BMW M3 vs Ferrari Amalfi

What's the difference?

There’s no point waxing too lyrical here, because the facts surrounding the M3 Touring are more than exciting enough.

It’s a (kind of) family friendly wagon with oodles of space and practicality. It’s also an unhinged performance weapon with a thumping 3.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine.

And it has been years — decades, even — in the making. So, has it been worth the wait? Let’s strap in and find out.

An entry-level car doesn’t normally start at half a million dollars but that’s what the Ferrari Amalfi is; the most affordable way into the pride of Italy’s current line-up.

A 2+2 GT with the engine in the front, driving the wheels at the rear, it’s a substantially upgraded and remodelled version of the Roma it replaces. 

No plugs, no motors, no drive battery, just a twin-turbo V8 pumping out 471kW of pure internal-combustion power in a sleek, relatively lightweight two-door coupe.

CarsGuide was handed the keys for a brief stint behind the wheel to see if it’s an improvement on its much-admired predecessor and a worthy alternative to the heavy-hitting, top-shelf machinery it competes with.