FAST1 once told me that a Boxster S could outhandle his 996, if I remember correctly. I don't think that handling is the M3's selling point, if you're buying it just for that, you might as well mod your G to handle just as well. If you're buying it for speed, that's not it either. You liked the SMG? That's strange, most people hate how jerky it is on a first test drive.