[12] Bmw M3 1997 Making Monthly Headline

The new BMW M3 is a good car. So is its M4 Coupe partner. The long-awaited - and long-teased - successors to the E92 V8-powered M3 promised a return to the singing inline sixes and lightweight philosophy of old, and nearly delivered it.

We say nearly, because of course, the major talking point about the new car is the premiere of a turbocharged engine for the first time in an M3. No more natural aspiration. No more high-revving, break-for-the-redline raucousness.

Which isn’t to say it’s a bad car at all, just a different breed of M3. As TG’s Ollie Marriage reported back, the new 3.0-litre turbo “could be one of the best turbo engines ever”. You can read his full review here.

That said, it seems you lot have quite a bit of love for the free-breathing M engines of yore; the frantic four-pot in the E30, the gloriously insane 3.2-litre from the E46, and the barrel-chested V8 from the E92.

So, what if you want an M3 without forced induction? The classifieds are loaded with prime examples of Munich’s flag-bearer, and here, in a handy gallery, are examples of the Best of Breed.

Disclaimer: TG accepts no responsibility for the condition of the cars linked to in the classifieds. However, if they turn out to be minters, then we will accept we are entirely brilliant. Ambitious?