2014 BMW M3 Sedan & M4 Coupe unveiled
BMW has taken the covers off the next generation M3 Sedan and its two-door counterpart, the M4 Coupe, both of which will be making their first public appearances at the Detroit Motor Show next month. As noted before, the M4 is a derivative of the 4 Series, successor model to the 3 Series Coupe as part of BMW’s new model naming convention that assigns even numbers to its coupe models.
Production of both vehicles will be housed at BMW’s Regensburg and Munich plants respectively, alongside regular members of the 3 Series and 4 Series hierarchy. Interestingly, despite sharing the same production lines, BMW engineers have assigned separate model codes to them, designating the M3 and M4 as the F80 and F82 respectively, as opposed to F30 and F32 of the mainstream 3er and 4er.
Despite the new nomenclature, BMW remains keen to link the M4 back to the M3’s heritage. Incidentally, the first generation E30 M3 which debuted in 1985, was only ever available as two-door Coupe and Convertible variants. It wasn’t until the second-generation E36 M3’s debut that the concept of a four-door M3 was introduced to the world, but the E46 that came in 2000 reverted back to being exclusively two-door.
The new F80 M3 Sedan and F82 M4 Coupe take over from the E90/92 M3 Sedan and Coupe, which now will have the unique distinction of likely being the only model generation powered by a V8 engine the last ever to breathe atmospheric air. Following the M5 and M6 above them, the M3 and M4 are having to embrace forced induction, drawing power from a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine.
Based on the same 84.0mm x 89.6mm (bore x stroke) block of the highly-acclaimed N55 engine, but with highly-modified internals, the M division’s new 2,979cc S55B30 is boosted by twin turbochargers complemented by direct injection, Valvetronic, and Double VANOS technologies to deliver generous outputs of 431hp @ 5,390 – 7,000rpm and 550Nm @ 1,800 – 5,390rpm. In the best traditions of BMW M, the engine is designed to retain a high-revving character, its red line marked at 7,600rpm.
The engine’s design takes the high demands of track driving into account, with special cover affixed to limit movement of oil in the sump during hard cornering. Meanwhile, to counter strong accelerating and decelerating forces, an oil extraction pump and a sophisticated oil return system situated close to the turbocharger likewise help to maintain stable oil circulation. Oil is therefore supplied continuously to all engine components in all driving situations – road or track.
Compared to the E90’s S65 V8, the new S55 makes a modest 11hp gain in power, but where it really earned its money is a whopping 150Nm torque increase and spread over a significantly wider window, as opposed to the predecessor engine’s highly-strung peaky power delivery. Emissions, as you would expect, are slashed, with a 25% reduction in CO2 outputs bringing it to Euro 6 compliance (8.3 l/100km, 194 g/km). Both the M3 & M4 are quoted with an identical century sprint time of 4.1 seconds, with a possible 280kph if the M Driver’s Package option is specified, removing the otherwise standard 250kph limiter.
Standard transmission for both the M3 and M4 will be a new six-speed manual from Getrag incorporated with robust double-plate to cater for high performance driving. The new transmission is 12kg lighter than its predecessor and features carbon friction linings in its synchroniser rings to facilitate smoother shifts. An automatic throttle blipping feature is incorporated to give smoother downshifts for those who can’t be bothered to heel-and-toe at every corner.
Majority of urban dwellers, however, are likely to opt for the two-pedaled alternative, which is a seven-speed M-DCT dual clutch transmission with paddle shifters instead. Launch control is unsurprisingly included as a feature, but more amusingly there is even a Smokey Burnout function that, in BMW’s own words, ‘allows the driver to indulge in a degree of rear wheel spin while the car is moving at low speeds’. This feature goes hand-in-hand with the stability control’s M Dynamic Mode that allows a certain degree of wheel slip before the electronic nannies take action to rein in on your fun.
The new M3 and M4 will also be notable for being the first BMW M cars to use electric power steering, indicating the inevitability that future generations of the M5 and M6 will eventually follow suit. Assist levels are adjustable between three modes – Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ – same as the Adaptive M suspension. Stopping power of the M3 and M4, meanwhile, are enhanced with heavy duty BMW M compound brakes fitted as standard or even lighter BMW M carbon ceramic brakes available as options.
KON
Pictures: Official BMW release.
