Now that the new BMW 3 Series has been on sale for quite some time, become a rather common appearance on public roads around the word, the fans of the blue and white roundel are waiting for the next iteration of the M3. The G80 M3 is set to bring a couple of interesting changes to the way we perceive the iconic nameplate but an official launch date has been kept from us so far. BMW is quite mum with the details at the moment but a new report is making some bold claims.
The guys from Auto Express report that the launch of the new M3 will take place this September, at the Frankfurt Motor Show. That timeline strikes us as a bit odd but it could be doable, especially if they will show it as a concept car. It would be roughly a year after the 3 Series was unveiled and fits the usual M.O. of BMW when it comes to M cars. However, our sources say that the car will enter production in 2020 and, most likely arrive in the second half of the year. Therefore, if we do get to see the M3 in September, we’re going to have to wait a bit to get to drive it as well.
A more plausible launch could take place at the Geneva Motor Show in the Spring of next year. This way, we’d have just a couple of months between the unveiling and actual production start. Nevertheless, no matter what the timeline will look like, the new M3 is bound to get rather drastic changes done to it compared to what we have grown used to. We’ll get more than just one model from launch and they will vary quite a lot.
Under the hood we’ll find the same S58 3-liter straight six engine from the X3 M and X3 M Competition models. Therefore, at least two different stages of power await, from 480 PS to 510 PS in the more hardcore version. All-wheel drive will also be available but there are chances a ‘Pure’ model will also be available with RWD and a manual gearbox, proving that BMW really listens to its base.
