BMW teases M4, again

This time it's the engine noise - just show us the damn car already!

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 13 August 2013 / Loading comments

We all know the next BMW M3 and the M4 coupe are on their way, and BMW knows we're very excited about it. So it has ensured the outgoing M3 was given a

grand send-off

, launched plenty of 4 Series

M Performance accessories

to hint at the M4 and sent prototypes round the Nurbrugring

nearly a year ago

And yet firm details on the fifth generation M3 are relatively scarce. Rumours continue to abound that it will debut at Frankfurt, where it would be one of the show's highlights.

Here's the straight-six benchmark BMW...

Today we have another teaser in the form of

an engine noise clip

. But this isn't a full-on aural assault like the

Audi R8 Plus ad

. Oh no, BMW wouldn't be quite so blatant. What we have is 18 seconds of looking at an engineer's face with an M3/4 (is that Dakar Yellow?) straining against a dyno with a hint of straight-six growl and rasp. From this smallest of previews, it sounds promising.

That such a short clip has us discussing the new M3 shows how important noise has become with BMW M cars in 2013. After the sonic highs of the M3 CSL and E60 M5, we've had the rather disappointing turbocharged (and speaker assisted) V8 of the current M5/M6. But the M135i has restored some faith in BMW to produce great-sounding turbocharged engines, and this vid suggests the next M3 can build on it.