Latest generation M models blend searing performance with everyday usability ...
Thirty five years after the debut of the first BMW M3, BMW is presenting the latest generation of its high-performance models that fuse track-focused performance with everyday usability. The new BMW M3 Competition Saloon and new BMW M4 Competition Coupé occupy very different territory - one a saloon with space for five occupants, the other a four-seater coupé - but they both achieve their common goal of delivering pure driving pleasure.
Class-leading levels of standard equipment plus options that take individualisation to new heights, especially for racetrack outings, ensure both models will continue the success of their formidable predecessors.
Optional equipment is offered in six main packages – Comfort, Technology Plus, Visibility, M Carbon, M Pro and Ultimate. Beyond these packages, there will be a select number of optional items including M Brakes in red, blue or black, M Carbon exterior, M Carbon seats and Park Assistant Plus with Drive Recorder.
Under the bonnet of the new BMW M3 Competition Saloon and new BMW M4 Competition Coupé lies a 510hp high-revving straight-six engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, which teams up with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission as it sends its power to the rear wheels.
Both models will also be available (expected from summer 2021) with M xDrive, which offers even greater directional stability and supreme traction without compromising on agility.
The new BMW M3 Competition Saloon will be built at BMW Plant Munich, while the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé will be produced at BMW Plant Dingolfing with the market launch for both models in March 2021.
Straight-six engine delivers high performance in signature M high-revving style The engine powering the new high-performance models sets a new high point in terms of output and torque for six-cylinder in-line petrol units from BMW. The power unit offers 60hp more than the maximum output of its predecessor models and increases its peak torque by 100Nm.
The new 3.0-litre straight-six engine combines the hallmark high-revving character of BMW M engines with the latest version of M TwinPower Turbo technology. The engine maintains peak torque up to the moment where maximum output is reached: 650Nm is on tap between 2,700 and 5,500rpm, from when maximum output of 510hp is sustained up to the 7,200rpm red line.
The M3 Competition Saloon and M4 Competition Coupé accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155mph, rising to 180mph if the optional M Pro Package is specified.
The new BMW M3 Competition Saloon
Bespoke M TwinPower Turbo technology A bespoke version of M TwinPower Turbo technology includes two mono-scroll turbochargers that supply compressed air to cylinders 1–3 and 4–6 respectively. An indirect intercooler optimises the power output of the charger and its electronically controlled wastegate supports the turbochargers’ instantaneous responsiveness and heightens the effectiveness of the catalytic converters.
Other elements of M TwinPower Turbo technology include VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing. Both models meet the Euro 6d exhaust emissions standard.
M xDrive all-wheel-drive system optimises traction and performance For the first time in the history of the BMW M3 and BMW M4, customers will be able to specify an all-wheel-drive system – expected from summer 2021 – as an alternative to traditional rear-wheel drive.
The engine’s power is distributed between the front and rear wheels via the transfer case’s electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, before the Active M Differential splits it again between the two rear wheels.
The specially developed system significantly enhances acceleration from standstill and the driver can configure the distribution of power as required via the Setup menu. In the default 4WD setting, signature M rear-biased power transmission goes hand-in-hand with unshakable traction and precisely controllable handling. 4WD Sport mode directs a greater proportion of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels to optimise track performance. Switching off DSC brings 2WD mode into the equation, with no intervention from the control systems.
Enhanced individualisation of the powertrain and chassis via the Setup button As in the predecessor models, drivers of the new BMW M3 Competition Saloon and new BMW M4 Competition Coupé can activate various settings for the engine, chassis and steering independently of one another. In addition, the braking system and traction control can now also be configured as required.
The new Setup button on the centre console provides direct access to the settings options for the seven powertrain and chassis parameters. Depending on the model variant and the car’s specification, the Gear Shift Assistant, M xDrive and traction can also be controlled via the button in just a single step.
Two individually configured M Setup variants can be stored permanently, together with the preferred settings for the engine noise, the driving stability control system, the Auto Start-Stop function and the shift characteristics of the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission.
Driver assistance systems: comfort and safety as desired Both models come as standard with Parking Assistant, Cruise control with braking function and Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, the Lane Departure Warning system including lane return with steering assistance, the Attentiveness Assistant and the Speed Limit Info system.
Also standard is Driving Assistant, which brings the Lane Change Warning, rear crossing traffic warning and Rear Collision Prevention into play. Customers can also add the Driving Assistant Professional as part of the optional Technology Plus Pack, which includes the Steering and Lane Control Assistant with new Active Navigation function. The new Emergency Lane Assistant, meanwhile, guides the car automatically to the most appropriate side of its lane in tailbacks on the motorway.
The Parking Assistant comprises functions such as the Reversing Assistant, while Parking Assistant Plus, available individually or as part of the optional Technology Plus Package, adds Surround View and Remote 3D View.
Also included in this package is the BMW Drive Recorder which uses the driver assistance systems’ cameras to record video sequences outside the car of up to 40 seconds in length.
The new BMW M4 Competition Coupé
Interior: ergonomic design intensifies M feeling The latest interior design language introduced in the new BMW 3 Series and new BMW 4 Series Coupé has been taken to its sporting extreme in these two high-performance models.
Signature M details include red accents for the M buttons on the M leather steering wheel and the start/stop button on the centre console. The selector lever with-Drivelogic switch is leather surfaced with an embedded M logo and stitching in M colours.
An anthracite-coloured BMW Individual headliner and interior trim strips in Carbon Fibre High-gloss are standard. Fine-grain Merino black leather trim is standard as are M sport seats, which are electrically adjustable and heated. These seats have pronounced side bolsters, integrated head restraints and an illuminated model badge.
A highlight of the options list is the new M Carbon bucket seats for the driver and front passenger, which include CFRP in their construction and save 9.6kg over the standard M sport seats. These can be specified on their own or within the M Carbon Package.
An array of new additions to the standard and optional equipment lists ensure that comfort and functionality are also taken to new highs. The BMW Live Cockpit Professional with a fully digital display grouping, the cloud-based navigation system BMW Maps and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant are all standard.
BMW Live Cockpit Professional: fully digital display grouping with M-specific details The fully digital display grouping – made up of a high-resolution instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel and a 10.25-inch Control Display – is part of the BMW Live Cockpit Professional, which is fitted as standard.
Improved choice and customisation Customers of the new BMW M3 Competition Saloon and new BMW M4 Competition Coupé are being offered more choice than ever before. Alongside the choice of three standard brake callipers and the M Carbon ceramics, customers are able to choose any exterior paint colour from BMW Individual Paints – giving customers more bespoke paint options that any other model in the BMW range.
For the first time on the M3 and M4, customers will also have a choice between two wheel designs available in four colours. Available in 19” or 20” M Forged alloys, customers can chose between Double Spoke 826M in Bicolour Black or Jet Black or Double Spoke 825M in either Bicolour Black or Orbit Grey Matt.
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