By: Henrie Geyser

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It is an absolute scorcher, armed with a 4.0-litre V8 that will bullet the drop-top M from zero to 100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. That's quick.Very quick.

Stomp down on the pleasure pedal and the thundering roar from those four big-mouthed pipes at the back is enough to make you want to do it again and again.

Addictive is the understatement of the year. I even volunteered to pop down to the shop in pouring rain and a howling gale one night to satisfy Her Majesty's cravings for chocolates just so that I can unleash the beast again.

For pure driving fun the M3 has the edge on just about everything else in its class. In fact, it's such an exciting car to drive that I rate it just a tyre squeal behind Audi's beautiful R8 which costs about R500,000 more.

Although it has the same explosive fire-power as the M3 Sedan and the M3 Coupe which have been around for a while in fourth-generation guise, the Convertible just does it with so much more zing.

Certainly in the looks department the Convertible out-poses the other two, especially with its hard-top folded down and tucked away.

In full high-performance convertible mode everything about it just seems so right - from its huge alloys, flared wheel arches, gaping front air intakes and the bulge on the engine lid to its shark gills on the sides and the four bazooka exhaust pipes at the back down to its elegant low-slung body profile.

M-badged Be-ems have always been extra special when it comes to looks and performance and the M3 just has to be one of the finest M's ever produced.

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It's got all the fancy high-tech kit (and a lot more available as optional extras) your bank balance can afford and it provides one of the most thrilling drives you can ever hope to have in a classic rear-wheel drive sports car.

To describe this mighty machine in detail will take a week, but let me just highlight a few of its most exciting features.

Topping the list is its award-winning engine that blasts out 309kW and 400 Newton-metres and revs up to the 8,400rpm mark.

It takes a little practice to tippy-toe the M3 through stop-start traffic but if there are gaps to be taken or an open road to enjoy the V8 responds like a bullet.

It slides beautifully through the gears, thanks to a unique seven-speed double-clutch transmission that is so good that it even knocks 0.2 seconds of the manual's time for the 0-100km/h dash.

Factor in a variable differential lock to transfer muscle to the rear wheels and you have a race-bred combination second to none.

As with most sporty cars you can leave the auto box alone to do its own thing, or you can drive it like a manual by shifting the gear selector lever or you can play with the paddles on the steering wheel.

But even in standard auto mode the M3 flies out of the stalls at a pace that will make a hunting cheetah look sluggish. And where the wild cat will run out of steam after a short burst the M will go all the way to 250km/h before the electronic nurse-maid hauls in the reins.

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Add competition suspension, a high performance brake system with a built-in ability to increase brake pressure when the system becomes extremely hot to compensate for fading, adjustable steering, 18-inch rubbers, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) that includes ABS anti-lock brakes, ASC Automatic Stability Control that prevents the wheels from spinning on surfaces with reduced grip, CBC Cornering Brake Control to reduce the risk of losing it in a bend and you have package designed to thrill.

And if that is still not hot enough, drivers who are confident of not running out of road or experience can opt, at the press of a button, to completely deactivate DSC - although this edge of the envelope progress should really only be reserved for track days.

And be warned: if you drive this car hard you WILL feel it in your wallet because in city driving you will be lucky to use less than 19 litres per 100 kilometres.

But hey, I suppose if you can afford to drive a car such as the M3 Convertible the cost of fuel is a minor issue....

And after all, to listen to the wonderful symphony produced by its engine and exhaust, even at today's fuel prices, is still a lot less than a ticket for a classical music concert.

One of the car's star attractions is its retractable metal roof that folds down and away in 22 seconds.... What better way of pulling the looks when you park right outside your favourite watering hole in full view of the sunset-sippers gathered on the balcony.

The Convertible has four seats and access is fairly easy to the two rear seats, but they are not designed for Victor Matfields or even for garden gnomes intending to go along for a long-distance ride.

Besides, in a swanky convertible such as this, why would you want anybody else in the car other than yourself behind the wheel and Sweetness and Light in the front passenger seat...?

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Like all convertibles the M3 has a smallish boot good enough for little more than Gucci overnight bag or two, but the backseat can be folded down and there is also an opening between the boot and the back seats which creates space for a golf bag or two.

So, along with stunning looks and red-hot performance, the M3 also has a practical side although it's never going to be just another car - it's just too good for that.

This is an enthusiast's car - a hard-core show-off set of wheels for the fortunate few who have R806,000 to spend on a life-style vehicle that the rest of us can only dream about.

[8 Oct 2008 16:26]

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