2021 BMW X3 M Competition

The X3 M Competition was the car that made us question everything we thought we knew about what a performance car had to be. Five hundred and three horsepower in a compact SUV, 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, and a twin-turbocharged inline-six that crackled and popped on overrun in a way that made other drivers look in their mirrors. Ours came in Silverstone Gray — a colour that perfectly captured the car's dual personality — and we took it everywhere. Monterey Car Week, where it wore a rally sticker with pride. Mountain passes where it kept pace with dedicated sports cars. Wine country tours through Paso Robles where the cargo space meant we could actually bring back what we found. The adaptive suspension kept the body eerily flat through corners that would have lesser SUVs leaning like sailboats, and the M Sport seats held you in place for all of it. We never once felt like we were compromising by driving an SUV. If anything, we felt like we had found a loophole.