Richard Hammond has finally spent proper time in the current BMW M3, and the problem he found was not speed, grip, or that controversial nose. The latest G80 still punches hard, still feels alert, and still does the school-run-to-back-road trick that made the badge famous. In a new DriveTribe video, Hammond comes away relieved that the M3 still feels like an M3, but worried that the breed he grew up loving may be changing faster than gearheads can process it. Hammond Finds The M3 Still Has Bite On paper, the current M3 looks almost rude. BMW’s latest M3 Competition xDrive uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six, now rated at 523 hp in U.S. trim, or 530 hp in metric markets, with 479 lb-ft of torque. BMW says the all-wheel-drive sedan can run from 0 to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds, so this practical four-door now lives in old supercar country while still having rear doors and a trunk.Hammond’s surprise was that the car does not feel as heavy as its spec sheet suggests. The G80 has grown well beyond the compact bruiser idea of the early M3s, yet he found real sharpness in the body control, steering position, and the way the car places its mass. The magic lives in the relationship between driver, front axle, rear axle, steering wheel, and throttle. Get that wrong, and an M3 becomes a very quick office chair.BMWHe also sounds ready to forgive the styling. When the G80 arrived, its tall kidney grille hit the internet like a thrown wrench. But BMW has often played this game – it makes something awkward, everyone gasps, then three years later half the crowd quietly decides it was fine all along. Hammond seems to have reached that stage. And so do we, in fact. The Bigger Worry Is What Comes Next Hammond’s real fear is timing. BMW is moving into its Neue Klasse era, and the next 3 Series family will include a new electric i3 sedan. Reports also point to an electric M3-style model alongside another gasoline-powered M3, so the badge may split into two very different futures. BMW M says its electric test cars use new drive and chassis control systems designed to deliver sharper agility and precision, not just monster acceleration.That’s actually very important. Electric performance is easy to sell with big numbers, but character is harder. An M3 without a straight-six, a shifting rhythm, and that busy front-engine balance could still be brilliant, but it has to earn the name in a different language. Hammond’s worry is the same one many enthusiasts have but rarely say out loud – what happens when the M3 becomes quicker than ever, yet less familiar?Stephen Hancock / Valnet / HotCarsHistory gives the concern some weight. The original E30 M3 arrived as a road-going racing tool built for Group A homologation, where BMW had to sell at least 5,000 street cars within 12 months. It was not born as a luxury status symbol, but as a touring-car weapon with license plates. That origin story still shadows every M3, even the ones with enough software to make a laptop sweat.Hammond hints at his own answer – build something lighter and simpler from an old E90 3 Series. The E90 sedan has the size, seating position, and basic proportions that modern cars keep drifting away from. With the right suspension, brakes, tires, and power, it could chase the spirit of an M3 without trying to clone one.Source: Drivetribe on YouTube