The M3 is arguably BMW's most sporting passenger car, and its fiercely loyal following are already in raptures with the news of their all-new, V8-powered, decidedly rear-drive hero. The big news, however, is the much-rumored, and newly-confirmed introduction of BMW's new double-clutch automated manual, paddle-operated gearbox, which promises near-instant, imperceptible ratio swaps; similar to Volkswagen's oft-praised robotized 'box. It will be called M DCT, with seven ratios now, and the upshot of this is a theoretical enhancement in raw acceleration figures, increased convenience in town driving, and best of all, an other-worldly exhaust note. Though yet to be officially announced by the company, the news of this forward-looking gearbox was apparently inadvertently leaked in a memo sent to the BMW dealer network. Purists, of course, will be pleased to note the persistence of a traditional, H-pattern, three-pedal manual gearbox on the spec list.
