2008 BMW M3 Coupe - Car News

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To know it is to love it, and to speak its name is to want it. We’re talking about—what else?—BMW’s mid-size monster, the M3.
BY ERIK JOHNSON, April 2007

The M3’s story is well known. The mid-size terror first debuted here in 1987 with a four-cylinder under its hood and a massive wing on its trunk, serving as the E30 3-series–derived homologation special for German touring-car racing. It had a unique decklid, rear glass, fenders, and, well, just about everything else. That first M3 dominated racing series around the globe and, along with its six-cylinder E36- and E46-based successors, turned BMW’s M Division into the place to go for ultimate performance from the showroom floor. In short, the M3 became an icon.

Now BMW’s taking the M3 to a whole new level.

The latest M3 is powered for the first time by a V-8, a 4.0-liter unit derived from the 5.0-liter V-10 found in the M5 supersedan as well as the M6 coupe and convertible. The 90-degree eight-holer will make 414 hp at 8300 rpm—redline is only 100 rpm further up the tach; this thing is gonna wail—and 295 lb-ft of torque at 3900 rpm, and it boasts the usual top-shelf technologies like double-VANOS variable valve timing and individual throttles for each cylinder. The V-8 shares the V-10’s bore and stroke, 12.0:1 compression ratio, and aluminum and magnesium construction. The crankcase is made from an aluminum/silicon alloy, and exposed silicon in each cylinder mitigates friction well enough to not require separate sleeves, saving weight. The entire engine actually weighs—thanks to the lightweight materials and weight-saving measures like that mentioned above—33 pounds less than the E46 M3’s iron-block inline-six, and it should push the new M3 to 62 mph in around 4.8 seconds. With a mill this advanced, it’s not surprising that the block comes from the same foundry that supplies BMW with its Formula 1 engines.

Unlike the M5, where a conventional six-speed manual was offered only after M fans freaked out, a six-speed stick will be the standard transmission for the M3; a dual-clutch, VW/Audi DSG–style automated manual will likely be an option later. BMW’s variable differential—with up to 100 percent lockup—keeps the power heading to the ground. The M3 will have, like the M5, a “Power” button located next to the shifter. It won’t unleash an extra 100 ponies as in the big supersedan, though, but will rather increase throttle response and quicken the steering rate for the Active Steering system—think of it more as a Sport button than one that actually delivers more power. The M3 will also offer BMW’s Electronic Damper Control, which serves up three suspension settings, each more hard-core than the last. The M3 defaults all systems at start-up to the softest, least bad-*** settings, but an “M” button on the steering wheel can store your favorites. Weight stands at 3483 pounds, according to BMW, an increase of 70 or so pounds over the outgoing model, but we’d say the extra 81 hp more than makes up for the excess fat. Stopping the M3 will be 14.2-inch discs in the front and 13.8-inchers in the back, all ventilated and cross-drilled.

BMW showed the M3 Concept at this year’s Geneva auto show, and, as expected, the actual car looks barely different. The unpainted carbon fiber roof is there—we can’t wait to see it on a white car—and so are the side vents with LED lights, the flared fenders, and the power bulge in the aluminum hood. The concept’s 19-inch wheels have shrunk to 18-inches, but you can be pretty sure that BMW Accessories will allow you to swap right back when you spec your personal M3. Some of the other M3-specific stuff includes the gaping front fascia, the aggressive rear end with quad tailpipes, and the dual-vaned side mirrors. In fact, all this car shares externally with the E92 coupe upon which it’s based are the headlamps, taillamps, trunklid, doors, and glass. In addition to the coupe, we’ve also seen spy shots of an M3 sedan and a hardtop M3 convertible. Our sources peg the M3’s release at sometime next February or March, and the price around $60,000—or about $10K more than the last M3 coupe. But with that sweet V-8 stuffed between the fenders and advanced technology crammed into every nook and cranny, we’d call that a fair deal, especially considering the fact that an M5 will suck more than $83,000 from your piggy bank.

There’s no doubt that this latest M3 has what it takes to deliver the goods—on paper, at least. The question is whether the M3 will be a cold, overtechnologied machine, like the current M5, or whether it’ll turn out to be a hoot-a-minute bottle rocket with personality coming out of its tailpipes, like the original E30 M3. The truth likely lies somewhere in between, but we can’t wait to get behind the wheel to find out.