The new BMW has a cheat-code built into the shifter, which disables a road-safety feeature intended to prevent 5000RPM jackrabbit starts.
There's a cheat code in the software running the BMW M3's sequential manual gearbox (SMG): Press the right buttons in the right order and the car will launch you from a stop after revving the engine to 5,000 rpm. But don't look for a how-to in the owners' manual–this feature is undocumented, an inside joke of sorts…
But there is a catch. In Europe, where the feature isn't so hush-hush, doing more than 15 launches voids the car's warranty. Federal laws prohibit such stipulations here, so BMW has turned down the wick. U.S.-spec cars are programmed to wind to only 2,500 rpm–and our test car topped off at 1,800. That's why you have to ask your dealer to install the European software. Most will happily oblige.
