The 2001 BMW M3 appears worldwide with the new S54B32 engine. At the time of the appearance of the car, this engine was the most productive “aspirated” ever produced by BMW. It had a power of 343 "horses" and a torque of 365 Nm. The first release of the new M3 was painted in Laguna Seca Blue. The car came with a new SMG Drivelogic gearbox (SMG 2) and an F1-style electro-hydraulic manual shift system without a clutch pedal and paddles for shifting under the steering wheel. The "Red Zone" started at 8000 rpm, a first for a BMW. The engine produced over 100 hp. per liter of volume (343 hp / 3.2 liters), the car accelerated to 100 km / h in 5.2 seconds, the maximum speed was 250 km / h (electronically limited; without a limiter - 304 km / h). 2 special editions were produced: M3 GTR V8 and M3 CSL. M3 GTR was born in 2001. The machine is equipped with a 4-liter V-shaped 8-cylinder engine with 450 hp and all-wheel drive. The main reason for replacing the inline-six is the inability to compete on equal terms with the Porsche 996 GT3. In 2003, the limited edition M3 CSL appears. The main differences of this car were: a more powerful engine (360 hp), less weight (thanks to the carbon fiber hood and roof). The car also went through a number of cosmetic changes. So the design of the rims was changed, the rear spoiler was enlarged and a large air duct appeared on the front bumper.