BMW adds M3 and M4 to its iconic M brand

MANILA: BMW is on a roll, particularly for its M model. With the new 3-Series currently in the market for almost a year now and a new 4-Series coupe on the way, the company will also release the 2021 G80 BMW M3 and G82 BMW M4 soon.

Spy shots of the new versions G80 BMW M3 being test-driven in Nurburgring, Germany, and the leaked photo of the car in an assembly line indicate that the M3 is already in the pre-production phase. But don’t get too excited.

BMW M President, Markus Flasch said that production for the model would start in late 2020 while the release for both M3 and M4 is slated for 2021. No explanation was given as to why BMW is taking so long to launch the vehicles, especially when it's already in the pre-production phase already.

Flasch confirmed the leaked photo and even disclosed that both cars would be offered with a manual transmission option. “We haven’t officially confirmed it, but I can tell you we are very likely to offer rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, manual and automatic for both models," Flasch said. He also revealed that the new M3 and M4 would be powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six like their predecessors,

but it won’t be the same engine. The new generation models will be powered by the BMW M's new S58 engine capable of producing 480Hp in the ‘purer’ M3 and 510hp in the competition guise. This revelation spurred speculations that the BMW M3 will come in multiple levels.

Another interesting query is if the S58 engine will be electrified. And though Flasch admits that his division is actively pursuing electrification, it is in no rush to incorporate hybrid tech at the moment despite it being an inevitable future for automobiles. Whatever the future will be for BMW M, Flasch said that the M brand would remain faithful to its values of performance and driving precision no matter what type of engine is under the hood.

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