BMW 3 Series G20 M3

The current car, the G80, landed in 2021 wearing a grille that started a thousand online fights and a spec sheet that mostly settles them. The twin-turbo S58 straight-six makes 473 hp with the standard 6-speed manual, 503 in the Competition with its 8-speed auto, and as much as 543 in the hardcore CS. BMW even kept a clutch pedal alive in the base car, which in 2026 counts as a small act of rebellion.

It broke two long-standing rules along the way. It is the first M3 ever sold with all-wheel drive, through the rear-biased M xDrive system you can switch fully off when you want to go sideways and accept the outcome. It also spawned the first M3 Touring, a genuine wagon that skips the US market (boo!) and torments enthusiasts here accordingly. Whether you find the styling brave or baffling, this is the fastest and most capable M3 yet by a clear margin.

The capability arrives with a side of melancholy. With an electric M3 already confirmed for the next generation, the G80 has a good chance of being the final M3 built around a combustion straight-six and an available manual. If that pairing means something to you, the right one to buy may be the one sitting in a showroom right now. In the meantime, I'll be hoping BMW changes their minds.