| First Drive | Jerez, Spain | BMW M3 saloon |

Our first taste of the new four-door BMW M3 was, predictably, all too short. It's commonplace to have that feeling coming away from the launch of a car that ticks all of our boxes, as the M3 Coupé does. It's not like we needed any more than a couple of hours and a sinuous section of Spanish tarmac to confirm that the saloon too has the ability to turn grown men into big kids. The upshot is that it'll be easier to get real kids into the rear.

In the Metal

Regardless of your familial situation, the new M3 saloon grabs your attention just as readily as its svelte two-door sibling. Even without the carbon-fibre roof, it's clear that the saloon is not one of the ubiquitous M Sport 320ds on the road. Viewed from the front, the large air vents dominate, emphasised by the lack of separate fog lamps. The bonnet bulge and extraction vents hint at what lies beneath, while the wide, sharply drawn wings are bisected by yet another air outlet.

It's the rear end that particularly appeals to us though, as the usually non-descript 3 Series rear lights are added to by a discreet boot spoiler and the not so subtle signature quartet of exhaust pipes. More than that though, the rear wheels seem to fill the arches in a more convincing manner than in the Coupé, lending the saloon the look of a Touring Car. If you don't fancy that image, the standard 18-inch alloys are more restrained and the spoiler can be deleted for no extra cost.

What you get for your Money

BMW's M cars are well equipped in general, and the M3 saloon is no different. At about a grand less than the Coupé, all M3 saloons come with BMW's 'Professional' satnav and infotainment system, climate control and full leather with electrically adjustable front seats. Needless to say that the oily bits are identical to the M3 Coupé's as well, which means the same sonorous 4.0-litre V8 and the all-important Variable M differential lock.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with the new M DCT (M Double Clutch Transmission) coming on stream in the summer for a premium of £2,590. Other worthwhile options include the fantastic 19-inch alloys and Electronic Damper Control. At just £1,295, we feel that the latter should be standard on this car, as it is so effective at altering its chassis behaviour depending on the road conditions.

Driving it

It's impossible, without a back-to-back test, to tell how different the M3 saloon is on the road to the Coupé version. Our first impressions suggest that it's largely the same driving experience, which means it's just as thrilling. There's virtually no difference between the cars in terms of weight or weight distribution, so that's hardly surprising.

As we found with the Coupé, the car could be forgiven a lot for the awe inspiring engine. It's one of our favourite powerplants, despite being down on outright grunt when compared to the V8s found in the Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG and the new Lexus IS F. It makes up for it in personality, though nobody could call it underpowered.

Surprisingly, despite the performance on tap, the driving experience itself is as memorable. The M3's chassis is well honed, though it still allows the driver a lot of involvement, the level of which you can choose by progressively switching off the electronic helping hands. Low speed agility is impressive enough, though it's the car's high-speed stability that really impressed us on this drive. The only complaint is a lack of decent communication through the too-thick steering wheel.

Worth Noting

The new M3 saloon is actually only the second ever four-door version of the M3, though BMW expects it to sell in higher numbers now that the M brand is far from just a niche player. We'll be driving the Convertible version shortly, but sadly it's highly unlikely that there will be an M3 Touring this time around. Rumour has it that BMW isn't happy with the compromises necessary to maintain the M3's competence within the confines of the Touring body style.

Big news, though, is the imminent availability of a new gearbox option. A few years ago, BMW adamantly stated that it was not interested in the new generation of dual-clutch gearboxes for its M models, citing the lack of excitement the new technology brought. Obviously things have moved on and from June the new M DCT gearbox will be available across the M3 range. It actually improves acceleration and fuel consumption figures.

Summary

It was never going to take long for us to work out that the M3 saloon is just as desirable as the Coupé. The specification speaks for itself; it looks fabulous, is more practical and saves you money. What's not to like?