Verdict

ON UK roads the Artura proves that it’s an accomplished supercar that will carry McLaren through into a new era It offers simply sublime ride and handling. However, although the powertrain is good, it’s not great: effective and punchy, but still lacking a little refinement and finesse, it seems. Overall, though, it’s a small issue that can’t take the shine off an otherwise deeply impressive piece of engineering that evolves what McLaren stands for when it comes to technology and design.

Jordan Katsianis

THE new £85,165 BMW M3 Touring could be the ultimate do-everything highperformance car It’s only available in the UK in Competition form, and it also comes exclusively with BMW’s M xDrive all-wheel drive system, while it builds on the M3 saloon’s distinctive looks

It uses the saloon as its mechanical starting point, to which BMW M has added a collection of upgrades. These include the under-body brace from the M4 Cabriolet that’s bolted between the rear axle and transmission tunnel, to compensate for reduced stiffness in a body that lacks the saloon’s rear bulkhead Front spring and damper rates have also been modified, while the rear dampers are completely new

These upgrades are in addition to the M3 saloon’s chassis tweaks over a standard 3 Series, which includes additional bracing for the 3 0-litre straight-six engine, plus bespoke suspension and axle mountings.

All of this comes at the cost of added weight, because even with the extensive use of aluminium and forged alloy wheels, the new M3 Touring weighs 1,865kg. The engine and eight-speed automatic transmission make light work of the mass, though, and the car feels significantly lighter than the numbers suggest The critical figures are the same as any Competition-spec M3 or M4, with 503bhp and 650Nm of torque

BMW M’s xDrive all-wheel drive system delivers extra traction where required without fundamentally changing the nature of the M3 Touring’s balance It’s one of the least intrusive four-wheel drive systems around, working seamlessly with the ESC and electronically controlled rear limited-slip diff to provide almost unbreakable traction

The added space in the rear unlocks 500 litres of room with the rear seats up, 1,500 litres when you drop them down. The M3 Touring’s arrival also coincides with the 3 Series’ mid-life facelift, so the dashboard benefits from a pair of high-res screens integrated into a smart, curved panel.

So what’s all this like to drive? Just as fabulous as the saloon, with almost no