BMW M3 saloon (2008) CAR review

The BMW M3 saloon has two more doors, weighs 25kg extra, features blander taillights and, at £49,415, costs £1415 less than its E92 coupe sibling. Anyone with an internet connection can work that out. But, and here’s the key question, does the saloon feel different to drive?

A small digression. I owned an M3 saloon once. In fact, for six months I owned both the E36 M3 saloon and the E36 M3 coupe. Where the early 3.0-litre saloons had softer suspension than the coupe, my Evo-spec saloon had an identical set-up to its lesser-doored sibling. The mags would go on about the saloon being better balanced than the coupe and I’d feel perplexed. One day I’d drive the saloon, the next the coupe. And you know what? They’d feel exactly the same.

What I would notice was the awful faux wood trim in the saloon, and the less attractive, comfort-spec/US-spec coupe (sorry, once an M3 anorak, always an anorak) chairs and the saloon-spec/optional US-spec coupe (must stop this) wheels.

So is the new BMW M3 saloon different from the M3 coupe?

This time the seats are the same, the wheels are the same, wood isn’t compulsory. But does that 25kg – equivalent to around two modestly packed suitcases – actually make a difference?

No. Once again, I couldn’t tell the difference. Which gives the saloon considerable appeal. It’s cheaper, more practical and those extra doors – to my eyes – add a little M5 Q-car understatement and tone down the coupe’s slightly beaky looks.

Click 'Next' below to read the rest of our BMW M3 saloon first drive

Scroll down the page to the embedded player below to see how the BMW M3 saloon matches up against the Lexus IS-F and Mercedes C63 AMG

Click here for our video road test of the BMW M3 coupe