Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, BMW, Luxury
We’re not sure which spec we’re most intrigued by for the new BMW M3 and M4: the twin-turbo six-cylinder with 430 horsepower and “far beyond” 369 pound-feet of torque, the 3,300-pound curb weight or the standard six-speed manual transmission with automatic throttle blipping on downshifts. That engine is fitted with both Valvetronic and Double-Vanos, twin-wire arc-spray coating in the cylinders instead of liners to save weight, a track-ready cooling system with additional radiators, a forged crankshaft, dry-sump lubrication and a magnesium oil sump. BMW says its “high revving concept” has a redline beyond 7,500 rpm.
In the M4, it will be pulling a coupe with “a weight of just under 1,500 kilograms,” which is 3,300 pounds to you and me. That number is said to include no driver and 90 percent fuel, but we’re still waiting on the exact number and specs. BMW says it’s “around 80 kilograms lighter than a comparably equipped predecessor model,” putting the power-to-weight ratio at something like 7.68 pounds per horsepower at the same time as it helps reduce fuel consumption by 25 percent. The use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for the roof, drive shaft (with no center bearing), trunk and front strut brace, and forged aluminum for suspension components, have aided in the weight loss. This time around, the sedan – the M3 – will also get a CFRP roof.
The default option will be a six-speed manual.
And it appears we’ll have to take back what we said about it not getting a stick, since the default option will be a six-speed manual that, at 26.4 pounds, is lighter than the previous model thanks in part to carbon fiber friction linings in the synchronizer rings. The optional transmission will be a seven-speed M DCT with launch control.
There’s so much more to know about – like the electronic power steering with three settings and the electronic, infinitely variable M differential – that you can find out in the press release below, or head over to Bimmerpost for detailed comparisons with previous M3 models. There’s also a video below of BMW DTM drivers Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock testing the new M wares at the N