UK Presskit: The new BMW M3 Coupé

The new BMW M3 Coupé The re-birth of an icon Contents 1. M3 - Overview 2. Drivetrain 3. Chassis 4. Design 5. Market 6. Safety 7. History 8. Standard equipment 9. Optional equipment 10. Technical specifications / Exterior and interior dimensions / Output and torque curves

1. M3 - The rebirth of an icon

M3. Just a single letter and number. But it elicits a hugely emotional
resonance with UK car enthusiasts. When the first BMW M3 was shown at the
Frankfurt Motor Show in 1985 it spawned an entirely new segment of the market.
Many have tried to copy the award-winning formula of unsurpassed driving
dynamics and intelligent engineering combined with day-to-day practicality and
understated performance.


BMW aims to maintain its class-leading position with the new, fourth
generation, BMW M3 Coupé. It is the most powerful production M3 ever produced,
featuring a lightweight 420hp eight-cylinder engine while introducing elements
from BMW's EfficientDynamics programme that, in combination, delivers a
cleaner, more frugal, compact supercar.

Power is transmitted to the road via a six-speed manual gearbox and the BMW
variable M differential lock. The short gear lever and close gate encourages
swift, positive changes. The variable M differential uses a torque-sensing
differential lock to channel power to the rear wheel that can transmit the most
traction. This unique differential really excels in cornering or on slippery
road surfaces.

The new BMW M3 Coupé delivers rapid straight line speed with zero to 62mph
attained in 4.8 seconds and an electronically-limited 155mph top speed.

Model / Price OTR / Power Hp / Torque Nm / 0 - 62mph Seconds / Top Speed Mph /
Combined Mpg / CO2 g/km

BMW M3 Coupé / £50,625 / 420 / 400 / 4.8 / 155* / 22.8 / 295
*Electronically-limited

The BMW M3 Coupé is the first M product to feature EfficientDynamics
technologies. Consequently the car is eight per cent more fuel efficient than
the outgoing model recording 22.8mpg on the combined cycle. Emissions have
also been cut by nine per cent from 323g/km to 295g/km. The M3 Coupé is helped
in achieving these figures courtesy of Brake Energy Regeneration, one of the
elements of BMW's EfficientDynamics programme. Previously engine power
produced during deceleration was lost, but now it is recycled to charge an
Absorbent Glass Mat battery. Conversely, under acceleration, the alternator
decouples to avoid being a drain on engine performance. An optimum gear change
indicator in the instrument binnacle can help cut fuel consumption further as
it advises the driver of the optimum gear to choose for economical motoring.

One strand of the EfficientDynamics ethos employed on the new M3 Coupé is the
extensive use of lightweight technology. The most obvious sign of this is the
carbon fibre reinforced plastic roof. A first for the segment, the roof saves
22kgs over a conventional steel roof with a sunroof fitted and is made at BMW's
Landshut foundry; the same location at which engine block is produced for the
BMW Sauber F1 team. The roof also serves to lower the car's centre of gravity
for better balance.

The unique carbon-fibre reinforced plastic roof is just one element that aids
the car's chassis set-up and impressive dynamic capabilities. The new M3 Coupé
features a bespoke suspension configuration and construction. To save 2.5kgs
in weight without compromising rigidity, nearly all of the components in the
front double joint spring strut suspension are made from aluminium. All of the
components in the five-link rear axle suspension, except for one track control
arm, are also made of aluminium. Other lightweight materials used include
thermoplastics for the bumpers and front wings, and a bonnet made of aluminium.

The driver of an M3 Coupé is supported by the most sophisticated and advanced
stability control systems in the automotive world. Dynamic Stability Control +
provides a welcome electronic safety blanket and is a system that can be
fine-tuned to suit driving style. DSC+ includes the functions of traction
control, Anti-slip + Traction, Corner Brake Control and adds further features
to improve wet braking performance, smoothness of braking and hill starts.

For those drivers wishing to experience the dynamic capabilities of the new M3,
MDynamic Mode can be selected via the iDrive menu. MDynamic Mode permits a
greater degree of performance and wheel slip before the DSC+ system
intervenes. While this has a practical benefit for slow speed starts on
slippery surfaces such as snow and ice, its real function is to allow spirited
driving with maximum driver involvement.

Available as an option, Electronic Damper Control (EDC) allows three different
stages of ride set-up - Comfort, Normal and Sport - selected manually via a
button adjacent to the gear lever. For a greater degree of personalisation the
throttle and steering sensitivity can also be changed using the Power button,
located alongside the EDC button.

MDrive Manager offers owners the optimum in M car personalisation. It enables
all the configurations of EDC, DSC+ / MDynamic Mode, throttle and steering
response to be preconfigured by the driver. Once set-up, the driver needs only
to press the steering wheel-mounted M button to select his preferred driving
configuration. Of course, as the driver spends more time in the car, the
configurations can be changed to suit new requirements.

While the basic silhouette of the M3 Coupé resembles the standard 3 Series
Coupé, BMW M's bespoke design ethos ensures that 80 per cent of the parts
differ from the standard model. Apart from the car's actual structure, only
the doors, boot lid, windows and front and rear lights are carried over. All
other components have been tailor-made for the M3 Coupé.

The BMW M3 Coupé has grown marginally in all dimensions compared to the
previous model yet it has near-identical aerodynamic efficiency. The heavily
sculptured front has been designed to channel up to 400 litres of air per
second into the engine. The purposefully-styled spoiler and sculpted wing
mirrors create additional downforce for even better road holding. At the rear,
the quad exhaust pipes protrude in pairs on either side of a small venturi,
while a discreet rear spoiler on the bootlid provides yet more downforce.

Inside, front seat occupants are cocooned in deeply contoured sports seats
equipped with full electric adjustment. The two rear seats are divided by a
central storage binnacle and are designed to accommodate two adults in comfort,
while the 430-litre boot is capable of swallowing the luggage of four people.

Jim O'Donnell, managing director of BMW (UK) Ltd, said: "The now-iconic M3
created an entirely new market niche back in the mid-1980s and each successive
incarnation has been warmly welcomed by aficionados of sporting cars.

"All our competitors have recognised the market opportunity in this sector, but
I am sure that BMW has reset the benchmark higher for all of them. I am very
confident that the M3 will be a great success in the UK."

Racing heritage
The original M3 was created to go racing and each subsequent version has
maintained these championship-winning credentials. The E30 M3 scooped more
than 1,500 individual victories and more than 50 international championship
titles in its lifetime and remains the most successful Touring Car of all
time. The 2.3-litre, and subsequent 2.5-litre four-cylinder, powered models
were loved by customers and were equally successful in the market. The
original planned production of 5,000 to meet FIA regulations topped 18,000 by
the time the first M3 stopped production.

The E36 M3 picked up where the E30 model left off. The 3.2-litre straight-six
cylinder car with 286hp was launched in 1992 and was offered for the first time
in Saloon as well as Coupé and Convertible forms, but the Coupé remained the
most popular. The E36 M3's engine was uprated in 1995 to 321hp and a six-speed
gearbox was introduced. BMW offered the first production Sequential Manual
Gearbox (SMG) in 1997 and it became popular with buyers; 50 per cent of M3
owners ordered the SMG system. During the era of the E36 M3, FIA regulations
meant the car was ineligible for some championships - that honour fell to the
highly successful four-cylinder-powered 320i. The E36 M3 still won titles in
America as well as endurance races on both sides of the Atlantic and rally and
hill climb championships.

The E46 model truly reinforced the M3 as the class leader when it was launched
in 2000. Its 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine now produced 343hp and, with its
enhanced chassis and dynamic capabilities, saw off rival product with ease in
both Coupé and Convertible form. The introduction of the M3 CSL upped the ante
with its extensive use of aluminium and composite panels, an engine performance
boost to 360hp and bespoke tyres. The CSL was a real racer for the road. An M3
CS closed the E46 M3 chapter and catered for those wanting the performance
brakes and other CSL enhancements but without some of the more extreme and
costly weight-saving features.

The new E92 BMW M3 goes on sale in the UK on 8 September, 2007, and costs
£50,625 OTR.

Key facts
• Most powerful road-going M3 ever.
• First production M3 to be powered by a V8 engine.
• First time that a BMW M3 has EfficientDynamics fuel-saving and
emissions-reducing technology. Brake Energy Regeneration and optimum gear shift
indicator cut CO2 emissions by nine per cent and improve fuel consumption by
eight per cent.
• First road-going BMW M3 to be offered with an optional adjustable suspension.
• The BMW M3 is the only car in its segment to have a carbon fibre roof. The
roof saves 22kgs compared to a conventional steel construction incorporating a
sunroof and lowers the car's centre of gravity.
• The engine, cast in BMW's Landshut light alloy foundry alongside the BMW
Sauber F1 team's powerplants, is 15kgs lighter than the six-cylinder engine it
replaces.
• The M3 features the most advanced production car engine ECU in the world
capable of 200 million calculations a second.