Car Magazine Does Greatest M3 Comparison and omits the E36?

Car Magazine has an article on what is the best M3. They choose to compare the E92 M3 GTS, E46 M3 CSL, and E30 M3 Sport Evo as their examples of the best M3's. The article gives a nice overview and some basic information but no real insight. No lap times, no perspectives from various owners or race car drivers, nothing much really to justify what on paper should be an epic comparison. Without the E36 M3 included, it really isn't a true comparison. Omitting an entire generation is not just an oversight, it is a mistake of epic proportions which leaves the article meaningless without having every generation of M3 included.

Car acknowledges the lack of the E36 in this excerpt here:

You could have included the E36 M3 lightweight but didn't? You readily admit this? Who cares if it was North American only or not, is it still an M3 or not? The CSL and GTS are European only but in the USA we readily acknowledge them as some of the greatest M3's ever built. An M3 is not only valid based on what continent it was imported to. That is what makes certain models special as well as leaving it up to enthusiasts to sort through these variables. Not having any example of an E36, European, American, Australian, Martian, whatever, weakens the article. For a magazine of this stature it is simply inexcusable and leads to an incomplete conclusion.

All M3's are different so attempting to make a comparison such as the greatest M3 apples to apples is an exercise in futility to begin with. There is simply no excuse for skipping an entire generation as well as such an important chapter in M history. Shame on you Car Magazine, shame on you. Overall this is a mediocre article and not one any real M enthusiasts should take seriously due to the gaping hole.

Read the entire article below: