I am all for ragging on the design; I agree - it's kind of pathetic. The ergonomic are laughable. The materials, on the other hand, are quite good. There is only one material on the inside of the new 3-series that is questionable, and that's the rear seat plastic; which scuffs much too easily. Compared to interiors in competitor cars the overall quality of materials is excellent.

 

I actually love the looks of the new M3. I've always been an M fan from the past, but this definitely gets a thumbs up from me. Can't wait to see and drive the car in person.

 

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54837

M3 Catalogue.

 

Still dont like it as much as an E46 but in all honesty, I can say it does look much better in white. MUCH better...

 

I think it looks good...I can see it's modding potential

Anyhow, here are some pics

 

yawn, white still the best looking

 

That back seat looks so uncomfortable. I think the last gen M3 interior was worse looking, this one feels more clean, still quite a large amount of buttons but definitely better. The stitching on the wheel is a nice touch.

 

- First-ever V8 M3
- New engine weighs 33 lbs. less than the outgoing M3's six-cylinder
- 403 horsepower/295 lb-ft at 3900 rpm, 8400 rpm max engine speed
- 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds, 155 mph top speed (electronically limited)
- 6-speed manual tranny
- MDrive - allows configuration and retrieval of driver-specific performance settings
- All-new aluminum suspension
- Carbon fiber reinforced roof
- Usual complement of "M" appearance, aerodynamic upgrades. Minimal body panel carryover from 3-series coupe
- Regenerative braking used to power the car's on-board network

 

aluminum suspension SWEET

 

I bet with an intake it will sound great!

 

man i was in love with the way the e46 M3 looked...IMO this new one is just plain ugly ...whats up with the weird side view mirrors and the interior is completely spartan...other than the 6 series bangle's screwed up big time...is-f FTW any day...

ps - is it just me or does the 335i coupe look better than this?? maybe its just those ugly wheels

 

55k is not a bad price for this car.. Damn just 9k more than a nicley equipped x3 .. How much is a decked out GS430 sofa going for these days?

 

That back seat looks pretty darn roomy if you ask me. Go sit in an IS back seat if you want to know what uncomfortable is.....

 

Sounds like music to my ears!

 

I think the exterior looks pretty good and will probrably be better looking in person. Unfortunately the interior just looks plain and downmarket compared to the E46M3 or even E46 3 series. It does not look like an interior of a 50K+ high performance luxury coupe and looks more like a cheapend econo car interior. I wish they could have changed the interior from the base 3 series for the new M3 because the current one is just not good looking and is definitely not its strongsuit. Does anyone have a conformation on price?