Best Sports Car over $80,000

One of the M3’s most endearing features is the spread of flexibility that can be dialled into the car via the M-Drive, so that steering forces, damper settings and traction or stability control can be adjusted.

There are three different settings allowing a sports or track day set up, a highly controlled but more forgiving ride for tarmac style rallies, and a normal setting for the daily drive.

Power comes from a high revving 4.0 litre V8 engine bristling with advanced technologies. The result is an engine that gives its best across a wide rev range and delivers it with the glorious backing of a grand prix sound track. A peak of 309 kW is released at 8300 rpm while 400 Nm of torque comes in at 3900 rpm.

The performance delivery is not only breathtaking, but is as easy to achieve as driving your average Japanese sedan. Just don’t expect comparable fuel economy.

BMW engineers have gone to such lengths as fitting a carbon fibre roof panel and alloy bonnet to lower the car’s centre of gravity and aid its poise and cornering balance.

The cabin possesses all the elegance and style of other prestige BMW offerings, but with just the slightest edge in seat bolstering for additional lateral support and a little more tactile feel to the controls.