The G80 M3 can't live up to our expectations from the M3 badge when the G20 3-series it's based on barely resembles a 3-series.

Or can it?

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In this episode of ICONS, Jason explores where our expectations of the M3 badge come from — starting from the original M3, which was a response to the FIA homologations-special Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16.

Holding any M3 to the standard of the E30 M3 isn't fair to BMW, because the E30 M3 was a sales failure.

The E46 M3 wasn't. It combined the charms of a race car in a usable daily package with killer performance and a motorsports-inspired, 8000-rpm S54 straight-six. The E46 M3 was peak M3.

Which leaves us at the G80, which is now larger than Peak M5: the E39. M5s, historically, were do-everything-well executive saloons. That's a great bunch of attributes, but it's not what we expect when we see an M3 badge.

Then again, the G80 is the best M3 to ever drive around a race track. So maybe its name is irrelevant.

And once again, an enormous, heartfelt thank you to Tammi Hull and to Saint Bill, owner of Bill Arnold Independent BMW in San Rafael, CA.


0:00 Half-Mile Rolling Burnout with G80 M3, E46 M3, E30 M3, G82 M4 and 190E 2.3-16
1:00 M3 means unrealistic expectations
1:43 E30 M3 on track
2:32 E30 M3 was unsellable
3:43 Introducing the 190E 2.3-16
3:57 The 2.3-16 world records
5:01 Mercedes W201 history
5:54 W201 WRC homologation car
7:28 The “Sport 190” on the Nürburgring
8:41 BMW E30 M3 history
9:57 E30 versus W201
10:30 E30 M3 aerodynamic tricks
11:52 M3 in DTM
12:15 Mercedes vs BMW in DTM
13:33 Jason’s 190E 2.3-16
14:28 Randy vs Jason, 190E vs M3
17:25 E30 vs W201 DTM record
17:50 E36 M3 and E46 M3
18:13 E46 M3 ZCP is Peak M3
19:33 E90 M3 is really an M5
20:00 The G20 3-series BMW
21:15 G80 M3 track test
22:58 G80 M3 drift analyzer
23:26 The ZF 8HP automatic
23:59 Jason slaps Randy Pobst
24:50 E30 M3 vs G80 M3 track battle & Randy Pobst review
27:36 Thunderhill Laptime leaderboard
27:50 Concluding thoughts on G80 M3 and G82 M4

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