In 1972, BMW founded its M division, which quickly became one of the most successful sub-brands in the automotive world.
Today, in celebration of BMW M’s upcoming 40th anniversary, the Bavarian company announced the launch of a limited run version of the M3 Coupe called the Competition Edition.
Production for the United States will be limited to 40 identically-equipped cars, each carrying an MSRP of US$81,060 including destination and handling, which is more than US$21,000 over the price of the standard M3 Coupe.
So what does 20 grand get you? Well, not as much as you’d think if you’re unaware of how BMW defines “special edition”.
All cars are finished in a BMW Individual Frozen Silver Metallic exterior paint with a deep metallic luster, while the exterior treatment also includes black hood intakes and dark chrome exterior trim for the kidney grills, the M side gills and the exhaust tips, plus black GTS alloy wheels.
Inside, the Competition Edition adds black Extended Novillo Leather with palladium silver accents and stitching on front seats, headrests, door trim panels and handles, center console, and center armrest, along with an Alcantara-covered steering wheel with an M3 Checkered Flag logo inlay that is also featured on the door sills.
The genuine Carbon Fiber trims the dash and center console round out the upgrades in the cabin.
Under the sheet metal, the standard Competition Package reduces vehicle ride height by 10mm and includes M3 GTS 19-inch wheels with wider offset for enhanced stability, a modified Electronic Damping Control, and higher-threshold programming for the M Dynamic Mode.
Power continues to come from the standard car’s 4.0-liter, 414-horsepower V8 engine linked to a double clutch transmission (M DCT) which allows the M3 Coupe to complete the 0-60mph [96km/h] acceleration in 4.5 seconds.
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