To say we’re excited about the upcoming G80 BMW M3 would be a gross understatement. Sure, it’s going to have a face only a mother could love but the rest of it is going to be sensational. A twin-turbocharged straight-six with the option of rear-wheel drive and a manual in a BMW sedan? Where do we sign. In this new video, we get to see a sneak preview of a pre-production M3, how BMW tests it and just a taste of what it’s going to be like.
These sorts of pre-production teasers have become common among BMW launches. Over the past few years, BMW has hosted pre-production drives and shown off its cars just a bit, prior to their official release. The pre-pro drives, in particular, are extremely helpful as they allow BMW to get real feedback from journalists prior to launch. However, this new video gives us as viewers just a small taste of what the new BMW M3 is going to be like.
What’s interesting is that this video also pulls back the curtain a bit on how BMW tunes the M3. For instance, we get to see BMW’s damper tuning route, a stretch of road where BMW can really test out the car’s dampers. They drive that route seven times per day, before heading back to the shop to swap out the dampers.
Even better than that, we get to see a hot-lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in the new BMW M3, with Peter — the man responsible for the driving dynamics development of the M3 — at the wheel. He pushes the M3 hard and explains why each corner is important for the development of the M3’s chassis and suspension. As he drives along the ‘Ring, he’s look for specific things from the car in each corner. It’s actually quite fascinating.
When the new G80 BMW M3 debuts, it will be an extremely interesting car. Not only will it be the most powerful M3 in history, thanks to its 503 horsepower in Competition-spec, but it will also be the first all-wheel drive M3 and the first M3 to offer two drivetrain setups. The standard car will get 473 horsepower, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual as-standard. An automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive will both be optional. While the M3 Competition will get 503 horsepower, an automatic and all-wheel as-standard and that’s the only way it will be setup.
Also, a little side note for any enthusiast watching the video and wondering if the M3 will not actually be getting the new grille design, because the car in the video doesn’t seem to have it, from what we’re told it still will get the new design. The M3 test mule seen in this video is an early pre-production example and, from what we’ve been told, the production car will get the new 4 Series/M4 grille design.
