BMW M3 Rental
The BMW M3 is a four-door sports sedan built around the same twin-turbo inline-six that powers the M4.
Overview
The BMW M3 is a four door sports sedan carrying the same twin turbo inline six and chassis as the M4, the four door option inside BMW's M range. Renters book it for M car speed with three passengers or a child seat still aboard, and all wheel drive lets them use the throttle out of a corner where a rear drive coupe would step out.
How It Drives
The twin-turbo six pulls hard from about 2,500 rpm to a 7,200 rpm redline and all-wheel drive turns that into forward motion instead of wheelspin. The steering is quick and the ride never softens, so the M3 works as a daily driver rather than a one afternoon toy.
Who Rents It
The BMW M3 is rented by drivers who want M car performance and still need to bring three people, or a child seat, along for the trip. It also draws someone weighing a factory order who wants a weekend behind the wheel first. Because it seats a family and handles a road trip in the same day, it works as a daily driver rather than a one afternoon toy, and all wheel drive makes it the stronger pick over a rear drive coupe in wet or cold weather. Renters cross shopping the M4 choose the M3 specifically for the back seat and the extra set of doors, not despite them.
Trim Breakdown
BMW builds the M3 as a ladder. It starts with a rear-drive manual sedan and climbs through two Competition grades to a limited CS at the top. We run the Competition xDrive and the CS.
M3
The BMW M3 in base form makes 473 hp, drives the rear wheels only, and comes with a 6-speed manual with no automatic offered. It is the lightest and least assisted car in the range, with smaller brakes, standard sport seats and a softer damper tune than anything above it. We do not run it, and it is the hardest M3 to find on any rental fleet.
M3 Competition
The BMW M3 Competition adds 30 hp for 503 hp total, replaces the manual with an 8-speed automatic, and stiffens the engine mounts and suspension. Drive still goes to the rear wheels only. A renter notices a harder low-speed ride, a faster and more decisive shift, and a louder exhaust at part throttle. We do not run the rear-drive Competition.
M3 Competition xDrive
The BMW M3 Competition xDrive is the all-wheel-drive version at 523 hp, and it is the Competition grade in our fleet. Traction off the line is the obvious change, and the car keeps a rear-drive mode that sends everything backward when you ask for it. It holds 4 usable seats, a real trunk, and a Comfort setting for the brake pedal that makes freeway miles easy.
M3 CS
The BMW M3 CS is the limited top grade at 543 hp with all-wheel drive, carbon bucket seats as standard, and roughly 75 pounds trimmed from the body. We run it. A renter feels a sharper front end, a firmer damper tune and a harder exhaust note, and getting into the buckets means sitting down first and swinging both legs across.
M3 Touring
The BMW M3 Touring is the wagon body, built only as a Competition xDrive with a CS Touring above it, and never certified for sale in the United States. It carries the same 523 hp drivetrain as the sedan under a longer roof with a hatch. We do not run it because no one here can register one.
Frequently Asked Questions
