Ravishing Cars |

When Porsche topped this category last year with its 3.6 litre twin turbo, it was the first occasion when BMW did not take top honours in this category ever since these awards were conceived. However, the Bavarian manufacturer was quick to bounce back with a rather special motor that took the trophy back to its spiritual home of Munich. The S65 4.0 litre V8 which powers the E90 M3 replaces the 3.2 litre straight six designed for the E46 M3 is a masterpiece and a huge leap forward in all aspects when compared to its predecessor. On first glance it may appear that it is a version of the award winning V10 on the M5 with two cylinders knocked off which isn’t quite so simple. Double VANOS continuously variable intake and exhaust cam adjustment has been carried over, although the need for high pressure oil arrangement has been omitted due to lower torque stresses. The single chain drive on the V10 has been upgraded to a double chain affair connecting the crank and sprocket, which is connected to the cams via a stepper motor.