When you drive a G80 BMW M3 Competition xDrive for the first time, your brain will need some time to recalibrate. Not only will you need to adjust to the new levels of speed you likely aren’t used to but also the very new style of BMW that you may have never seen before. The new M3 feels more like a four-door Nissan GT-R than a typical M3 and the proof in the numbers. We always knew it was fast and we’ve seen YouTubers pull some outrageous numbers but when Car and Driver, a professional publication well-known for its performance testing, rips off a 2.8-second 0-60 mph time, we sit up in our chairs.

Two point eight seconds to sixty miles per hour? In a 2023 BMW M3? M3s aren’t supposed to be supercars, they’re supposed to be everyday sports cars. They aren’t Italian exotics with steeper price tags than most houses, they’re four-door daily drivers with room for car seats and strollers. But this new one can hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds?

Here’s some context. Another car that hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds at the hands of Car and Driver testers was the 2023 Ferrari F8 Tributo, a $300,000 mid-engine Italian supercar that makes 710 horsepower. Same publication, same testing methods, same facilities, same equipment, same numbers. Mind blowing.

Admittedly, the BMW M3 Competition xDrive does have a traction advantage over the Ferrari, being all-wheel drive versus the F8’s rear-wheel drive. And, in a rolling race, the Ferrari would lunch the Bimmer. However, the Ferrari also costs more than three times as much, has 207 more horsepower, and weighs between 300-400 lbs less. Which just makes the BMW M3’s ability to match the Ferrari to 60 mph even more impressive.

On paper, the BMW M3 xDrive doesn’t seem like it should be that fast. Its specs are impressive, with its 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 making 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. However, it also weighs almost 4,000 lbs. So either BMW is lying about how much power it actually makes or there’s something weird in the water that Bavarian horses are drinking.

The BMW M3 was never the fastest car in its segment. It was always fast enough but its priorities were always handling, precision, and feel, making it the best sports car in its class. Now, not only is the new BMW M3 Competition xDrive the fastest car in its class but it’s one of the fastest cars in the world.

[Source: Car and Driver]