image courtesy of bmwblog.com
Nothing is official yet for the North American market, but a lot of information has been released about the new BMW M3/M4. In case you haven’t been keeping up with BMW nomenclature, the venerable BMW 3-Series now refers only to sedans, while the two-door coupes are now considered 4-Series. So for the first time there is a M3 and an M4.
These models have been introduced in the UK — see the video below. There is also a lot of information in a Bimmer magazine article dated February 2014 but one I received last week. (Sorry, no online link.) The Bimmer review was very positive and detailed a lot of innovative technology:
- The new S55 six-cylinder turbocharged motor delivers slightly more horespower, much more torque and much better gas mileage than the outgoing E90 M3 S65 V8 engine;
- The new M3/M4 is expected to be roughly 400 pounds lighter than the E90 M3;
- This weight reduction was achieved in a number of innovative ways, including a carbon fiber roof, increased use of forged aluminum and a carbon fiber driveshaft rather than steel;
- Electric power steering developed specifically for this model, rather than the electric steering that has been criticized in other BMWs;
- An very rigid body construction, including a rear axle carrier that bolts directly to the chassis, without any rubber bushings.
Pricing is not official for this market, but the U.K. pricing is $91,559 (56,175 pounds) for the M3 sedan and $92,338 (56,653 pounds) for the M4 coupe. Pricing here may be a bit lower, since BMW is forced to offer better pricing in the U.S. due to intense competition from other car makers. But it seems likely that with a few options added, we are in the age of the $100,000 BMW M3.
These cars should be here this spring.
UPDATE 3/31 – Car and Driver reports a base price of $63,000 for the M3 sedan and over $65,ooo for the M4 coupe, with options that could quickly add $10,000 – $15,000 to those numbers.