To most drivers, the Chevrolet Cobalt was nothing more than cheap, reliable fleet-car fodder, and the cheapest rental car in the lot. 2001 BMW M3 E46 Coupe Red Rear Angled View BMWChevrolet's efforts to improve the Cobalt SS's performance allowed the FWD sedan to match the lap time of the venerated BMW E46 M3. In its base configuration, this iteration of the BMW M3 would be capable of lapping the Nürburgring in eight minutes and twenty-two seconds flat. Comparing Apples To Apples2008 BMW M3 Red Front Angled View Driving BMWAlthough the Chevrolet Cobalt SS matches the time set by the BMW E46 M3, the M3 debuted eight years before the turbocharged Cobalt SS. A year before introducing the turbocharged Cobalt SS, BMW had already laid the E46 M3 to rest and introduced its successor, the BMW E92 M3.