[stressdoc]

As I see the current direction in BMW philosophy, it is melding the old-style M traditions with the emerging corporate image of high-tech euro green reality. I am content with my decision to get a 335 rather than the M3. Both are overweight; I am passing time with an affordable utilitarian fun car that can fit my 3 large sons, waiting for the day that the tremendous recent advances in materials science are realized. The Z2 M, with a 270hp turbo 4cyl, weighing around 1,000 kilos dry, will not be your father's BMW M in a lot of ways, but in the most important ones -- fun to drive, freude am fahren -- I think it will be. I don't think the next M3 will be quite as dramatic, it seems to have been sucked into a dual-purpose executive daily driver niche.