NEW M3 V8: LISTEN TO IT HERE

The web is alive at the moment with technical details of the new M3 V8 engine, and we know many of you already have much of the details. If you don't, this is the full set of information released by BMW. To hear the engine being worked hard, click on the links below to hear what our man came back from BMW with...

Sound file 1 (MP3) Test bed 0-200km/H

Sound file 2 (MP3) Nurburgring

The key details are:

• 3999cc
• 414bhp @ 8,300rpm
• 295lb ft @ 3,900rpm (251lb ft available from 2,000rpm)
• 8,400 max engine speed
• Engine weighs 202kg – 15kg lighter than old ‘six’
• Aluminium silicon alloy crankcase, iron-coated pistons run directly in the bores of hard silicon crystals
• Bedplate structure
• Crankshaft weighs 20kg – 5 main bearings
• Oil cooled pistons
• High-strength steel magnesium alloy connecting rods weighing 623g each
• Single piece alloy cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder
• Double Vanos variable camshaft control
• Double chain-driven cams
• Oil system works to 1.4G with 2 pumps
• 8 individual throttle bodies. Accelerator pedal position monitored 200 times per second. Takes 120 milliseconds to reach maximum opening point.
• No air mass sensor – ecu does the calculations from the range of data available to it
• Two, 4-1 ‘fan type’ exhaust manifolds
• 4 cats
• MSS60 ecu – development of the one found in the V10 M engine. Three 32bit processors. Can handle more then 200 million individual operations per second.

New M3 V8 engine specs

Fuel	RON 98 (95)
Max output bhp	414 at 8,300rpm
Max torque lb ft	295 at 3,900rpm
Max engine speed	8,400rpm
Stroke mm	75.2
Bore mm	92.0
Displacement cm3	3,999
Distance between cylinders mm	98
Cylinder arrangement	8-cylinder V-engine
Valve plate diameter, intake mm	35.0
Valve plate diameter, outlet mm	30.5
Compression ratio	12.0:1
Fuel injection	Intake pipe fuel injection
Fuel injection pressure bar	3–6
Average combustion chamber pressure bar	12.6
Maximum combustion chamber pressure bar	100
Engine weight to BMW standard kg	202
Output per litre bhp/litre	103.5
Crankcase	Aluminium
Valvetrain	Infinite camshaft adjustment and hydraulic valve clearance adjustment for intake and outlet (double VANOS)