Next-Gen M3 Spotted in California: Caught Again (7/11/06)

  • Thread starter Thread starter YSSMAN
  • 118 comments
  • 4,010 views
Even the Techno Crap on the M5/M6 is the kind of transparent stuff you don't notice til you magically don't go off the road backwards at 150 mph.

As long as they keep it like that, and keep it like the 335i (they made a point of saying all the nannies can be FULLY disabled) it should rock.
 
///M-Spec
Nothing official, but the V8 is nearly a forgone conclusion. The original M3 had a four cylinder engine that was basically an M1/M5/M6 straight six with two cylinders chopped off the end and the oil passages blocked off.

The next M3 will most likely have a M5/M6 motor, again with two cylinders chopped off. That would make it an oversquare high-rev 4.0 liter 32 valve V8 with individual throttlebodies per cylinder. Power should be in the 400 range, and I suspect BMW will try to "one up" the Audi RS4 with 420ish. Since the crank will be shorter than the V10, they may try to take advantage of the decreased mass and increase the redline, which will squeeze out some extra ponies. Or they may be happy with 408ish.

Based on the 335i Coupe's published weight of ~3500 lbs, I would guesstimate the M3 will weigh 3,640.... About 200 lbs. more than the current (E46)M3, which incidently is 200 lbs. more than the (E36)M3 it replaced.

I'm guessing the base price will be $55,000 USD. How did I get this number?

In the current M lineup, there is a roughly $10,0000 USD split between an M3 Coupe and 330Ci (25% premium). The same goes for the Z4 3.0si and M Coupe.

There is a $20,000 split between the 550i and M5 (38%); and a whopping $28,000 split between the 650i and M6 (42%).

Now, the best guess on the base price of the new 335i Coupe is $41,000 in the USA. But the difference between the new M3 and 335i is going to be greater than old M3 vs. 330Ci. Given BMW's recent trend towards moving up segment, I would guess the M3 will be 35% more expensive than the 335i. That gives you $55k.

If you're wondering why I'm dealing with US pricing instead of European pricing, I will point out that the USA is BMW M's largest market. The rest of the world will take a cue from US pricing.

0-60 in 4.4 seconds. 1320 in 12.7 @ 113-114 mph. Again, this is just me guessing. It should be a fairly quick car, but of course the real draw will not be just raw speed --12 second cars are a dime a dozen these days-- but a chassis that is gifted enough to make use of those 400 horses and refinement enough to make it a decent daily driver.


M
Click to expand...


I dont think the next m3 will be 200lbs heavier than the current one I belive it will stay pretty much the same.

Also as for pricing to americans and it setting the trend for the rest of the world I disagree with also as in britaint it will very likely be £55k thats nearly double what you guys are paying and in germany it will probably be 50k euros.

As for power id say around 410hp like you, but knowing BMW they will somehow use theyre advertising magic and make sure that the worlds knows that the M3 is faster than the RS4 with less power.

Lets hope the upcoming RS5 sorts that one out.
 
///M-Spec
Nothing official, but the V8 is nearly a forgone conclusion. The original M3 had a four cylinder engine that was basically an M1/M5/M6 straight six with two cylinders chopped off the end and the oil passages blocked off.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's the 4-cylinder block from the 1600/2000/2002 cars, the E21 3-series cars, and the early E30 318i's, with the M1/M5/M6 DOHC cylinder head minus two cylinders.....but close enough.
 
YSSMAN
Chances are, the M3 will probably come pretty watered down, with all that techno crap as an option... Or, well, thats atleast what I'm wishing that they would do.
Click to expand...

BMW M is a little better about keeping the 'techno-crap' from infringing on the M cars than BMW with the series cars.

For example, Active Steering (crap) and Active Roll Stabilization (not bad, but not great) doesn't make it into any M car. In fact, BMW M went as far as to fit a traditional hydrolic steering rack into the M Roadster/Coupe for more natural feedback.

The only crap I suspect will be mandatory will be iDrive. I would also suspect the Electronic Dampening Control feature will be mandatory on the next M3, as it is on the M5 and M6. However, that is not a bad thing.

The thing we all need to come to grips with is the fact that the M3 has become a GT car. It has been since 1993.

Poverty
I dont think the next m3 will be 200lbs heavier than the current one I belive it will stay pretty much the same.
Click to expand...

How do you figure that? With the exception of the CSL, every single M car has been heavier than the series car on which it is based. And the CSL is only lighter than a 330Ci by about 100 lbs.

Poverty
Also as for pricing to americans and it setting the trend for the rest of the world I disagree with also as in britaint it will very likely be £55k thats nearly double what you guys are paying and in germany it will probably be 50k euros.
Click to expand...

Really? In Germany the CURRENT M3 is 56,900 EURO. How do you figure the new one will be actually cheaper than the one it replaces?

Poverty
As for power id say around 410hp like you, but knowing BMW they will somehow use theyre advertising magic and make sure that the worlds knows that the M3 is faster than the RS4 with less power.
Click to expand...

BMW rarely targets specific cars in their adverts. But they are feeling the pinch these days and might do so.

Wolfe2x7
Actually, it's the 4-cylinder block from the 1600/2000/2002 cars, the E21 3-series cars, and the early E30 318i's, with the M1/M5/M6 DOHC cylinder head minus two cylinders.....but close enough.
Click to expand...

I had to look it up just to be sure, but you are correct. All this time I thought it was the whole block. This is the passage that threw me off:

"The iron block of the familar BMW slant four engine --which dated from 1961 but was still in use in Formula 2 -- was mated to a modified M1/M635CSi twin cam four valves per cylinder head. It was modified simply by chopping off the end of the six cylinder and blocking the coolant passages!" --Chris Rees; BMW M-Series, a collector's guide.

Onikaze
Even the Techno Crap on the M5/M6 is the kind of transparent stuff you don't notice til you magically don't go off the road backwards at 150 mph.

As long as they keep it like that, and keep it like the 335i (they made a point of saying all the nannies can be FULLY disabled) it should rock.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Unlike some other car companies I can think of, BMW doesn't design their chassis around an ESP program. The ESP guys get the car AFTER the suspension guys are done. And that speaks volumes about the kind of company BMW is.


M
 
How do you figure that? With the exception of the CSL, every single M car has been heavier than the series car on which it is based. And the CSL is only lighter than a 330Ci by about 100 lbs.
Click to expand...

Because the BMW M boss said he doesnt want the next M3 to be any heavier.

Really? In Germany the CURRENT M3 is 56,900 EURO. How do you figure the new one will be actually cheaper than the one it replaces?
Click to expand...

Well I just looked it up and the current coupe M3 starts at 50k euros, I think that price might be without VAT. As far as I understood it in germany they always pay less than us brits even though the euro is weaker. My mistake. Now that Ive also looked at the UK bmw site it seems like the M3 seems to buck this trend.

BMW rarely targets specific cars in their adverts. But they are feeling the pinch these days and might do so.
Click to expand...

BMWad.jpg
 
yeah thats OK the audi A6 has hit the 5 series hard. Ive also been keeping an eye on car sale lately and MB are way back on the rise. I think they will be undisputed kings again in a year or so.
 
Poverty
Because the BMW M boss said he doesnt want the next M3 to be any heavier.
Click to expand...

It would be the first one, then. I'll believe it when I see it. Don't get me wrong --I'd love to be wrong. But history (general automotive, not just BMW) is on my side.

Well I just looked it up and the current coupe M3 starts at 50k euros, I think that price might be without VAT. As far as I understood it in germany they always pay less than us brits even though the euro is weaker. My mistake. Now that Ive also looked at the UK bmw site it seems like the M3 seems to buck this trend.
Click to expand...

Yes, 50k EURO is without the 16% Mehrwertsteuer. Still --I doubt very much the new car will hold the line on pricing. The new M3 will move upmarket in every country where it will be sold. Again, just my prediction. Again, I'd love to be wrong.


BMWad.jpg


Wow, that's pretty tacky :lol: It almost looks desperate. What market is that ad for?


M
 
South Africa. BMW seems to be marketing heavily all around the world at the moment, and theyre car sales have gone up 6.7% for the month of May. However a facelift is on the cards for the 3 series already, the only other manufacturer that does that so soon is kia and hyundai :lol:
 
Poverty
...However a facelift is on the cards for the 3 series already, the only other manufacturer that does that so soon is kia and hyundai :lol:
Click to expand...

There is a midlife facelift on the cards for every BMW model that hasn't already had one. It's SOP. The E46 went only 3 years before a facelift/mechanical refresh so a sheetmetal change in the planning stages is nothing remarkable. I would be surprised not to see a facelift for the E90 in the next 2 years.


M
 
Well, 335i sedans are poping up too! I wonder if BMW will re-do the M3 sedan as well...

Leftlanenews.com
A member of the E90 Post discussion forums snapped two photos of what appears to be a 306 hp 2007 BMW 335i Sedan. The car showed up at a dealership in Chicago this week. BMW recently announced the 2007 328i and 335i coupes, but made no mention of equivalent sedan models. Another forum member contacted the dealership in question about the photos, and they confirmed the car had arrived. The 335i sedan is not yet for sale, but instead is apparently being previewed to dealers across the nation in anticipation of imminent availability. The coupe variants are expected to ship this fall. Coupe and sedan pricing remains a mystery.

2-jun12-335i-sedan.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Once again, the car has been spotted in California for testing. My God, what the hell have they done to this prototype?

1-jul11-m3.jpg

2-jul11-m3.jpg

5-jul11-m3.jpg

8-jul11-m3.jpg


...Did they roll it off of a hill and attempt to fix it with 200 MPH tape (duct tape)?
 
The car just looks like its been through hell. Beverly Hills isn't that rough...
 
I saw a M3 prototype driving around yesterday , the new M3 passed me while I was riding my mountainbike through a little village, looked really powerful... it wasn't final though, a BMW testcar.

EDIT : it looked exactly like the one YSSMAN posted.
 
they will be running cars simulatenously around the globe. I predict sweden or finland, america, germany, england, and somewhere in the middle east.
 

Latest Posts

Back