This is the all-new BMW M3 Competition, 2021’s hottest new super saloon. It packs a 3.0-litre twin turbocharged engine with oodles of power, with some 503bhp (metrically, 510hp) and some 479lb ft on tap. At the moment it’s rear-wheel drive, which is all the better to use its ‘M Drift Analyser’ function (though there will be a 4wd version later).
But the new 2021 M3 is no lightweight, at some 1725kg, which is otherwise known as ‘quite a lot’ for a BMW 3-Series. But still it can get from 0-62mph in 4.2sec and go on to a 180mph top speed (with the optional M Driver’s Package). The car costs from £74,755.
Here it’s up against what is, in our minds, its greatest competitor, the 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. We are huge fans of the Alfa, which has no shortage of power itself, with its 2.9-litre V6 making the self same 503bhp (510hp) as the M3 but with a little less torque, of 443lb ft. But then, it has less to carry around, weighing in at 1580kg, a much more palatable figure for a compact executive saloon.
As a result the Giulia Quadrifoglio can get from 0-62mph in just 3.9sec and it has a whopping top speed of 191mph. It costs £67,995.
Which car will our testers prefer, though? Our testers Matt Prior and James Disdale head to Blyton Park circuit in the UK to find out.
New videos are uploaded to Autocar each week. Don’t miss a single one. Subscribe now: http://smarturl.it/autocar
Visit our website at http://www.autocar.co.uk
Autocar, the world’s leading motoring magazine and website, delivers industry-leading news, the most in-depth car reviews and opinion from our team of experts. Our presenters include some of the world’s top motoring journalists who have unrivalled access to the world’s fastest, rarest, most exotic and most exciting cars on some of the world’s best roads and race tracks.
Follow AUTOCAR here:
LIKE Autocar on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Jzyvh1
FOLLOW Autocar on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2JzABgT
FOLLOW Autocar on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2TIgvFI
Check out our full video catalog: https://bit.ly/1UfAOCH
For car reviews you can trust, subscribe to Autocar: http://smarturl.it/autocar