adjustable stability control and steering with normal and sport settings.

Assuming you're familiar with this overachieving machine, there are few cars anywhere that provide the tactile sensations and feedback as you straighten out curves on mountain roads and blast off to the next corner. In a straight line on a smooth interstate highway, it cruises serenely and quietly. However, the ride gets choppy and uncomfortable on rough surfaces with the shock absorbers in the sport mode.

Frustrations, of course, include the fact that there are no places short of a race track where you can legally drive the M3 anywhere near its potential. Another annoyance is BMW's stubborn insistence on sticking with its iDrive, which requires complex inputs to perform simple tasks in the navigation, climate control, audio and communications systems. Driver distractions go with the territory.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)