Just recently, AutoTopNL bought a brand-new G80 BMW M3 in a stunning shade of Zanzibar Metallic, with a proper manual transmission. It’s an awesome spec car and is believed to be one-of-one at the moment, with no other known standard M3s painted in that color, with a manual ‘box. Shortly after taking delivery of the new M3, they decided to take it to the dyno, to see how much power it really makes.
From the factory, the BMW M3 is said to make 473 horsepower (480 PS) and 406 lb-ft of torque (550 Nm). However, all German automakers significantly underrate their engines, so as to never be caught making less power than claimed. So how much power does the standard G80 M3 actually make?
According to the dyno, it actually made about 496 horsepower (503 PS) and around 448 lb-ft (607 Nm) of torque. Those are big numbers for the standard car and prove that the Competition is an unnecessary power bump. The standard BMW M3 has more than enough power for any enthusiasts. As they mention in the video, it’s very easy to tune the M3’s S58 engine to well over 600 horsepower but that’s genuinely unnecessary. Especially with a manual rear-wheel drive car.
Enjoy this golden age of easy internal combustion power, as it’s not going to last much longer, with electrification taking hold. But while it lasts, the fact that customers can go to a dealership and pick out a rear-wheel drive, manual, 500 horsepower sedan with carbon fiber sport buckets, seating for five, and a big trunk, makes this the golden age of sports cars. Sure, we all reminisce about the good old days of proper steering feel and communication, and we miss those days too, but this current day of incredible performance wrapped in usable everyday packages is almost impossible to beat. This video is proof.
