Photo: BMW
The 3 Series can trace its roots back to 1975 while the M3 entered production in 1985 with 195 PS (192 horsepower) from a four-cylinder engine. Fast-forward to 2018, and the seventh generation of the 3 Series prepares to welcome the all-new M3 with “around 465 horsepower.”
The guesstimate comes from Autocar.co.uk, working out to 471 PS from 3.0 liters of displacement and twin-turbocharging technology. The British publication says that Harald Kruger confirmed the M3 is in development, bearing the codename G80.
BMW is already testing the all-new model on the Nurburgring, letting the S58 rip it off on full song. There’s talk about 48-volt mild-hybrid technology and even an electric compressor, although it remains to be seen if the Munich-based automaker can make a case for these components.
Hearsay suggests M xDrive with RWD-only mode is also in the pipeline, but on the other hand, Autocar.co.uk says the M3 is “lighter” than its predecessor thanks to the CLAR vehicle architecture. Adding fuel to the dumpster fire in the rumor mill, “it is believed the additional performance is likely to come from the use of a water-injection system.”
Whatever the future holds for the M3, there’s no denying the engineers are using the M3 CS as the yardstick for the G80. Even though that sounds promising, don't forget that BMW “forgot” to address the engine crank hub problem in the F80 and F82, which most owners change as preventive maintenance.
It will be interesting to see how technologically advanced the S58 is compared to the S55 engine in the current generations of the M3 and M4, but as a rule of thumb, BMW reliability is on a downward spiral since eons ago. Issues aside, there’s no denying the newcomers will be the best in their class as far as handling is concerned, topping the C63 sedan and coupe from Mercedes-AMG.
Head of development Klaus Frohlich also made a case for a six-speed manual transmission to Road & Track in addition to the eight-speed automatic from ZF, which is reassuring news for purist drivers. On the other hand, Frohlich said the stick shift “should die in an M4, as late as possible.”
BMW is already testing the all-new model on the Nurburgring, letting the S58 rip it off on full song. There’s talk about 48-volt mild-hybrid technology and even an electric compressor, although it remains to be seen if the Munich-based automaker can make a case for these components.
Hearsay suggests M xDrive with RWD-only mode is also in the pipeline, but on the other hand, Autocar.co.uk says the M3 is “lighter” than its predecessor thanks to the CLAR vehicle architecture. Adding fuel to the dumpster fire in the rumor mill, “it is believed the additional performance is likely to come from the use of a water-injection system.”
Whatever the future holds for the M3, there’s no denying the engineers are using the M3 CS as the yardstick for the G80. Even though that sounds promising, don't forget that BMW “forgot” to address the engine crank hub problem in the F80 and F82, which most owners change as preventive maintenance.
It will be interesting to see how technologically advanced the S58 is compared to the S55 engine in the current generations of the M3 and M4, but as a rule of thumb, BMW reliability is on a downward spiral since eons ago. Issues aside, there’s no denying the newcomers will be the best in their class as far as handling is concerned, topping the C63 sedan and coupe from Mercedes-AMG.
Head of development Klaus Frohlich also made a case for a six-speed manual transmission to Road & Track in addition to the eight-speed automatic from ZF, which is reassuring news for purist drivers. On the other hand, Frohlich said the stick shift “should die in an M4, as late as possible.”
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