The new BMW M3 sets the foundation for continuing an exceptional career in motorsport. So every enthusiast sharing the passion for supreme performance may be sure that this model is able to master even the greatest challenge on and off the race track. The new BMW M3 comes for the first time with an eight-cylinder power unit. And the specifications of this all-new high-performance engine clearly prove the competence and skill of the engine development specialists at BMW M GmbH gained in a long history of racing success.
Displacing 3,999 cc, the new V8 develops maximum output of 414 bhp, together with peak torque of 295 lb-ft at 3, 900 rpm. Perhaps an even more outstanding fact is that some 85 per cent of the engine’s peak torque remains available throughout the enormous speed range of 6, 500 rpm.
The exterior of the new BMW M3 was designed and developed from the start to give the car a truly unique and sporting look. So applying the principle of "form follows function", the designers at BMW M GmbH, in giving the body of the car its particular look and appearance, have succeeded in finding a perfect match of supreme technology, on the one hand, and authentic sporting design, on the other.
In designing the interior, the specialists at BMW M GmbH have succeeded in offering the occupants maximum driving pleasure in an ambience tailored to their specific needs and wishes. This applies particularly to the driver, with all controls and instruments relating directly to the active driving experience in the car adapted to the supreme performance of the BMW M3 and re-designed from the ground up wherever appropriate.
Double circular instruments with white illumination and red needles, the M leather steering wheel and the newly designed centre console all characterize the cockpit of the new BMW M3. The door cutout trim embellished by the characteristic M logo, the support for the driver's left foot made of brushed metal, the special design and color of the inner door panels, as well as the trim strip made of high-quality, sophisticated materials exclusive to BMW M3 such as leather in carbon design or aluminum, all serve to underline the supreme and truly unique position of the new BMW M3.
Enjoying the qualities of the new BMW M3, the driver is able to configure several driving parameters individually according to his particular requirements, thus adjusting the car's behavior and performance to his personal preferences. One option, for example, is to completely deactivate the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) via the car's set-up. Electronic Damper Control (EDC), in turn, which optimizes both vertical vibration behavior as well as the car's dive and roll in bends and when applying the brakes and accelerating by adjusting damper forces, comes with three different settings - Normal, Comfort, and Sports - the driver is able to pre-select at the touch of a button. Three control maps are also available for precise, on-demand management of the engine. These management functions operate not only on the position of the throttle butterflies in the intake manifold, but also on further factors and parameters significantly changing the behavior and response of the engine.
The optionally available MDrive configuration enables the driver to pre-select the response of the Servotronic power steering. In the process, MDrive is able to follow two control maps varying steering forces between the Normal and Sports setting as a function of road speed.
