Is the BMW M3 a Supercar?

Short answer: No. I don’t consider the M3 to be a supercar. Although for the price of a new M3, one can certainly get a used supercar easily or a new exotic, ie. Lamborghini Gallardo 2004 or Maserati Ghibli. The M3 is mainly a GT or grand touring car. It is respectably fast on the straights and handles well on the corners. It wasn’t made to compete with the likes of Ferrari or McLaren. It was made to be an all-around vehicle that can take the kiddies to school in the morning, get you to work later in the day and simply rip the rear tires off at the track. Not many other vehicles in the world can be as versatile as the M3 in terms of performance, cost, usability, and looks. ​

​So, what defines a supercar? I don’t think there is a set of conditions that can define a supercar as there are vehicles that break these rules on every occasion. Here is a list of what I define to be necessary to be a supercar in modern times. Let’s just talk about supercars produced within the last 5 years.
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1. Limited production numbers
2. High selling price 100k+
3. High resale price
4. Acceleration less than 3.5s to 60mph
5. Top speed higher than 200mph
6. Curb weight less than 4k pounds
7. More than 500HP

But let me tell you why this list is not even complete by any means and doesn’t even encompass of what I consider to be a supercar.

This might be a controversial pick for a supercar but I unfortunately have to admit that the Nissan GTR is a supercar. It’s cheap, relatively speaking, for the performance. Pulling to 60mph in less than 3s and getting supercar lap times is what sets Godzilla apart from non-supercars. Production numbers are high and one could easily get a used GTR for less than 70k only a few years old, but its performance speaks for itself. I personally would not want to consider the GTR a supercar simply because of the price point but I think it’s fair to say it is a budget supercar. I think it gets a lot of hate simply because it can be affordable for anyone who works hard. I think people imagine supercars to be only affordable for the super-rich, but in reality one can be “normal” and still own a supercar. Another reason is that it doesn’t have the greatest curb appeal. But hey, let’s be honest, all feelings aside it deserves some commendation.

However, the Corvette Z06, I still wouldn’t consider to be a supercar. I’m not sure why because it sure does perform like one. I do have to admit that what I’m saying in this article is completely subjective and my opinion will be different from the next persons. And that’s okay because we all have our thoughts. But to continue on with the Corvette, I simply don’t think that the price point is where it should be for a supercar. Supercars seem to command high asking prices. The other thing is that the Z06 looks like the stingray which costs significantly less. I think a supercar should have its own unique flavor and styling.

Let’s move on to some other supercars. The Lexus LFA is considered to be a supercar but it accelerates “slowly”, in the 3.7s range to 60mph. The Porsche GT3 RS only has 500HP and the GT3 has even less, but I still consider them to be supercars in my book.

I could go on and on through an entire list of cars. Take for example the BMW i8 or the Mercedes AMG GT. I think I will stop here. I think you get the idea. Defining what a supercar is, is no easy task.

There is no clear metric to say this vehicle is a supercar and the next one is not. With the rise of hypercars and megacars, what comes next? What stops the next company from claiming that they just built a hypercar or a supercar? There really is no good definition for any of these terms. I think that with the development of newer technologies, the blend of supercars, hypercars, and performance vehicles will become harder and harder to tell apart.