BMW M3: More Power, More Models

Motoring Channel Staff - 25/8/2005

Prestige performance sedans like the Mercedes C 55 AMG and Audi S4 benefit from the practicality of four doors and the raw power of mid-sized 8-cylinder engines.

Which leaves BMW's E46 M3 out in the cold - it's 2-door design and 6-cylinder engine are perfect for bachelors but not the ideal sports car for burgeoning active/family types.

BMW will be coming in from the cold very soon however, and with enough firepower to bloody the noses of both the 252kW Audi S4 and the 270kW C 55 AMG.

BMW is planning an M3 onslaught the likes of which has never been seen before, and it makes sense too.

The 3 Series range is BMW's big money spinner, and with no less than four 'halo' M3 models to choose from, this bold move will generate even more interest in the current model 3 Series (E90).

While the previous E46 BMW M3 range consisted of the coupe and the cabriolet, the new E90 M3 line-up will encompass a new 4-door sedan, to fight on level terms the aforementioned S4 and C 55 AMG.

And there will also be an M3 Estate. Imagine that - a stocky rear-wheel drive wagon powered by a fire-breathing V8 engine... It could very well a be sleeper hit for BMW.

The M3 estate's centre of gravity will be higher than those of the sedan and coupe, so it's likely that it won't go around corners quite as much bite, but with wagons and SUVs becoming more and more popular, this won't faze potential customers looking for the best of both worlds: storage space and smokey 2nd gear burnouts.

The German luxury automaker will wave goodbye to its shrieking 3.2-litre inline 6-cylinder engine and welcome a new V8 engine whose capacity has not yet been divulged (word on the street suggests a 4.0-litre unit), which is rumoured to output more than 290kW.

BMW's new V8 engine for the 3 Series sports models will be built for power, making use of the latest variable valve timing systems (dual-VANOS in BMW speak), and could be expected to eclipse 500Nm of torque, which would be quite a feat for a mid-sized car like the E90 3 Series.

Standard drivetrain equipment for the new M3 models will include the spiffy SMG (semi-manual gearbox) that makes use of dual clutches to reduce the transmission's shift time, and like the M5 a number of driving 'modes' will feature, including the launch control for perfect 0-100km/h sprints.

Beyond a highly strung, multi-valve V8 engine, other features of the ground-hugging, rip-snorting M3 models will include the obligatory bodykits and 18-inch wheels, which are expected to closely mirror the M5 (as the computer generated images imply), plus a range of driving aids - switchable, of course - that will help keep all four wheels firmly on the bitumen.

While the 290+ kilowatts of power will demoralise Audi's 252kW S4, the RS 4 is expected to keep the German power war going in 2006, which may be one-upped yet again by a CSL M3 coupe model from BMW.

With four M3 models - the sedan, the coupe, the convertible and that intriguing estate - BMW is leaving nothing to chance, and hopes are high within the company that the new range will bolster 3 Series sales across the board. The 4-door sedan is expected to be launched first, possibly as early as the upcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, and both M3 coupe and convertible and standard 3 Series versions are expected to make their public debut in 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show.