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Whatever your preference for fast four-seaters, no debate over which trumps the practical performance pile is complete without mention of the BMW M3. A killer cocktail of speed, handling, track and daily usability, each passing iteration of the M3 has brought about a quantum leap in supercar-slaying awesomeness.

BMW has made some minor changes to the 2025 model year M3, of which the most notable is the discontinuation of the M3 CS. So four becomes three: the base model, the Competition and the Competition xDrive. All are powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six, ranging in output from 473 hp to 523 hp in the AWD (with switchable RWD) xDrive. The range starts at $76,700 for the base model, increasing to $86,000 for the Competition xDrive.

With a legacy spanning nearly four decades and thousands of racetrack victories, the M3 is a more than credible mainstream performance icon. But what if you’re a maverick gearhead that’s after anything but an M3?

There are obvious choices from Germany – and some outliers. We’ll start with the obvious ones first, and work our way down to less obvious cars.

10

Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance – $83,900

The latest C63 is evolution in motion; or put differently, a moving reminder of the inevitability of change. Mercedes dropped the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 (that replaced the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter before it) for the new C-Class in favor of, wait for it – the GLA 45’s boosted and somewhat overachieving two-liter four-cylinder hand grenade. But one that’s married to one hell of a plug-in hybrid system to up the total output to 671 hp of power and 752 lb-ft of twist. So the new C63 is faster, arguably better all-round (and heavier) than its forebear, but undeniably also poorer owing to the loss of its soulful V8.

9

Audi RS5 – $79,600

Another German sub-four-second sedan; another tale of a former NA V8 downsized at the altar – or gallows – of efficiency and emissions. Never quite the M3-thrasher that Audi perhaps envisioned it to be, the RS5’s now-equipped twin-turbo, 2.9-liter V6 produces 444 hp and 443 lb-ft, but in a less fatiguing fashion (even in the hotter Competition version) than the track-tearing M3. It’s decidedly the more comfortable cross-country cruiser, but tellingly also the one that you don’t keep a helmet and gloves in the boot for just in case.

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8

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – $85,000-Ish

You’re not alone in spewing coffee over your screen at the idea of Alfa Romeo building an M3-beater. But over the years, the now-discontinued-for-US Giulia Quadrifoglio has achieved just that. A prettier, more involved and necessarily by virtue of being Italian – less reliable M3, the RWD-only Giulia’s 505 hp twin-twin turbo V6 was designed by the same engineer responsible for the Ferrari 488 (and others’) engine, powering it to the lap record for a saloon car at the Nürburgring in 2016. Still not convinced?

7

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing – $61,495

Despite crossing the Atlantic to return Stateside, the good news is we’re still in four-second 0-60 territory. The bad news is that since Cadillac will be significantly upping their EV offerings towards an all-electric future, hot rods like the CT4-V Blackwing are living on borrowed time. Which means the sleazy-on-Saturday-yet-subtle-on-Sunday rear-driven Blackwing with its immersive handling and 472 hp/445 lb-ft is something to be savored; and all the more so at more than $30k less than a BMW M3. Unlike the C63 and Giulia, it’s also available as a manual – a feat only matched by the base-level M3. But then there’s that price point advantage thing again…

6

Lexus RC-F – $68,320

Still in the (just) four-second territory, what’s a list of super-saloons worth without a Japanese entry – albeit one that’s a bit long in the tooth? The RC-F’s shopping list of go-fast goodies reads like pure performance porn – a 168 mph-limited top speed, RWD, old-school naturally aspirated V8 (472 hp/395 lb-ft), adaptive dampers, mechanical limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes – but in truth it drives more like just a fast Lexus than an outright M3 killer. Much like the Audi RS5, with comparatively subtle styling and a plush interior, it’s Lexus’ take on grand touring rather than BMW’s sportier M3.

5

F90 BMW M5 – Around $105,000 For a Pristine ’22 MY

Occasionally – mostly – bigger is better; and at least in the acceleration stakes, the M3 has always cowered in the shadow of its more substantial M5 brother. In the now-defunct F90 BMW M5, the brand’s ubiquitous 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 delivers 600 hp to all four wheels, pushing it on to a sub-3-second 0-60 mph blast. The pair of additionally driven axles (of which the front can be temporarily disabled) do add weight, but BMW cleverly carved the additional bulk out elsewhere to the end of being about 100 lbs lighter than its F10 predecessor. While bulkier, the M5’s sublime, sure-footed handling elevates it into M3-lite territory, it’s just a pity that the fake engine noise pumped into the cockpit over the speakers is so painfully artificial.

4

Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe – $120,100

OK, so if you’ve ever had to crank your neck to peep into the back of a 911, we’ll be first to plead guilty for getting a bit technical on the interpretation of what actually constitutes four seats. Still, with sublime handling, an iconic flat-six, eye-blink-beatingly rapid PDK twin-clutch transmission, the entry-level 911 makes for the perfect thinking man’s alternative. No longer the windowmaker of yore, the Porsche 911 is the sports car of the last century, having graduated from a killing machine in the 1970s to the most usable daily sports car you can buy today.

3

BMW i4 M50 – $69,700

OK, so we’re throwing an EV into the mix. And not just to placate Greta Thunberg’s apologists. This is actually the best-selling M car, believe it or not. One that shares the same badge and probably quite a few parts with the M3 itself. AWD and 536 hp see a 0-60 sprint time that’s closer to 3 seconds instead of 4, but a track car, the i4 will never be. It’s more of a Gran Coupé with a Tesla vibe; and that’s a good thing if apex-hunting isn’t your thing – as well as given the better comfort and broader usability envelope than the M3.

2

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat -$300k Plus

Yup, so it’s only got two doors (admittedly, plus an actually usable rear bench) and probably can’t go around corners; unless fully sideways in a cloud of smoke. But, uhm, heck – just look at the friendly-named Hellcat family’s available outputs: the gateway model already sports an outrageous 717 hp; the Redeye 797 hp and the Widebody Jailbreak 807 hp, which by all accounts shouldn’t even be legal. Tire companies love Hellcats; tires fear them. And which is why you should adore them, for they’re all gone and surely set to become future classics as reminders of a forgotten era.

Shopping around on the used market revealed that the current going rate for a Hellcat Redeye or Jailbreak is between $320,000 to as much as $370,000. We wonder if the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona has anything to do with that?

1

Nissan GT-R – $121,090

Well, we just had to. After 15 years of sheer racetrack destruction, Nissan finally disconnected Godzilla’s life support, but its memories will last a lifetime. Hopelessly over-engineered, the GT-R (delivering up to 600 hp in its final Nismo iteration) with its trick AWD system and lightning twin-clutch transmission bends corners into straights in ways that kept Isaac Newton turning in his grave.

Once hailed as the fastest-accelerating production car in the world (sub-3-seconds), there was a time the GT-R would have left the M3 for dead. That may no longer be the case – but after a decade-and-a-half’s dominance, there’s hardly a hint of shame. And more than a collective sigh of relief at drag strips the world over.

A new model is quite expensive, but you can get a 2015 model with roughly 40,000 miles on the clock for the same price as a top-spec M3.

Sources: BMW PressClub USA, Mercedes-Benz USA Online Newsroom, Audi Newsroom, Stellantis Media Website, Cadillac Newsroom, Lexus USA Newsroom, Porsche Newsroom, Nissan U.S. Newsroom