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Question of the Week: Has the New BMW M3 Grown on You Yet?

BMW has stood behind the controversial grille design of the new generation M3 ever since it launched it, stating pretty much that it is impossible to satisfy everyone, and thus choosing to annoy many with the oversized kidneys.
BMW M3 G80 36 photos
Photo: BMW
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A true meme generator, the whole front end of the sports sedan has been compared to lots of things, and, to our surprise, it was eventually adopted by older models. Most of them have nothing in common with the company’s M Division, like that rather beat-up 5 Series E60 that we covered earlier this week.

Like it or not, the bucktooth grille is here to stay, and helps feed air to the twin-turbocharged straight-six engine that lies behind it. Four more air intakes are located in the bumper, improving the aerodynamics of the car compared to its predecessor. Even the hood sports two scoops for a brawnier appearance, otherwise enhanced by the wide body design, muscular back end with a spoiler, aggressive diffuser, four-pipe exhaust system, and typical M wheels and logos.

BMW M3 G80
Photo: BMW
Arguably, the car looks much better in person than in photos. This remark comes from someone who’s not a fan of over-the-top designs, and sadly, the grille does fall into this category. The front license plate tones it down a bit, and we’ve seen renderings of its two-door sibling, the M4 Coupe, with M8 kidneys, and it was a true head-turning ride, for the right reasons.

If the double coffins up front are simply too much, then there are a few tuners who can solve this issue, for a few thousand dollars. It’s definitely nice to have this alternative, albeit without the OEM quality of the aftermarket parts, which makes us wonder why BMW doesn’t offer it as an option? Surely making a more discreet-looking bumper that can clip on with ease shouldn't be too hard, right? Plus, they’d make even more money, so it would be a win-win.

Heck, while they’re at it, they could even offer big kidneys for other vehicles in their portfolio, besides the new-gen 4 Series lineup, because someone out there is probably looking at their new Bimmer right now, thinking that it needs to look like Buggs Bunny. And depending on how determined they are, they might eventually turn to a tuner to quench their big mouth thirst. Again, more money in your pocket, BMW!

BMW M3 G80
Photo: BMW
But what say you? Can you live with the new M3’s grille design? Do you love it, hate it, or simply don’t care? Your thoughts are always important, because a high-ranking BMW official could be reading this story as we speak, and might see dollar signs all of a sudden, thinking they have found another way of increasing the M Performance Division’s income, next to the usual carbon offerings and other parts. And we hope they do it.

Don’t scroll down to the comments section to answer that question yet, because first, you may want to check out some pics of older M3 models that we added in the gallery above. These include the previous generation F80, as well as the V8-powered E90, and what we think is the best-looking M3 ever, the E46. The latter was preceded by the E36, which remains one of the most affordable to date, and retired the iconic E30.

Originally intended as an homologation special, the first BMW M3 was made between 1986 and 1991. The best low-mileage examples usually change hands for well over $100,000, but depending on the configuration and what the odometer reads, you could be looking at around $200,000 or even more. Guess you’re regretting not buying one when they were still affordable, don’t you?
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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