Official BMW M3 "Concept"

Dino Martini · Mar 7, 2007

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=108751?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*#

The 2008 BMW M3 is the year's most important performance car, and the super coupe made its debut this morning at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show.

BMW isn't releasing any official details about the M3's engine just yet, but the secret is out, under the hood of the 2008 BMW M3 lies a lightweight 4.0-liter V8 engine. Still, BMW intends to wait until the M3's introduction in production trim at the Frankfurt auto show this September before spilling the really intimate details. But whispers out of Munich confirm that the M3's new V8 has been certified at a heady 414 horsepower (SAE).

Revealed here for the first time, the 2008 M3 has a formidable list of features: 4.0-liter V8, six-speed manual gearbox, lightweight aluminum suspension and carbon-fiber body panels. No wonder, because the new BMW M3 has to be good enough to withstand the challenge from the Audi RS 4, Lexus IS-F and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

The cover comes off the concept
Officially, this M3 is still a concept. Looking beyond that description, however, the car revealed here officially for the first time is pretty much what you can expect to see when it goes on sale in North America next year. Insiders tell us that this E92 coupe is the first of a whole lineup of models from BMW's M division, including an E90 M3 sedan, E93 M3 hardtop convertible and (for the first time) an E91 M3 wagon.

The new E92 M3 shares many of the same design cues as the current M5, but the detailing is even more extreme. The front fascia incorporates three huge ducts that feed cool air into the engine bay and the front brakes. The standard kidney grille has also been reworked slightly to improve airflow over the hood, which itself has two ducts to extract hot air away from the V8 engine's sensitive electronics.

Farther back, the front fenders of the 3 Series coupe have been widened by 0.8 inch to enclose lightweight, forged 19-inch wheels that weigh just 17.6 pounds each. Chrome-trimmed ventilation gills nestle behind the front wheel arches and also incorporate a strip of LED-type marker lights. The rearview mirrors mimic those used by the old E36 M3.

At the rear, an aero-shaped bumper is punctuated by quad tailpipes and features an M5-style aerodynamic venturi to direct hot air away from the rear differential. There's also a full undertray beneath the chassis that extends rearward from the engine bay to reduce aerodynamic drag.

The motor from the M division
The 2008 BMW M3's new V8 engine is far from a derivative of the current 4.4-liter BMW V8. Instead this M-division V8 has the same fundamental architecture as the M5's 500-hp, 5.0-liter V10. Like the M5 engine, the M3 V8's cylinders are dramatically oversquare, with a 92.0mm bore and a 75.2mm stroke for an overall displacement of 3,999cc.

Like the M5 V10, the M3 V8's cylinder banks are set at a 90-degree angle. Oddly enough, the V8's crankshaft also has offset crank pins like those of the V10, even though the inherent balance of a 90-degree V8 means this isn't necessary.

Meanwhile, the short-stroke engine has lightweight internal pieces and revs to 8,000 rpm (a fraction less than the V10's 8,250-rpm redline). Finally, the V8 has individual throttle butterflies for crisp response, plus a third-generation version of BMW's variable valve timing for a wider power band.

It's clear the fourth-generation M3 is going to need more than the outgoing model's 333 hp to make a lasting impression. The all-wheel-drive Audi RS 4 gets 414 hp from its 4.2-liter V8, the Lexus IS-F promises 400 hp from its 5.0-liter V8 and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG is said to get around 450 hp from its 6.3-liter V8.

BMW has officially remained tight-lipped about the exact power output of the E92's V8, but our sources confirm that it will deliver a rating of 414 hp (SAE), a specific output well over the magic figure of 100 hp per liter. Torque output is said to be 295 pound-feet. In comparison, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 in the BMW 335ci produces 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque.

We understand the 2008 BMW M3 will come with a six-speed manual transmission. There's some confusion as to whether the E92 will also get BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) as an option. In its latest seven-speed guise as seen in the M5 and the M6, the automated unit has been greatly improved. But with BMW close to finalizing production plans for its new twin-clutch transmission, there's speculation that the SMG might not make an appearance.

Keeping the power under control
Based on the current 3 Series coupe, the 2008 M3 will have a 108.7-inch wheelbase, a 1.4-inch stretch over the previous-generation M3. Weight distribution is claimed to be balanced at 50 percent front/50 percent rear.

BMW has improved the structural rigidity of the M3's body by inserting sheets of steel within the floor pan. In addition, the roof is made from carbon fiber, a measure that not only improves structural rigidity but also lowers the car's center of gravity.

The suspension features lightweight aluminum components to reduce unsprung weight for more responsive suspension action. If the outgoing M3 is any indication, you can also bank on comparatively long wheel travel, which should help ensure reasonable ride quality.

The 2008 BMW M3 won't lack for tire grip, for the heavily flared fenders are set to enclose standard 18-inch tires. According to BMW, you'll also be able to specify the same 19-inch wheels seen here on the concept car as an option for the production M3.

A further element of the new M3's dynamic makeup is its electronically controlled M-differential, ensuring lurid oversteer will continue to be served up to those who want it. As a result, there are new, stronger rear axles, and the geometry of the multilink rear suspension has been altered to accommodate these new components.

Steering and stopping and all that
BMW won't tell us whether the M3 will feature Active Steering, the controversial variable-ratio system now available across the BMW range. We suspect the fact that the M5 doesn't use the system rules it out from the M3. Instead, expect a conventional speed-sensitive variable-assist steering system.

There shouldn't be any tricks in the brake department either, as the old M3 did fine with its 13.6-inch front/12.9-inch rear vented steel discs. We'd be surprised if the new one didn't pick up similarly dimensioned units.

BMW has yet to reveal the interior of the new E92 model and doesn't plan to do so until closer to the production car's debut later in the year. Still, insiders indicate the new car will be every bit as sumptuous as the outgoing E46. We expect a four-passenger configuration with separate high-bolstered seats for each passenger. Equipment levels will be high in line with the new car's extravagant price tag, although buyers will be able to choose among a wide range of options, including sport seats, xenon headlamps, parking sensors and satellite navigation.

Some crucial numbers
Although we expect the 2008 BMW M3 will weigh slightly more than the former 3,460-pound M3, the additional 81 hp represented by the new 4.0-liter V8 should yield improved performance. There won't be anything official for quite some time, but we hear BMW expects acceleration to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Top speed will be electronically limited to 155 mph as with existing M-cars, but we understand the car is geared for 175 mph at the V8's redline in 6th gear.

In the meantime, expect to see prototype E92 M3s testing at the Nürburgring, where the cars each have racked up more than 6,000 miles of running. Gerhard Richter, the chief of BMW's M division, tells us that the Nürburgring is still the most difficult test for any new car, and the 2008 BMW M3 will prove such an ambitious design and development program is worth the effort.
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People ***** and complain about the new styling on this concept, but Im sure the new 4.0 liter V8 would change those peoples minds about it.

JeffB · Mar 7, 2007

I know it'll look better in person than any pics/vids, but it still just doesn't do it for me. Even though I've had a deposit on it for between 2-3 years now, I think it's very unlikely that I'll end up getting one when they become available.

TestShoot · May 25, 2007

gross

damcgee · May 25, 2007

JeffB said: ↑

I know it'll look better in person than any pics/vids, but it still just doesn't do it for me. Even though I've had a deposit on it for between 2-3 years now, I think it's very unlikely that I'll end up getting one when they become available.
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