BMW M3 WITH THE COMPETITION PACK FOR SALE. Car news.

If you have a used car budget of £40,000 and you want a vehicle that can fit 5 adults with luggage, is extremely fast, handles with poise, has a motorsport pedigree and isn’t a huge luxury saloon, estate or SUV….then I think you should have a look at this – the BMW M3 with the Competition Pack.

This car is currently for sale at the Grange Specialist Cars in Swindon for £39,000.

So, what is the difference between this BMW M3 with the Competition Pack compared to a standard BMW M3? I will explain below…

The competition Pack was a factory upgrade from new. It would of cost around £3,400 extra, but I think it is well worth it.

It has the same 3.0 litre 6-cylinder twin turbo engine as the normal BMW M3…but has an extra 19 BHP. It now produces 444 BHP. 0-62 mph only takes 4 seconds using the 7 speed M Double Clutch Transmission.

Included in this factory upgrade is Adaptive M Suspension, springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. Whilst on the short test drive, I quickly flicked through the different driving modes. The driving mode choices are Comfort, Sport and Sport+. I found that the Comfort setting was the best for driving on the test route. It softens the ride – which is great for the bumpy Wiltshire roads.

The Active M Differential and the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) have also been reconfigured for better usability.

I really liked this because I could apply vast amounts of power sensibly to the rear wheels without having the fear of facing the wrong direction at any given moment.

The engine response and the way that it pulls is incredible. The exhaust howl when it’s being driven through the rev range is rather satisfying. I do think this car is most happy on twisty A-roads or duel carriageways where it can be quick point to point. I was quickly flicking up through the gears using the paddles shifters (behind the steering wheel) which was a joy. The gear changes are sharp and quick….In no time I was up to the national speed limit!

The Competition Pack goodies don’t just stop with the internals and running gear of this car. It has some nice exterior touches that sets it apart from a normal M3.

Where a usual M3 has chrome on its exterior, this car has a high-gloss black finish. So, the kidney grills, side window trim, door mirror frames, 4 exhaust tailpipes and even the M3 badge on the rear are all black. It also sits on special 20-inch M design styling alloy wheels which for me is the cherry on the cake. This car looks good from every angle.

The interior has some special touches too. It has lightweight, comfy, sport front seats with the M colours on the seatbelts (just to remind me of its motorsport heritage).

This 2017 year car has covered just over 11,000 miles. I really do believe that this car has the potential to be a future classic. Why? Well as far I as I know there are more M4 Competition Pack versions on the road then the M3… making it quite rare. The 2nd reason is that the Competition Pack really improves the car handling. The 3rd reason is the external visual improvements. With all these added features, it has all the hallmarks to be something very special. The ultimate BMW M3 is the M3 CS which features a lot of carbon fibre and other materials to reduce its weight. New, it costs around £86,000 – which now makes this BMW M3 with the Competition Pack very good value for money. Now, I do understand that for it to make classic or legendary status you may have to wait some years. You could even tuck it away in dry storage (if you so wish) but with this car there is the opportunity to experience real day to day driving pleasure. Isn’t that the reason why this car was built in the first place? So, if it’s in your budget…have a look at this car for all the reasons listed above.