2014 BMW M3/M4, will it be tri turbo or not? Answer is sort of

Couple of renders
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I like it and hope they go with a high revving engine that does not lose the character of an M car. In my opinion they will not be able to top the S62 but overall it seems like it will be a nice car
 
yeah....this car is already sending all the wrong signals tbh....everything I read is the polar opposite of a pure driving experience. It just seems the M3 has become a M5....
 
That a dumb move if they call the coupe/convertible an M4, it loses all its heritage. It would be like Porsche not called the 911, a 911.
 
RocZX
That a dumb move if they call the coupe/convertible an M4, it loses all its heritage. It would be like Porsche not called the 911, a 911.
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If they are serious enough to do it, then they must have some good market research backing up their decision.
 
motortrend
Couple of renders

I like it and hope they go with a high revving engine that does not lose the character of an M car. In my opinion they will not be able to top the S62 but overall it seems like it will be a nice car
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Not bad... If it's a tri turbo, we might get about 440 horsepower.

Who knows, maybe they'll do a marvel like with the new turbo I-4.
 
sumbrownkid
If they are serious enough to do it, then they must have some good market research backing up their decision.
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Yeah I agree.

Maybe like Audi move when the A5 came out and that replaced A4 convertible etc.
However their other competitor moved the other way changing the CLK into the E Class coupe...M4 sounds like a rumour; although they are changing the 1 series coupe/convertible line up and renaming it to the 2 series. :indiff:
 
RocZX
That a dumb move if they call the coupe/convertible an M4, it loses all its heritage. It would be like Porsche not called the 911, a 911.
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I feel strongly the same way. But I guess you have to start somewhere. What is an M4...Dealers will have alot of explaining to do to the average folk.
 
RocZX
That a dumb move if they call the coupe/convertible an M4, it loses all its heritage. It would be like Porsche not called the 911, a 911.
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I agree, but at the same time, it's a marketing move. The coupe already starts $2,200 above the sedan, but if you bump it up to the next model designation, there's nothing to stop BMW from charging $5,000 more for the coupe at that point, or more.
 
JJ72
yeah....this car is already sending all the wrong signals tbh....everything I read is the polar opposite of a pure driving experience. It just seems the M3 has become a M5....
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Because the 1 has crept into the 3 territory as cars slowly bloat.
 
Blaze_409
I feel strongly the same way. But I guess you have to start somewhere. What is an M4...Dealers will have alot of explaining to do to the average folk.
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Not really; "it's the 2 door coupe/convertible version of the M3" should be enough I think?
 
Didn't BMWs used to be simple, fun to drive cars? A Dual-Clutch transmission, 3 turbochargers, and luxurious feel does not make a sports sedan. I've a feeling sales of the C63 will be going up.
 
Beeblebrox237
Didn't BMWs used to be simple, fun to drive cars? A Dual-Clutch transmission, 3 turbochargers, and luxurious feel does not make a sports sedan. I've a feeling sales of the C63 will be going up.
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Have you driven it yet? No? Then how do you have any idea if it's fun to drive?
 
McLaren
Have you driven it yet? No? Then how do you have any idea if it's fun to drive?
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Fair point. I just prefer driving a car with a manual transmission, and I certainly don't want the new M3 to become a luxury car.
 
Beeblebrox237
Fair point. I just prefer driving a car with a manual transmission, and I certainly don't want the new M3 to become a luxury car.
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The M3 is already a luxury car in its current iteration. It just so happens to be more performance-oriented.

I fail to see what difference the transmission makes on how the car is classified. The DCT only improves the car's performance that much more.
 
It pains me to say this, but McLaren has it.

Manual transmissions will become a thing of the past in the next decade, and that's a fact. Not only a DCT improves performance but also makes the car a better all-rounder.

I do prefer the feel of a good old stick shift, though.
 
Beeblebrox237
Didn't BMWs used to be simple, fun to drive cars? A Dual-Clutch transmission, 3 turbochargers, and luxurious feel does not make a sports sedan. I've a feeling sales of the C63 will be going up.
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BMW's did used to be simple by todays standard, but then most cars used to be simple by todays standards. I doubt the C63 is any exception to this.

Between the 3-ers that I've owned, I've had autos and manuals, petrols and diesels, coupes, saloons and tourers, across E30, E36 and E46 generations... I doubt BMW would sell many F30's if they made them as simple as my old E30 320i was, and if that's truly what buyers want, then just go on to eBay and search for BMW E30.
 
Hope that it will be a N/A engine although with emissions regulations I know there is more chance of me getting a call to replace Massa at Ferrari :P
 
Beeblebrox237
I still think a manual is more fun to drive.
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Dan_
It pains me to say this, but McLaren has it.

Manual transmissions will become a thing of the past in the next decade, and that's a fact. Not only a DCT improves performance but also makes the car a better all-rounder.

I do prefer the feel of a good old stick shift, though.
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I'm pretty sure manual F8x generation M3/4 has been spied with a manual 'box.
 
The US gets the new M5 with a stick, because the market asks for it. Europe doesn't get the stick..

Edit, and the M6 comes with a stick too.
 
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Beeblebrox237
Didn't BMWs used to be simple, fun to drive cars? A Dual-Clutch transmission, 3 turbochargers, and luxurious feel does not make a sports sedan. I've a feeling sales of the C63 will be going up.
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Except the C63 is a V8 attached to an automatic transmission.
 
sems4arsenal
Read somewhere that there is a rumor it won't have a stick shift .........
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I heard the opposite. I believe the article was about the M5 only being automatic and some head guy a BMW said that they were going to keep a manual option for the next M3.
 
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McLaren
Have you driven it yet? No? Then how do you have any idea if it's fun to drive?
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I think the argument is not that DCT cars are not fun to drive it's that they are not as fun to drive as manual cars. I really do not understand why DCT in sports cars are so popular. I mean, I do understand why people buy them, but I just don't get why those people are buying sports cars in the first place.

A majority of people are not going to be able to even use a car to its full potential whether it's manual, DCT, or automatic. Some of this has do to regulations on public roads (where they likely spend most of their time) but most of it comes down to them not having nearly enough driving skill to fully use the car. So the argument that DCT is faster really carries no weight. Sure for drag racing or freeway battling it may be better, but then the M3 isn't really good at either of those.

To me, if someone wants an automatic car they should buy a luxury car instead of a sports car. If you don't want to shift why have anything else that attempts to make the car in any way sporty? I feel that if someone buys a car like an M3 with an automatic transmission would be better off with an E550.

Just my opinion but if I am going to buy an automatic car I rather buy a Rolls Royce Phantom than a Ferrari FF or a similarly priced sports car with an automatic transmission. Automatic is not sporty and never will be as raw as manual. I just don't get it, to me if you buy a DCT you probably don't really care about driving so why buy a car with stiffer suspension, less comfortable seats, and less luxurious amenities. At least with a luxury car you get high end gadgets and fancy materials (because weight does not matter) which make the car in some way enjoyable.

If someone is buying a sports car in the first place why not buy a manual car so you get the full driving experience. If you want automatic just buy a luxury car, at least then you can be comfortable doing nothing while driving.

It's as if people want the sports car but don't want it to be sporty.

Most people wouldn't buy a Rolls Royce with a manual transmission so why are they buying a Porsche 911 or Ferrari with an automatic.

And before anyone says PDK or any other DCT is not technically an automatic, I already know that. And that is fine if they aren't, but they are both operated by the driver in the same fashion and as far as the user is concerned they might as well be identical.
 
The times have changed bro. Most top tier race cars use paddle shift trannies now. And car makers, ever keen on passing down racing "tech" to the street cars, marketed them successfully to the yoohoos that plop down the money for it.

Besides the traditional stick being more fun (which is subjective by the way, in 20 years time the next gen of yoohoos would probably detest manual), the automated manual, or manumatic, DSG, PDK, or whatever they call it is, is faster more efficient and safer. Having two hands on the wheel at all times is safer than just one hand on the wheel and one on the shifter.

With increasing efficiency requirements that will inevitably be handed down to manufacturers in the future, the traditional stick doesn't have that efficiency trait exclusively to itself anymore.

But oddly enough, the stick shift is making a comeback in economy/low end sports cars.

That said, with the average buyer of a Rolls, Ferrari, or BMW being in their mid-life crisis or later, they probably wouldn't like to keep operating the clutch in stop and go traffic. Even I get annoyed sometimes in heavy traffic. The beauty of the paddle shifter is that you can let the car do everything if you just want to get home.
 

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