What is BMW M Sport? | heycar

What is BMW M Sport? M Sport is a trim level that makes your BMW look like a ripsnorting M model but is available with the most economical engines in the range.

It’s a great way of making your BMW look awesome, but without the high-end initial outlay and running costs of BMW’s motorsport-inspired M models. Keep reading for heycar’s guide to M Sport. So if you want a new BMW 3 Series with a hint of M3 about it, this is where to look.

BMW M Sport exterior

BMW’s M Sport trim is a way to get your hands on a BMW that looks sporty, without ending up with a car that is scarily expensive to buy and run (any of the M – or Motorsport – models). Let’s take a closer look at BMW’s evergreen saloon, the 3 Series, to see exactly what that means.

Its range kicks off with the SE Pro model, which is a smart but unexciting looking car on the outside. Specifying up to an M Sport essentially dips your 3 Series in hot sauce. 

Up front you get a new bumper design with an assortment of curves, creases and larger intakes, while the kidney grille swaps its chrome finish for a more menacing shiny black plastic look.

Around the sides, the wings get M badges – the obvious clue you’ve got an M Sport model – and the sporty front bumper moulds into more aggressive side skirts. 

Naturally, the wheels are bigger – 18-inch up from the standard car’s 17-inch diameter – but their twin-spoke design and black highlights are what make them look sporty, plus the car’s 10mm lower M Sport suspension helps them fill their arches. It’s worth noting that more powerful models – the 330i petrol and 330d diesel – also have bigger brakes with blue, M Sport branded callipers. 

Meanwhile, the back-end starts off where the front left off, with a muscular rear bumper that has a glossy back centre section and fake air breathers behind the rear wheels that make it look like your 3 Series has a touring car, racer-inspired aero package.