Production start for iconic sports car at BMW Group’s Munich plant

Munich. This week sees the start of series production of the new BMW M3 at BMW Group Plant Munich. 35 years after the debut of the very first BMW M3, BMW M GmbH presented the latest generation of its high-performance cars in the premium mid-size segment in September: the new BMW M3 and the new BMW M4. Earlier this week, series production started at the BMW Group plant in Munich. “We are very pleased to be producing the new BMW M3 at our parent plant going forward,” commented Plant Director Robert Engelhorn. “It’s such an iconic car and has many fans among our team at the plant, me included.”

The arrival of the new BMW M3 completes the 3 Series range at the Munich plant. From the 3 Series Sedan and 3 Series Touring to the M3, including all plug-in hybrid, petrol and diesel engines – all models and drive variants are made on the same line. “The integration of the M3 went absolutely smoothly. We benefitted from the vast experience gained with previous generations of BMW M vehicles,” explained Robert Engelhorn. The BMW M4 was produced in Munich until well into the spring; it has now found its new home at the Dingolfing plant. This has meant that the stand-alone assembly process for the CFRP roof of the M4 Coupe, for example, could also be adopted for the new M3. At the Munich plant’s in-house seat production where the newly developed M carbon bucket seats are manufactured, on the other hand, totally new manual workflows are being introduced. The hood and the side panels of the M3 are also handcrafted and assembled manually.

The market launch of the new BMW M3 and the BMW M4 Coupe will begin in March 2021. In addition to the stand-alone vehicle concepts of a sedan with room for five passengers and a four-seater coupe, the drive technology also offers room for individuality: Both new BMW M models are powered by a high-revving inline-six engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and with two different power delivery levels available. A unique option in the segment is that the high-performance sports cars can be equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. Other options include an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the intelligent M xDrive all-wheel drive system as an alternative to the traditional rear-wheel drive. For the first time in the history of the BMW M3 and BMW M4 models, an all-wheel drive system will be available from summer 2021 onwards.

For further information on technologies and equipment options, please see the press kit.