What with the arguments about the odd noise the standard car makes, those weird orange bits on the
GTS
the CS is
, it's easy to forget that the
regular BMW M3
was launched more than three and half years ago. It means that the earliest cars are now teetering temptingly
close to £30K
, and also that the next M3 isn't too far off.
Can you guess what it is yet?
These are the first spy shots of the sixth-generation, 'G80' M3, due to arrive at some point in 2020. According
to Autocar
it is going to use the new 'CLAR' architecture also seen in the 5 Series, but won't use the carbon core seen in the
7 Series
i8
. Gets expensive then, see? The same argument applies to both all-wheel drive and four-wheel steer as well, the M3's more junior ranking in the M hierarchy ensuring that it won't be quite the techfest of an
M5
M760Li
A technology that could well feature in the next M3 is the water injection system seen in the M4 GTS, if the packaging issues around shoving a water tank in the boot (in a regular production car) can be solved. The engine is expected to be an evolution of the S55 twin-turbo straight-six currently used; a hybrid is said to be unlikely, but then a replacement model can't have less power than any previous one - remember than a CS is currently 460hp, so shall we call it 475hp for the G80?
The big arches are coming, right?
These spy shots don't reveal a great deal, although perhaps we should simply be glad in BMW's current situation that the M3 is remaining a saloon and not becoming a two-door SUV or something. Note on this car the four exhaust pipes, some black painted Comp Pack wheels and four very chunky brake discs. Other than that we're seeing a 3 Series, but do let us know if anything has been missed...
With some time before the M3 reaches the production stage, plenty could change in the next couple of years. What would you like to see from the F80 replacement? The current car has proved pretty divisive, so there must surely be some recommendations forthcoming... We'll suggest improved steering as a starter - what about you?
[Spyshots: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, additional info from Autocar]