Tag: F80 M3

The reveal of a model as important as the all-new BMW M3 wouldn’t be complete without a decent set of leaked images surfacing prior to their official release. And here we have, in uninhibited pictorial form, the new M3 sedan and M4 coupé.

Technical details for the duo have been previewed by BMW and tell us the cars will have a 3.0 litre straight six cylinder engine enhanced by a pair of mono scroll turbochargers. Power will be around 320kW, maybe slightly more, and torque in excess of 500Nm.

For the last time, perhaps, you’ll have the luxury to choose between a proper 6-speed manual or a fancy pants 7-speed DCT to help you change gears. Weight has dropped by at least 80kg from the old model as well.

We’ll have the full press palaver for you once BMW hits the send button. For now, enjoy your first decent gander at the world’s very first BMW M4! You know what, and it’s sacrilege to say this, but on first impressions we reckon the four-door looks better.

[Source: GT Spirit]

We’ve already seen a new BMW M3 in Yas Marina Blue, now here’s your first look at the M4 coupé in Sakhir Orange.

The new M3/M4 will be offered in a total of eight colours, listed below with their corresponding codes:

• Alpine White (300)
• Mineral Grey Metallic (B39)
• Black Sapphire Metallic (475)
• Sakhir Orange Metallic (B50)
• Silverstone Metallic (A29)
• Austin Yellow Metallic (B67)
• Mineral White Metallic (A96)
• Yas Marina Blue Metallic (B68)

Remember, the full reveal of the M4 is still a little while away, with expectations we’ll see the full monty in early January at the Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: Carscoops | Pic: Carpix]

A production-ready BMW M3 has been caught on video during a filming shoot and while you don’t get a very long look at the F80 sedan you get a look nonetheless.

The colour is Yas Marina blue and we don’t think that means the car will get an unlikely debut at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, instead waiting for the the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January.

Much of what you see has already been shown off in the Concept M4. Although the F82 M4 will make its production debut after the sedan.

[Source: Bimmerpost | Thanks to John for the tip]

BMW has released a series of official test videos showing the new M3/M4 prototypes being put through their paces around the Nürburgring. Also along for the ride was reigning DTM champion Bruno Spengler. Amazingly for a BMW driver Spengler says he’d never been to the Ring before. He is Canadian so we’ll be kind and cut Spengler some slack.

We sourced these videos via BimmerPost and the BMW blog network brings us another preview of the new F80/F82 hero models in the form of an audio soundtrack we first heard over at BimmerFile.

The audio track was published by Road & Track and is said to be an M4 being revved while at standstill. It sounds alright too.

If you missed Wednesday’s release of technical guff for the new BMW F82 M4 you can see it all presented here in this whiz bang animation.

The new BMW M3/M4 will have “approximately” 320kW (430hp) and “substantially more” than 500Nm of torque. It will be powered by a “high-revving” 3.0 litre inline six cylinder engine with two mono-scroll turbochargers.

A 6-speed manual gearbox will be available, along with an optional 7-speed DCT featuring launch control. The M4 coupe will weigh less than 1500kg, around 80kg less than the E92 model.

Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic has been used throughout and will be used for the roof of the M3 (sedan) for the first time. Even the pro-shaft is made from CFRP, which saves 40% in weight compared with the old M3’s prop-shaft.

These are some of the key highlights for the new F80 M3/F82 M4 and you can read more detail after the break.

Thankfully, we can strike out yesterday’s article which suggested the forthcoming F80 M3 and F82 M4 would be available exclusively with a 7-speed DCT. Turns out an optional manual gearbox will be available in some markets, as BimmerFile explains:

We typically don’t answer rumors from other sites but today’s M3/M4 rumor on Autoblog was so out of left field and straight-up wrong that we have to mention it. Yes the M3 and M4 will have a six speed manual transmission option for certain markets. We’ve seen it in spy shots as well as VIN data leaked earlier this year.

While we welcome this correction as though our left foot and left hand depended on it, we’re not filled with confidence that the manual box will be available for Australian buyers, based on the lack of manual option for the M5.

[Source: BimmerFile]

They’ve not given us much to go on but this 18 second video from BMW’s M people is the first official preview of the upcoming M3/M4. Well, we’re saying it’s for the M3, BMW just says they’re “preparing something new”.

It’s expected BMW will release details for the F80 M3 and F82 M4 in the next few months. Hmm, there’s only a few weeks until the Frankfurt Motor Show. Too soon?

More news from BMW on the new F80 M3/F82 M4 comes to us via Top Gear who interviewed Matt Collins, BMW UK Product Manager for the 3 Series (among other things), at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The good news is Collins confirmed the dietary plans for the new M icon, which will start life as a coupé and therefore debut the M4 naming. “What we’d like is more focus on lightweight engineering,” he said. “The philosophy will be around delivering performance through improved used of materials—lightweight alloys, lots of carbon fibre etc—rather than simply trying to make the engine more powerful to move the same kind of car, or scaling it back too far so that it loses its M3 roots.”

While there are no current plans for BMW to make another CSL, Collins did offer some insight into how serious they are with this new lightweight approach. “I think we’re really focusing on making this car as light as we can,” he said. “We’re not going to go halfway house with the ‘real’ car, because we’d like to get it as low as possible in the first place. The proper car will showcase a real reduction in weight.

“There are no plans at the moment to build a lightweight CSL version of the M4, but there weren’t any plans to do the last generation CSL either. We have to see what the customers think, and if there’s potential for an even more lightweight version, we’ll do it.”

We like the sound of all that. Although, it has to be said the outgoing E92 was around 1580kg, so there is scope for some weight loss. And pencil in a CSL-inspired model at some stage. It wouldn’t be like BMW to miss out on the chance of exploiting a niche market opportunity.

Also pleasing, although not surprising to hear is the lengths BMW is going to protect its enviable position in the high-powered mid-szie sports coupé market. “It’s not something we’re in a rush to market just to get it out, because it’s got to be as good as it can possibly be,” Collins added. “We think the M3 is the benchmark car; it’s the iconic car, and it’s the one that really defines the segment. It’s about making what we think is the best car in the segment even better. It’s not a competitor-focused development.”

[Source: Top Gear | Rendering: Wild Speed]