Vehicle: 2007 BMW M Coupe with Premium Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$71600

Performance: The M Coupe, as it stands, is powered by BMW’s world-renowed M-tuned straight-6 engine. This DOHC 24-valver straight 6 3.2L with Double VANOS is identical to the one available in the awe-inspiring M Roadster, as well as in current M3 variants. Its good for 330 horses and 262 lb/ft of torque. As one expected from a BMW straight-6 powerplant, the engine note is simply amazing. Merits like excellent throttle response, smooth-shifting 6-speed stick shift with progressive clutch take-off. Not only this powerplant has excellent torque, as its maximum torque plateau reaches at 4900 rpm. It never run out of breath at higher rpm, at the same time, the music is equally astounishing from the moment you step the throttle all the way to the 8000 rpm.

Handling: Simply put, M Coupe could well be the best handling BMW to date. It all begins with a wonderfully stiff chassis and perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Its lightweight and tossable driving feel have been unfound in recent M3 and M5. The nimbleness has reminded me of E36 M3, which has a light-on-its-feet tactical control without losing German car’s usual rigidty. Push the M Coupe into corners, this puppy reacts instantly without any drama. Its totally controllable while Dynamic Stability Control, or DSC-3, won’t stepped in until the last moment. This allow enthuisasitc driver to have oversteer fun. The DSC-3 has 3 threshold for driver to control. The lowest setting is driver has total control of how the tail reacts. The medium setting is the DSC will kicked in once the tail is “about” to get out of hands. The highest setting is the standard setting, which I highly recommended leaving it for daily driving. Both the lowest and medium settings are perfect for track events. As usual, M Coupe’s steering is razor sharp and precision is superb. The path tracking is right on the spot. Consider the ratio BMW Motorsport has set of M Coupe’s steering, it doesn’t feel any kind of oversensitivity during minor corrections. While the ride maybe a bit too stiff for most people, its suppleness is perfect for track driving or eating any curvy back roads.

Brakes: With front solid discs/rear ventilated discs and standard ABS, M Coupe’s braking performance is nothing short of spectacular. The stopping distance is short, while both pedal feel and modulation are simply astounishing.

Interior: The only area seperates M Coupe and Roadster is the available with a little hatch. While it doesn’t offer as much cargo space as a typical hot hatch, its more than enough for a weekend getaway to those entertaining back roads. On the other hand, the interior layout and ambience are typical M Roadster. Superb sports seats with typical BMW instrumentation gauges.

Conclusion: Just like the original M Coupe, this latest iteration is a result of a program developed by BMW Motorsport engineers before handling it for approval by board of directors instead of the other way around. The desired effect is best handling BMW ever. If you already tired that the “other” car on the street is an E46 M3 while Cayman S is simply too expensive, M Coupe could well be your perfect track machine!

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2007 BMW M COUPE
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5