Carlos Lago of Motor Trend gathers all four generations of the venerable BMW M3 to drive and review in succession. Rumor has it that the next generation M3 will be powered by a turbocharged inline-6 which will mark the end of the naturally aspirated era for the dynasty. That’s why Carlos decided to round up all of the previous generations to see how their characteristics have evolved while honoring the commonality that binds them together as a family.

I’ve always enjoyed Carlos’s reviews because of his appreciation for chassis balance despite of his easy access to the industry’s high horsepower monsters. He makes an interesting grouping of the M3’s based on their power outputs. Lago says the first two generations, the E30 and E36, are cars where there is more sweetheart lightweight chassis capability than power output. Starting with the 333 horsepower E46 and continuing with the 414 horsepower V8 E92, the M3 became larger and more flexible with the ability to mash the throttle to make the rear end step out at any time. The M3 had to grow in size, power and refinement to follow consumer expectations but always remained true to the M-Division’s goal of building the ultimate 3-series based driving machine.

Even though each generation is distinguished by period influenced power and weight figures, the M3 has always been a driver’s car in terms of exceptional chassis balance and smooth power delivery from an engine eager to rev. Will the next car be able to integrate with the M3 heritage? The new F30 chassis in standard 3-series form has been widely criticized for being duller than what people have come to expect from the car that has always been the industry’s benchmark for sport luxury. That being said, I’m sure the chassis design and suspension geometry are good enough for the M-Division to tweak with spring, shock and anti-roll bar tuning. BMW is also ahead of the curve when it comes to tuning turbocharged engines for responsiveness and smooth power delivery as shown in the Frankenstein hooligan of a car they built with the 1M. The auto industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift towards less energy consumption and carbon emissions, but that doesn’t mean that everything we like about the cars they make is lost. I have no doubt in my mind that BMW will make an outstanding turbocharged M3 that will live up to the cars they’ve built in the past while using technologies that we will need for the future.