M3/M4 Spied! BMW M3 Sedan And Convertible
- Thread starter Zafiro
- Start date
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986.
The BMW M4 is a high-performance version of the BMW 4 Series automobile developed by BMW's motorsport division, BMW M, that has been built since 2014. As part of the renumbering that splits the coupé and convertible variants of the 3 Series into the 4 Series, the M4 replaced those variants of the BMW M3. Official website: BMW M
NarutoRamen
Kraftwagen König
Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
I want the headlights from E90 4-door becuase I find the front look aggressive. M3 E90 dont need the E92 front imo.
HighestOfHigh
Cornering Kingpin
Honestly, BMW should have been had a M3 sedan. Not everyone likes coupes.
Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
M3 E36 - there were both a Coupe/Sedan
M3 e46 - only Coupe
M3 V8 - is coming in both Coupe/Sedan
Black doesn't do this car any justice, I need to see this thing in white to decide if I like it.
Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
would you feel the same if this was a RS5?
Come on now Just_Me, we both know the RS5's gonna look good in every color from every angle, even Gorilla Green!
CorpusCallosum
Oversteer Expert
interior looks great... subtle changes make me love the 3 series interior for the first time 
chonkoa
Aerodynamic Artisan
Come on now Just_Me, we both know the RS5's gonna look good in every color from every angle, even Gorilla Green!
Is that your patented colour?
Bartek S.
Aerodynamic Ace
M3 saloon and cabrio nearly ready
BMW will expand the M3 range in 2008 with a saloon and a coupé-cabrio, and we’ve caught them both undergoing final tests.
The biggest issue in the process of turning the 3-series convertible into an M3 is weight. Because of the extra reinforcement needed to make up for the lack of a roof and the weight of the roof motors and folding mechanism, a 330i convertible weighs a considerable 235kg more than a 330i coupé.
But despite some advanced weight loss techniques (such as a V8 engine that at 202kg weighs less than the six-cylinder it replaces), an M3 coupé is just 6kg less than a 330i coupé. It is unclear how BMW will be able to cut the convertible’s 1780kg kerb weight, which rises to a hefty 2130kg when laden.
Cutting weight will be less of an issue with the saloon, as in 330i guise it weighs 1555kg, 16kg more than an M3.
The styling of both cars is a mix of M3 and regular saloon and convertible. Both use the M3 coupé’s front end, while the cabrio retains the standard car’s rear.
At the rear, both cars get four tailpipes, and the saloon gains a discreet lip spoiler on the boot lid. Wheel arches are flared to accommodate the M3’s wider tracks, and the cars also share the same styling around the exhaust and rear valance.
We’re expecting the two cars in 2008 — the saloon in March and the cabrio in September, to tie in with the Geneva and Paris motor shows.
There are rumours of a possible M3 Touring, though BMW hasn’t confirmed such a car. Audi’s success with fast estates prompted BMW to make an estate version of the current M5, so it may be tempted into trying the same idea with the M3. We certainly hope so.
It’s also possible that all future M3 variants, not just the coupé, could get the lightweight CSL treatment.
A stripped-out CSL coupé is being rushed to market, possibly as early as the end of 2007, but the boss of BMW’s M division, Gerhard Richter, has hinted that the other body styles will also be offered in the lighter, more focused form.
BMW will expand the M3 range in 2008 with a saloon and a coupé-cabrio, and we’ve caught them both undergoing final tests.
The biggest issue in the process of turning the 3-series convertible into an M3 is weight. Because of the extra reinforcement needed to make up for the lack of a roof and the weight of the roof motors and folding mechanism, a 330i convertible weighs a considerable 235kg more than a 330i coupé.
But despite some advanced weight loss techniques (such as a V8 engine that at 202kg weighs less than the six-cylinder it replaces), an M3 coupé is just 6kg less than a 330i coupé. It is unclear how BMW will be able to cut the convertible’s 1780kg kerb weight, which rises to a hefty 2130kg when laden.
Cutting weight will be less of an issue with the saloon, as in 330i guise it weighs 1555kg, 16kg more than an M3.
The styling of both cars is a mix of M3 and regular saloon and convertible. Both use the M3 coupé’s front end, while the cabrio retains the standard car’s rear.
At the rear, both cars get four tailpipes, and the saloon gains a discreet lip spoiler on the boot lid. Wheel arches are flared to accommodate the M3’s wider tracks, and the cars also share the same styling around the exhaust and rear valance.
We’re expecting the two cars in 2008 — the saloon in March and the cabrio in September, to tie in with the Geneva and Paris motor shows.
There are rumours of a possible M3 Touring, though BMW hasn’t confirmed such a car. Audi’s success with fast estates prompted BMW to make an estate version of the current M5, so it may be tempted into trying the same idea with the M3. We certainly hope so.
It’s also possible that all future M3 variants, not just the coupé, could get the lightweight CSL treatment.
A stripped-out CSL coupé is being rushed to market, possibly as early as the end of 2007, but the boss of BMW’s M division, Gerhard Richter, has hinted that the other body styles will also be offered in the lighter, more focused form.
Merc1
Premium
A four-door M3? Haven’t seen one of those for a while…
Not since the E36 model M3, two generations ago, have we seen an M3 saloon. Back then that car didn’t prove particularly popular. Now BMW is giving it another go with this E92 generation M3.
But now BMW has got some tough competition because the new Mercedes C63 AMG saloon is one of the best hot Mercs for decades. And if the recently departed RS4 saloon is anything to go by, the next generation car, based on the forthcoming A4, should be excellent. With an M3 coupe now costing £50,625 the saloon will also cost over the £50k mark.
So what’s special about this M3 saloon?
Try the 4.0-litre V8 for a start, which is four-fifths of the M5’s V10. The V8 packs 414bhp @ 8300rpm.
The new M3’s slightly more relaxed and refined demeanour may also be better suited to a saloon bodyshell.
Our spy pictures of the car testing on the infamous Nurburging and the roads that surround it show that the saloon shares the coupe’s good looks. There are quad exhausts, wing vents, and a deep, sculpted front bumper.
The pictures also show a sunroof-equipped (and thus steel-roofed) saloon. There’s no word yet on whether the M3 saloon will have a carbonfibre roof like the coupe.
Is anything else coming from BMW’s M Division?
While Audi and Mercedes also respectively make estate versions of the RS4 and C63 AMG but BMW has yet to give the green light to a load-lugger. Apparently it’s under evaluation but perhaps the reaction to the latest ‘uber-wagons’ from BMW’s German competitors may convince them to make an M3 Touring.
Also waiting in the wings is an M3 CSL. Not only is this a guaranteed money-maker, but an answer to critics who found the M3 coupe a little too refined.
BMW M3 Saloon - Secret New Cars - Carmagazine.co.uk
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BMW M
BMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of
BMW AG that manufactures high-performance luxury cars. BMW M ("M" for "motorsport")
was initially created to facilitate BMW's racing program, which was very successful
in the 1960s and 1970s. As time passed, BMW M began to supplement BMW's vehicle
portfolio with specially modified higher trim models, for which they are now most
known by the general public. These M-badged cars traditionally include modified engines,
transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications
to set them apart from their counterparts. All M models are tested and tuned at BMW's
private facility at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany.
Official website: BMW M
Official website: BMW M
