What is BMW M Sport?

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. 

BMW M Sport interior

All the same sporty connotations from the outside flow into the 3 Series saloon's plush interior. Even before you get in, you get an M Sport branded key fob that's smart looking and nicer to hold than the standard car's. 

Get in and you'll notice its sportier steering wheel, with a three-spoke design and a smaller centre boss. Incidentally, it is now connected to a variable steering rack that makes the car feel more direct in corners by reducing the number of turns lock to lock. M Sport models with a manual gearbox also get a revised gear shifter. 

Meanwhile, the high-gloss black trims found in SE models are swapped for Aluminium Tetragon metal pieces and the Anthracite cloth seat upholstery is replaced with Vernasca leather that makes the car feel a lot more premium. The front seats, meanwhile, are now heated and have more lateral support, while the dark anthracite headlining makes the cabin feel snug.

Why would you buy an BMW M Sport model?

Quite simply, because it looks cooler inside and out than the somewhat forgettable standard car. M Sport versions of the 3 Series in particular get a level of visual muscle that is missing at the entry point to the range. 

The cherry on top of course, is that you can have your M Sport 3 Series with a sensible engine – the 320d diesel in M Sport trim looks great, but can return fuel economy of more than 55mpg without issue. Compare that to the new M3 – the car you need to buy to have a 3 Series that looks significantly sportier – which gets economy of less than 30mpg. 

There's also the separate argument that choosing an M Sport over the proper M3 avoids the goffer-toothed grille that's such a polarising addition to the latter. 

Why wouldn't you buy an BMW M Sport model?

Essentially, it's the same argument in reverse. M Sport models may be a little bit sportier to drive than the standard car, but they're not truly sporty to drive like the M3. Even the quickest engine available in M Sport trim – the 358PS 330i petrol – gets from 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, the M3 does the same in 3.9 seconds.

Meanwhile, the M3 gets an entirely different suspension setup, revised steering and more adjustable stability control which helps make it feel a lot more dynamic in bends.