The New M3

[selespeed]

Tuesday April 10, 2007

A new 4.0l V8 block powers the M3 Coupé, with 420bhp at 8,300rpm and 400Nm of torque at 3,900rpm being the figures. Redline is at 8,400rpm, and 85% of torque is available at 6,500rpm on.

finally a V engine instead of the silly inline 6!!! knew it.
but m3 is also a damn ugly car! should have hired maserati or any italians to help them in styling!

 

[ALBundy]

finally a V engine instead of the silly inline 6!!! knew it.
but m3 is also a damn ugly car! should have hired maserati or any italians to help them in styling!

Bro, which planet you just got back from la? BMW's inline six engines have been winning awards while you were away. Now with valvetronic and high pressure injection, its the bench mark for other manufacturers.

Also, the chief designer is also the same guy that designed the Fiat Coupe and a host of other Pininfarina projects

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Yeah, as I recall, BMW's in-line 6 has been winning best engine awards for most categories under 3.0L or below. The 335i which has a 3.0L twin turbo in-line 6 is said to be on par with V8 performance. Do I sense some spite in your statement, selespeed? Can't we let bygones be bygones? I also think the 2007 M3 is great looking. It looks much better than previous M3s which have already been abundantly successful. In the end, the M3 is not meant to be a supercar or a pretender to that range like the R8. So, keeping things in perspective, I expect this M3 to get the rave reviews it deserves while I sit on my toilet bowl and on the roads when and if I get an opportunity to drive one. Coming for HPC this Sunday?

 

[fabianyee]

Each to their own....

I do find the new M3 design a bit to tacky... but that's just me... I find the 4-Rings S5 rather gentlemanly handsome without being too 'loud'.

IMHO, the I6 S54 engine has reach its optimum operating efficiency at 3.2 liter... It won't be technically viable to stick to a 6 cylinder platform to achieve a big jump in engine performance. So having a V8 is the natural progression...

The M3 is has grown a lot from the much smaller E30 M3 race legend to what it is now.. It's more of a GT car now... I would say the 1 series is closer to the E30 at the moment... Too bad they can't codename it M1 cos that moniker would stick to the legendary M1 for a long long time..

 

[selespeed]

Yeah, as I recall, BMW's in-line 6 has been winning best engine awards for most categories under 3.0L or below. The 335i which has a 3.0L twin turbo in-line 6 is said to be on par with V8 performance. Do I sense some spite in your statement, selespeed? Can't we let bygones be bygones? I also think the 2007 M3 is great looking. It looks much better than previous M3s which have already been abundantly successful. In the end, the M3 is not meant to be a supercar or a pretender to that range like the R8. So, keeping things in perspective, I expect this M3 to get the rave reviews it deserves while I sit on my toilet bowl and on the roads when and if I get an opportunity to drive one. Coming for HPC this Sunday?

hi JP;

no lah! i don't have any spite nor jealousy. i am simply objective.

yes i have high respects for BMW engine developments. no question, the V8 or V10 in M5 and inline 6 are superb engines. they're very high tech.

but, but the inline 6 is unpractical and silly is the word i still maintain. and i think they would ditch this for v6 next time i speculate.

and i also maintain that in general BMW cars are ugly. i get tired of looking at it. however, i like its handling like my little e30m40. the handling and the reliability are truly well, good - no, better than good.

i will want a maserati gt the new one. it is absolutely georgeous. it maybe 1 second slower than m5 but i dont care.

honestly, why do i criticize bmw when i am driving one? but bmws really look dull, sigh! but then you will tell me beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

anyway, what is HPC?

 

[selespeed]

Bro, which planet you just got back from la? BMW's inline six engines have been winning awards while you were away. Now with valvetronic and high pressure injection, its the bench mark for other manufacturers.

Also, the chief designer is also the same guy that designed the Fiat Coupe and a host of other Pininfarina projects

i am on planet earth and have been here since birth. i didn't say it wasn't high tech.

so, the same guy that designed fiat coupe? how come i heard form my friend coupe break down so very often? is it because it's not inline 6?

 

[ALBundy]

i am on planet earth and have been here since birth. i didn't say it wasn't high tech.

so, the same guy that designed fiat coupe? how come i heard form my friend coupe break down so very often? is it because it's not inline 6?

Brudder, that guy only designed the body of the Fiat coupe la, after that he was hired by BMW AG...today he is the chief designer of BMW group, including Rolls Royce and Mini. As for the frequent Fiat engine breakdowns, I have no idea!! For sure it wasnt design by the Germans! hahaha...

But the 4 pot BMW engines are super reliable. My M42 is still running strong despite the daily blow jobs is has to endure from a snail!! In fact, the 4 pot engines have lower running costs than the inline 6

 

[selespeed]

Brudder, that guy only designed the body of the Fiat coupe la, after that he was hired by BMW AG...today he is the chief designer of BMW group, including Rolls Royce and Mini. As for the frequent Fiat engine breakdowns, I have no idea!! For sure it wasnt design by the Germans! hahaha...

But the 4 pot BMW engines are super reliable. My M42 is still running strong despite the daily blow jobs is has to endure from a snail!! In fact, the 4 pot engines have lower running costs than the inline 6

yes, i also like my 4-pot machine. simple and easy and cheaper to maintain. when i looked at the inline 6, how do they service that bugger? i bet you if it's a V6 320, it will be simpler and cheaper to service. i'm sure bmw can also design a superb v6. i think it's going to happen!

i remember the alfa 33 i owned long long time ago, to change the clutch, they have to lower the whole engine like an engine overhaul. that's silly too!

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Well, I think engine development is advancing more rapidly than b4 and if BMW adopts a V6, it has to be better than the current engines, so I guess that's something to look forward to. I guess this is largely motivated by the likes of Audi, Alfa, Lexus, Merc, Honda etc raising the power stakes in bids to take on a more "sporty" mantle even for mainstream models. I read an article once about how Lexus came out with the IS500 in a rush though they didn't expect it to sell cos they didn't want their IS range to be without a car that could chalen the C63, RS4, M3 etc. It didn't particularly matter too much that for some of us like you and me, it's not just about a straight line.

Fabs, I've been checking out the S5 on the web and other resources. Initially, I was quite impressed too but I suspect it looks better on screen than real cos besides its imposing scale, it's short on detail. Just my 2 cents!

 

[ALBundy]

Well, I think engine development is advancing more rapidly than b4 and if BMW adopts a V6, it has to be better than the current engines, so I guess that's something to look forward to. I guess this is largely motivated by the likes of Audi, Alfa, Lexus, Merc, Honda etc raising the power stakes in bids to take on a more "sporty" mantle even for mainstream models. I read an article once about how Lexus came out with the IS500 in a rush though they didn't expect it to sell cos they didn't want their IS range to be without a car that could chalen the C63, RS4, M3 etc. It didn't particularly matter too much that for some of us like you and me, it's not just about a straight line.

Its more like other car manufacturers starting to realise what consumers want from a car. In the US market, the Camry even comes with a 3.5 V6 engine, lowered suspension that guarantees good handling, audiophile quality ICE system and looks more fabulous than the Asian Camry.

I attended a BMW seminar recently...guess what enticed most buyers (>60%) to purchase a BMW???

 

[bahnstormer]

Don't know what they're putting in the drinking water in Germany?!!!

The all new W204 C63 AMG is a 6.2 litre V8... reportedly pumps out 475bhp and 630Nm of torque... whereas the M3 V8 pumps out ONLY 420 bhp and 400Nm of torque!

Has Mercedes trumped BMW this time?!!