At nearly three months of ownership, I want to make a general statement about the new M3, specifically the manual 6MT.
The more I drive this car, the more I love this car. It is one of the most satisfying cars I have ever driven and certainly owned. The more I drive the car, the better it feels (it is breaking in) at 1200 miles, I have to say it just keeps feeling smoother. It is not a cheap car, but in comparison to other makes and models in it's class, this car for me lives up to the well known BMW motto - "Ultimate Driving Experience".
It is by no means perfect, but it is the most perfect car for me, I have owned. I also love the aggressive look of this car. With the advent of the "future EV world", this iteration of the "M3/M4" in my opinion makes a clear statement from BMW that we are going out with a bang! If that is indeed the case (I hope not). If you are considering the new M3 or M4, in any spec, I would not hesitate to seek an allocation, it is a superb automobile in all aspects you would want: Build Quality, Looks, Performance and comfort. It has exceeded my expectations and at ~$80K + depending on spec, it is also an excellent value for the level of engineering on offer.
Rant over. Long live the ICE M performance assembly line and congratulations to BMW on such a winner on the horizon of a new automotive world!!