Munich - There has been much speculation about the all-important facts and figures that will define the new-generation BMW M3, but now
appears to have the inside scoop on the new super saloon, after having spoken to The M Division’s product planning boss Carsten Pries.
It’s a given that the new M3 will be powered by the same redesigned straight-six turbopetrol found in the recently announced
, but it will offer slightly more power in the sedan’s case, the UK publication reports.
Thus, in the standard version you can expect around 356kW, versus the X3 M’s 353kW, while the M3 Competition will be cranked up to 380kW, up from its crossover sibling’s 375kW output. Both will however, have the same 600Nm torque output as the aforementioned M models.
Yet the most radical alteration concerns how that power is put to the road, with numerous sources abroad reporting that the new M3 will go all-wheel-drive.
But it’s not game over for the purists that relish driving joy over all else, with Evo reporting that the M3, unlike its X3 M and X4 M siblings, will offer a rear-wheel-drive ‘drift’ mode just like the latest M5 - and that’s a compromise that seems to be working in the big sedan’s favour.
M3 buyers can also expect an Active M differential, as well as M Servotronic variable-ratio steering and M compound brakes.
According to reports, the super saloon will offer 19- and 20-inch wheel options, whereas the X models get 20- and 21-inch options.
Rear-wheel-driven ‘pure’ model?
Although it has yet to be confirmed by an actual source at BMW, it has been widely rumoured (most notably by a
forum member who has been known to make accurate predictions in the past) that a less powerful version of the next M3 will debut, complete with rear-wheel-drive and a manual gearbox. According to the post, this ‘base’ M3 could offer around 327kW.