Love or hate BMWs, the M3 is – without a shadow of a doubt – the golden standard for handling chops in the compact executive segment. Internally referred to as G80 for the four-door sedan or G81 for the five-door wagon, the current-generation M3 is due a small refresh in 2024 for the 2025 model year. The latest prototypes caught by the carparazzi show little in the way of stylistic changes.
Pictured as a pair, the black- and white-painted M3s in the photo gallery are both camouflaged exclusively up front. Equipped with black wheels, gold brake calipers, and hi-po rubber shoes from the folks at Michelin, the prototypes flaunt slightly different headlights from the current M3.
It's not much of a difference in terms of headlamp, yet it’s pretty obvious that we’re dealing with reworked signature lighting. The front bumper appears unchanged from the 2024 model, with said bumper integrating the radar sensor in the driver-side kidney grille. Also equipped with carbon-fiber mirror caps, these lightly camouflaged M3s appear unchanged from the side and rear views as well.
Be that as it may, we do know that BMW will do something to the interior. Don’t look forward to the latest and greatest iDrive operating system of them all, though, because the G80/G81 and their M4 counterparts aren’t compatible with iDrive 9. The reason is pretty straightforward, that reason being Android Automotive versus Linux for iDrive 8.x in the outgoing M3 and M4.
The G82 coupe and G83 convertible will be refreshed before the G80 and G81, with insiders close to BMW claiming that series production will reportedly kick off in March 2024. The M3 is expected to follow suit in July 2024. Both the M3 and M4 are said to rock more powerful engines.
Photo: SH Proshots
The Competition xDrive believed to pack 525 metric ponies at 5,730 revolutions per minute as opposed to 510 at 5,500 revolutions per minute. Converted to imperial units, that means 503 and 518 horsepower.
Even though BMW says one thing on paper, do remember that BMW lies about the power and torque ratings of its high-performance powerplants. The same can be said of the B58 on which the M-specific S58 engine is based.
The M3 Touring comes in Competition xDrive form exclusively, which means eight-speed automatic, 518 horsepower on paper, and slightly more at the flywheel. The 2025 model year will further see BMW discontinue the M3 CS in favor of the M4 CS.
Think of it as the M3 CS with two fewer doors and LaserLight front lighting with yellow accents as a nod to the world of motorsports. As opposed to 1,200 units worldwide for its predecessor, the G80 M3 CS will be produced in circa 2,000 examples. By comparison, the M4 CSL is limited to 1,000 copies.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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