You’ve likely seen your fair share of acceleration tests with the BMW M3 G80, but chances are most of them featured the sports sedan in the automatic guise with or without the Competition package. A new video gives us a somewhat rare chance to see the base model with the six-speed manual gearbox at work in a few acceleration tests.
The performance figures don’t lie – the automatic model is quicker off the line, and the auto-only xDrive spec is even quicker. The stick shift sends power exclusively to the rear axle and you “only” get 473 horsepower. Does that make the M3 any less desirable? Not at all. Enthusiasts will argue numbers don’t tell the whole story, and it’s not like the three-pedal version is a slouch.
BMW typically underrates its cars, but it’s easier to beat the official stats with the automatic than it is with the manual. This G80 completed the sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.39 seconds, which is only two-tenths of a second slower than the time provided by the German automaker. The journey from 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) took 14.17 seconds, but we’re left impressed by the 60 to 110 km/h (96 to 68 mph) time of 2.68 seconds. It goes to show the inline-six engine has impressive pulling power in the mid-range, which matters the most in a real-life scenario when you’re overtaking.
The “ace of base” M3 completed the quarter mile in 12.55 seconds at a trap speed of 116 mph (186.8 km/h) and need 2.75 seconds and 35.98 meters (118 feet) to come to a full stop from 62 mph (100 km/h).
This M3 G80 is a rare breed since there aren’t many performance cars left with manual gearboxes linked to engines featuring more than four cylinders. That said, you won’t be able to row your own gears in the upcoming M3 Touring G81 since BMW intends to sell the super wagon exclusively in the Competition flavor with ZF’s eight-speed, torque-converter auto.
Source: PDriveTV / YouTube
