If you’ve driven a BMW M3, one of the most gratifying automobiles on the planet, you’ll be familiar with the guts of the 2006 BMW M Coupe. Under that long, newly creased hood is the M3’s 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine, swallowing premium fuel at the rate of 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. With 330 horsepower available just 100 rpm short of redline at 7,900 revs per minute, and 262 lb.-ft. of torque peaking at 4,900 rpm, this M-massaged motor makes plenty of motivation for a 3,230-pound sports car. Bingo, the M Coupe does make three fewer ponies than the M3, due to space restrictions under the car and the resulting effect on the low back-pressure exhaust system. However, since the M Coupe is carrying 185 fewer pounds than the M3, the power loss is a non-issue. BMW says the M Coupe rips to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and quickly gets to its electronically limited terminal velocity of 155 mph.

The M Coupe’s engine is constructed using a cast-iron block and aluminum heads, with BMW’s Double VANOS variable valve timing and a high 11.5:1 compression ratio helping to maximize output. A dedicated hydraulic oil pump supplies pressure to the Double VANOS system, and the engine features machined intake ports and combustion chambers, along with a double camshaft chain, to ensure optimum efficiency and durability. Since maximum horsepower is available so close to redline, BMW knows that M Coupe owners are going to spend lots of time wringing the car out for all it’s worth. Therefore, BMW equips this brilliant piece of engineering with a semi dry-sump oiling system, a forged nitro-carbonized steel crankshaft, forged-steel connecting rods, and cross-flow cylinder head cooling with a beefed up water pump to insure engine durability under continuous high-rev stress loads. Each cylinder even gets its own individual throttle for faster response to driver input, and the M Dynamic Driving Control provides normal and sport throttle response settings to tailor the engine’s behavior to the pilot’s wishes. We drove in sport mode exclusively, and our reward was blistering acceleration, quick shifts, and an average of 16.4 mpg in mostly highway driving punctuated by numerous four-way stop intersections.

A revised six-speed ZF Type H manual transmission with a heavy-duty clutch delivers power to the M Coupe’s rear wheels. Upgrades include better gear synchronization, lighter shift feel, firmer gear engagement, shorter throws, and lifetime transmission oil that never needs checking or changing. At night, the shift pattern on the gearshift knob is illuminated – a slick touch found on all M models. Other powertrain goodies include a heavy-duty differential equipped with NACA air intakes to keep it cool, an M Variable Differential Lock that keeps the M Coupe buttoned-down on low- and split-traction surfaces, and an M Logic stability control system with start-off assistant to keep the car from rolling backward on hills while the driver switches from the brake pedal to the accelerator.

Like the M Coupe’s underhood hardware, the suspension, steering, and brakes are also significantly tweaked by BMW Motorsport. In front, the suspension track is half an inch wider, the aluminum lower control arms are more complex and lighter, new steering knuckles produce sharper response and save weight, and there are strut tower braces to further stiffen the car. At the rear, the sub-frame is larger and stiffer, and the M Coupe gets the M3’s wheel bearings, central suspension links, and stabilizer bar arrangement. Additionally, the springs, shocks, stabilizer bars, and bushings are all M-tuned for maximum performance.

The M Coupe’s steering is also donated by the M3, replacing the Z4’s standard electrically-assisted power rack-and-pinion setup with an engine-speed sensitive hydraulic assist unit equipped with a special power steering fluid pump. The result is greater steering effort at low speeds in trade for the kind of sharpened road feel and response at higher speeds for which BMWs are known, and loved.

Brakes are compound, cross-drilled, ventilated discs with brake drying, ABS, Dynamic Brake Control, start-off assistant, electronic brake proportioning, and cornering stability enhancement. The compound, two-piece rotor design cuts unsprung weight and reduces warping under high-pressure, high-heat conditions, translating to a reduction in vibration when running the M Coupe hard. Disc dimensions are identical to the M3 Competition Package – 345 x 28mm up front and 328 x 20mm in back.

The whole shebang rides on M Double Spoke 18-inch wheels wearing summer-spec 225/45ZR front tires and 255/40ZR rear treads. These are not run-flats, and there’s no spare. Instead, a standard tire pressure monitor keeps you informed about inflation levels and an M Mobility inflator and sealant kit helps you hobble to the next performance rubber shop. Or, you could just press the BMW Assist button, if you’ve opted for it, and summon a pimply-faced teenager to come fix the problem for you.