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I notice a hump on the hood which is somewhat similiar to the idea they had with the E46 M3.

The front definitely tells you this is an M3 but the rear is just so plane...I hope they take some of the camo off so we can see the rear. And You're right about the hump there...I think it's a very cool design cue, it tells you there is a beast in there.

The M3 Coupe is getting these rear-lights

There is one thing that I want to say though.

Of course we have not yet seen the final sample but I really think that BMW needs to step up the design of the M's in reference to their aggresiveness b/c Audi's RS4 looks like while the BMW looks

if you look closer on the 3rd pic (first post), there is an arrow on the hood. Probably done with camo tape.

hmm.. On the official version of the car it might say "INTAKE! STEP AWAY!"

Just like on airplane engines! It might be to much and it might suck someone in!



STEP AWAY FROM THE M3 IT CAN GET UGLY!

I just want to comment on a couple of things I've noticed. Have a look at the area just around the front lights. It's completely different from the regular 3 series and reminiscent of what was done with the M6. It makes the lights look more aggressive. This is the final front bumper, I'm sure of it. It just has some tape at the bottom, which is easily distinguishable at the edge of the bumper (especially in second spy picture below). It is too well done to be simply camo. I would expect those 5 series kidney grills to stay. Also, notice that the two lines(creases) extending from the top of the hood all the way down to the bottom of the bumper, what the are arrows are pointing at, are gone. I find this to be the most noticeable and best improvement on the 3 series design.

3 series


M3


6 series (sorry if it's hard to see but because of the dark color)


M6


The bottom side panel on the test mule will certainly change and most likely be similar to that on the M5.

M3


M5 (I love this picture)


Also, notice the HUGE flare in the wheel arches in the back. The final tires are going to be huge or more likely just pushed out with spacers. On that note, I think that the front wheel arch will be more pronounced in the final car.



As for the rear of the car, I have no idea. Okay, nothing more to say for now.

Don't read to much intto the design. It' pretty obvious and wise that BMW hasn't equiped the testmule with the final M3 package.

yeah, i kind of got carried away but I think my comments on the front bumper are accurate. It's the actual bumper with some camo.

I'm not so sure that it's the final bumper installed on the car. It looks a bit plane and too "friendly" for being an M bumper. I'm expecting a huge bumper making the car look phat, like the one on the E46 M3.

I seriously doubt that we will see a bumper like that on the e90, the reasoning behind it being that the bumper assembly is different. On the e46, you can see the hood includes the kidney grills and extends all the way to the bottom of the front lights, at which point the bumper begins. The e46 had a tranditional bumper. The e90's bumper is the entire front of the car. The hood stops at the top of the kidney grills. It is the exact same for the 5 and 6 series. The e90 M3 is definitely going to have a more intergrated bumper system, like those found on the new M5 and M6. The e90 M3 simply cannot have a bumper similar to the e46 M3's.

^thats an aftermarket job anyhow!

The new grill looks incredible. I really hope that same grill makes it onto the 3er sedans, looks tons better than the current grill.

why do we have 3 diffren threads on the new M3.. make it one please

powerdome powerdome powerdome

Just like the current M3. I am right, right? I see a hidden powerdome!

I was told a while ago M3 would come in coupe form first, followed by cabrio, and than sedan. Touring also posiible. Coupe and sedan are supposed to have different air intakes: sedan more M5-like V.shaped, coupe a reverse V-shape intake (look Huckfeldt's impression of M3 coupe).

Sedan is (this I was told) to debute along with sedan / touring facelift - so IMO this new grills could be something FL 3er will get.

I'm awaiting some new / fresh info about M3.

Makes perfect sense to me. The new grill is truly lovely, a lot better than what's out now.

Also "Eni" LoL, still would rather call you your own name, but for your rep I won't. Have you heard anything about the next generation of BMW's designs being toned down starting w/ the F01/02 7er?

Have I heard about design being TONED DOWN? No, I haven't.

But I can recall Hooydonk said once (just after 7er & Z4 came out) they wanted to push envelope as much further as possible in this generation, and the next generations would see a consolidation / refinement in design.

Also Bangle's design plan is: 1st generation revolutionary - 2nd gen. evolutionary - 3rd gen. revolutionary - 4th gen. evolutionary - ...

And do not forget the current strategy: having 7er in one pole, Z4 in the other. Taking design cues for other models from both poles (biger models more from 7er, smaller more from Z4), while 3er was planned to be a perfect balance of both poles. That was the strategy from the begining. It was revealed by Bangle at Z4 debut.

Do not epxpect less radical design features, but more "refined" ones - eg. less chunky bangle butts, less goofy - droopy headlights, but still some controversial features.

When main emphasis of phase 1 was general shape, phase 2 will focus more on details.

Hooydonk said in one interview: "BMW is ready for new design revolution." Some models will become less radical and more evolutionary (eg. 7er, Z4, 5er etc), while some new models will take over the radical shape & skin (V5, X6, etc). Some will enter their evolutionarry phase, some in their revolutionary one.

So, it's more appropriate to talk about evolutionary refinement & consolidation of design (that was planned), and not about toning down.

We will also see more of excesive flame surfacing (convex - convcave surfaces separated with sharp creases).

IMO in the future we will see more refined (in details) BMWs, yet still visually challenging ones.

^excellent post Tine.

Tine, great info there, now I understand a lot!

nice post Eni. BTW, who is Hooydonk?

the designer behind for instance 6er

he is a very cruel man.. for giving that car such a sad face

Adrian van Hooydonk, 41, has been a designer at BMW since 1992 and president of DesignworksUSA, the Californian design studio of the BMW Group, since 2001. In 2004 Adrian van Hooydonk was named a head of the BMW automobile brand design. From 2001 -2004 Van Hooydonk was a president of DesignworksUSA, the Californian design studio of the BMW Group.
The Dutch designer developed the exterior design of the current BMW 6 Series and 7 Series among other projects.

Here are all the BMW Group design chiefs:
Gert Volker Hildebrand (MINI)
Ian Cameron (Rolls-Royce)
David Robb (BMW Motorrad)
Adrian van Hooydonk (BMW Automobile)
Ulf Weidhase (BMW M and Individual).
And the big boss: Christopher E. Bangle (Director of BMW Group Design).