Read about Marc Noordeloos's comments on driving the 2008 BMW M3.
BMW electronics, you gotta love them. Last night, the M3 did the following. 1) Without warning, it randomly accelerated at full blast 4 or 5 times even with my foot off the throttle. Not good. 2) It popped up about 4 warning lights, turned off the stability control, and announced on the sat nav screen that it was basically going into system meltdown. I shut down and restarted the car multiple times but the issues continued. At least after a good nights rest, all seemed fine on the way into the office this morning. Maybe the M3 knows I very much question BMW reliability.
When I was able to properly drive the BMW, it is quite a car. The engine is much more raw and peaky than the RS4's powerplant. It's fabulous. The ride is impressively good and the steering is accurate. I would like it if the steering gave you more feel when worked but it is not too bad. The gearbox is quite good for a BMW but still not amazing. I need to drive the car further and harder to get a final assessment but it does feel like an M3. The big question is, has it become too refined and too soft? Also, a sport-package equipped 335i Coupe, to me, is still a far better looking car in my mind.