A second glance at that steering wheel, however, shows that the M Division has put some serious thought towards the M3's track-day utility. Two buttons on the left spoke are labeled “M1” and “M2”. Pressing either for a short time loads a pre-programmed set of parameters for steering feel, suspension stiffness, and traction control. You can configure the buttons any way you like; better still, they can be selected on the move. A savvy track-day vet would probably program one for dry track conditions and one for wet.
"You might want to think twice about turning the stability and traction control all the way off."
“This is the one that turns all the helpers off,” Sam says, and points to a button, which I duly press before rolling out for my warm-up lap.
Around Mid-Ohio, we can figure out a lot about the M3. This particular model has the carbon-ceramic rotors and six-piston front brakes, so it's possible to wait until the “100” mark before stepping firmly on the left pedal. At that point, it's time to steer quickly to the left, and the M3 displays its considerable reserve of grip. This is where the reduced weight is apparent; this car just seems to turn faster than the previous model, even if the steering feels a little dead in the hand. There are all sorts of little bumps and dips in the middle of the turn that I remember from running Improved Touring cars here—and the M3 just smothers them. It's like they've repaved the track.
On a positive note, this is one of the least understeer-biased modern cars that money can buy. It really has more of a Corvette balance than a Mustang one. If you're not pointing where you want to point at the mid-corner, it's possible to change the M3's attitude with throttle. That flat torque curve is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it's immediately there when you want to rotate the car; a curse because it's so strong that it's very possible to make more of an adjustment than you want. If you're new to a particular track, or new to your own brand-new M3, you might want to think twice about turning the stability and traction control all the way off.
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