Pointier, but not nervous

The result, following careful setup and corner balancing, is a car that is now pointier than stock when you move the wheel off-center, with better front-end grip and less understeer. However, pointy does not mean nervous. The back end follows the front into and around corners in perfect harmony, while the whole car feels crisper and more agile.

Braking endurance on stock pads has never been a BMW M car strength. While Active leaves the calipers stock, the company swaps to uprated Hawk pads that bite more convincingly than the overly soft factory pads, instilling a lot more confidence.

The body mods are subtle but telling. Active uses Vorsteiner’s carbon fiber GTS3 front bumper, Type II rear diffuser and carbon fiber trunk lid to trim weight and improve aerodynamics. The end result is a more purposeful-looking car with a better stance.

Put simply, the Active Autowerke M3 Coupe is a wonderful car to drive. It has sharp throttle response, enough straight-line performance to satisfy a speed junkie, a crisp yet benign chassis that handles that power perfectly and an overall balance that belies the considerable heft of the factory M3.

Active Autowerke saved nearly 90 lbs. by swapping the heavy factory seats for lightweight Recaros, and if they could strip another 200 lbs. out of the car, it would be truly magic. But even as it stands, I would take this M3 Coupe home in a heartbeat.