It wasn't the Audi A4. It wasn't the Cadillac ATS. The real threat to the 3-Series proved to be BMW's own quest for niche filling growth. When the F30-chassis arrived in 2012 it brought underbaked, numb, uncommunicative steering with it. Sales volumes increased; the 3's enthusiast appeal diminished.

Distracted while enhancing the dynamism levels of coupe-styled crossovers, BMW returned to find its neu klasse outclassed. In a sport sedan shootout we held two years ago, the Bimmer came in second, having had sand kicked in its face by a Lexus IS350. A Lexus!

BMW

A beefy fist thuds angrily on the table in some Bavarian boardroom: "Nicht akzeptabel!" Thus, what might have been merely mid-cycle cosmetic surgery for the new F30 includes significant re-engineering: a reworked front suspension geometry with stiffer components, new electric power steering, revised dampers, and a Track Handling Package.

Checking that box gives the four-door Focke-Wulf teeth: adaptive suspension and steering, upgraded brakes with slightly fey blue calipers, and lightweight 18-inch wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cups. It's available as a stand alone option on nearly every gasoline-powered 3-Series, including (praise be) the wagon.

BMW

Also pleasing is the continuing availability of a manual transmission in the sedan, with BMW citing a double digit take rate. It's revised for this year, and scores a best in class result by the simple expedient of being the only game in town to be paired with a six-cylinder (Cadillac and Audi will give you a manual, but only on 2.0 liter cars).

Perhaps not all BMW niche filling is bad.

BMW's torquey new 3.0L turbocharged straight six takes the labor out of opting for the manual. 330lb-ft arrives at 1380rpm, meaning you can lazily ignore downshifts on your commute, accelerating from low revs without lugging the engine. Horsepower is up, slightly, to 320hp, and a change to a water-intercooled manifold from a conventional front-mounted air-to-air intercooler shortens intake piping and reduces boost lag to near-irrelevancy. However, you have to wonder if the repeated lapping of an track day won't eventually heat-soak the water reservoir and sap power, track package or no. BMW's also encased the engine in heat-retaining materials to keep the oil warm for hours when parked; leave the office late and go straight to boost without worrying about engine and turbo wear.

BMW

Getting the options right on a 3 is key to driving nirvana, so here's the recipe: stick shift, rear drive, straight six, track pack. Unleashing the so-equipped 340i on a Mexican canyon road that loops like some Aztec feathered-snake-god's lower intestine produces eye-widening speed. When even the shortest of straight stretches appear, the F30's big six easily hauls the car to triple digit speeds.

But it's corners where the 3-Series made its name, and that's where BMW's re-engineering of the F30's front end proves effective. The steering still won't tweak the viscera of dyed in the wool propellorheads, but it's much improved. If a certain subtlety of feel is lacking, precision and directness is not.

BMW

On this knotted tarmac, the 3's performance is more savage sprint than delicate dance, but the car's pace demands respect; it's purposeful once again, focused. It no longer feels threatened. It feels like a threat.

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