Appealing features even in the trunk. In the Coupe trunk, a reversible mat has BMW's usual flock on one side and a non-slip rubber finish on the other. One can set a briefcase there, even a metal one, and know that it will not slide around when the M3 is driven the expected way: vigorously. In the Convertible trunk, a variable softtop storage compartment allows increased cargo space when the top is raised.


Safety and Security Features

Every BMW M3 comes with an exemplary range of safety and security equipment:

• 2-stage front-impact Smart Airbags
• Height-adjustable front safety belts with automatic tensioners and force limiters (Coupe)
• Seat-integrated front safety belts with power height adjustment, automatic tensioners and force limiters (Convertible)
• Interlocking door anchoring system for side impacts
• Front-seat Head Protection System (Coupe)
• Rollover Protection System (Convertible)
• Front-seat side-impact airbags, door-mounted
• Battery Safety Terminal
• Central locking system with double-lock anti-theft feature and selective unlocking
• Coded Driveaway Protection.

The Convertible's Rollover Protection System automatically deploys structural bars behind the rear seats in case of an impending rollover accident. As an additional safety feature, rear-seat side-impact airbags are optional for both models, so that customers may choose to have them or not.

Thus both BMW M3s address not only customers' desire to possess a machine of great performance and beauty, but also the very rational demand for safety and security. The Coupe is of the same basic construction as BMW E46 3 Series Sedan that, along with four other midsize luxury sedans, was tested and ranked by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In actual 40-mph offset tests of these five models, this 3 Series Sedan earned the Institute's Best Pick rating. BMW's occupant compartment held its shape, with low likelihood of injury. As described above, the 3 Series and M3 Convertibles add their own, Convertible-specific safety features.


Options and Accessories: The Competition Package Heads a List of Appealing Choices

BMW M offers an appealing range of Packages and stand-alone options to outfit both M3s to individual customers' tastes and priorities. Heading the list is the Competition Package, which further enhances BMW M3's handling capabilities. Conceived to appeal to club racers and ardent performance enthusiasts, this Package became available for the Coupe in the '05 model year. It includes:

• M Track Mode for Dynamic Stability Control. Activated or deactivated via a switch on the steering wheel, this mode allows oversteer and wheelspin, which can be useful to expert drivers on a race track. It is not recommended for use on public roads.
• Compound, cross-drilled brakes. This most elaborate of BMW brake concepts takes the M3 to a truly track-ready level of braking capability.
  
  The brake rotors are 2-piece, with an aluminum "hat" (to reduce unsprung weight) and a cast-iron outer portion that is the actual friction surface. The hat and outer portion are connected by steel pins on which the aluminum and cast-iron portions, because of their differing expansion rates, can move relative to each other. This is an elaborate, costly construction that cuts unsprung weight and eliminates rotor deformation under hard-braking, high-heat conditions. In practical terms, this means virtually no tendency of the brakes to vibrate when hot, and also virtually no likelihood of the rotors cracking under the extreme heat conditions that typically might be encountered in driving on a race track.
  
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