jeff_denning
Active member
A mystery BMW model appeared at the BMW Museum a bit over a month ago, shrouded under a big blue tarp. It's yet to be positively identified, but could this possibly be the next generation F80 M3 sedan or F82 M4 coupe?
There's not much to go off of by way of the sparse photos, but the one part of the car that can be partially seen - the wheels, happen to match the wheels that have been spotted on the F80 M3 sedan prototypes from our spy photos.
It's premature for a F80 M3 concept to be shown, much less an F82 M4 coupe (the F32 4 series coupe upon which the M4 will be based has not even debuted), but is it just our hopeful imagination or do the letters written under the tape in one of the photos possibly read "F82". If this car is indeed the next M3 / M4, what is it doing at the BMW Museum? What we can postulate is that perhaps it was there for a showing to or review by BMW executives.
Don't expect the F80 M3 concept to have a world reveal until sometime in the first half of next year, with the production F80 model debuting at an auto show in late 2013, and actual sales beginning in the Spring of 2014.
The F80 M3 and F82 M4 will be powered by an inline 6 cylinder engine with multiple turbochargers, pushing the engine's output to approximately 450 horsepowers. The engine is now rumored to be an extensively reworked and reinforced N55 6-cylinder engine.
It's now being reported by BMW insider Scott26 that the F80 M3 will not be constructed extensively from carbon fiber (CFRP), as some reports had rumored. The F82 M4 coupe will receive a CFRP roof, but because this next generation M3/M4 began development two years ago, it was too early to take advantage of BMW's CFRP developments with the later introduction of the BMW i cars/project. The first model (besides the i cars) that will have extensive CFRP incorporated into its construction will be the next generation 7 Series, as reported earlier.
It's now being reported by BMW insider Scott26 that the F80 M3 will not be constructed extensively from carbon fiber (CFRP), as some reports had rumored. The F82 M4 coupe will receive a CFRP roof, but because this next generation M3/M4 began development two years ago, it was too early to take advantage of BMW's CFRP developments with the later introduction of the BMW i cars/project. The first model (besides the i cars) that will have extensive CFRP incorporated into its construction will be the next generation 7 Series, as reported earlier.
Even without extensive CFRP construction, the next M3/M4 will be lighter than the current M3 sedan and coupe however, owing to its new aluminum chassis, and aluminum and reinforced plastic body panels.
Despite the next M3 sedan being at least 1.5 years away, we know the following. It will be:
- Lighter than current M3
- Faster than current M3
- More powerful than current M3
- More efficient than current M3
- Powered by an inline 6 cylinder [turbo] engine
- Offered with optional or standard manual transmission (if previous spy photos are any indication)
- Electric Power Steering (completely reworked for precision for M3/M4)
- Introduced no earlier than late 2013 - early 2014
Wheels from F80 M3 sedan prototype
Source
