Tag Archives: BMW M3

News

BMW will not give up the manual gearbox

Last year, Mercedes announced that they would gradually stop offering cars with manual transmission in Europe, which definitely disappointed a number of their customers. However, another German brand, BMW, has announced that it will not stop offering a manual gearbox, but will charge an extra €500 for it. It was a good business move, because according to sales data for the last 12 months, 50 percent of BMW M2 buyers opted for a manual transmission, while 20 percent of M3 and M4 buyers chose the same option.

The manual gearbox definitely loses the battle against the automatic transmission. The reason is the costs. In September, CEO at BMW M GmbH Frank van Meel said: “The vast majority of BMW cars are now offered exclusively with an automatic transmission, as few buyers are looking for a manual transmission. It would be easier if only automatic cars came off the assembly line. Instead we have a small number of customers looking for a manual transmission in the M2 series which creates additional complications and increases costs.”

“A manual gearbox is slower, results in higher fuel consumption and sometimes affects the top speed, so from an engineering point of view this type of gearbox no longer really makes sense,” said van Meel.

Also, BMW announces the imminent arrival of a new generation M5 model that will be powered by a plug-in hybrid engine. This means that the Bavarian brand will not give up the V6 engine in the near future, as AMG did.

Source: BMW

Tuning

MH3 3.5 Turbo based on the first generation BMW M3

Manhart recently founded the Classic department, for the restoration and modification of legendary sports cars that, 30 years ago, were the top of the range. Their latest project is the MH3 3.5 Turbo based on the first generation BMW M3.

MH3 3.5 Turbo is powered by a replacement 3.5-liter in-line six-cylinder engine with 405 hp (298 kW) and a mighty 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission and a Drexler locking differential. As a reminder, this engine delivers a standard 330 hp (243 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. The first generation BMW M3 is powered by a 2.3-liter engine with 200 hp (147 kW) and 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) torque.

The car is wrapped in Vinyl Matt Green with decal set in order on the front and rear bumper and splitter. It is equipped with MANHART turbocharger and intercooler, new exhaust system, carbon front spoiler lip, rear spoiler with carbon wing, MANHART suspension kit by H&R, locking differential by Drexler with additional cooler, MANHART brake system with 330×32 millimeter discs with four-piston Brembo fixed calipers at the front and rear brake discs combined with the E30 M3’s OEM floating calipers. It is mounted on 19″ MANHART Concave One wheels wrapped in 215/35 R19 front and 245/30 R19 rear tires.

Inside, the seats are upholstered in Cardinal Red leather that also covers the door panels. The BMW badges have been replaced by Manhart badges. In front of the driver is the Momo steering wheel.

Performance data and project cost have not been released.

Source: Manhart

Gallery:

MH3 3.5 Turbo based on the first generation BMW M3
News, Tuning

BMW M3 with 720 HP

The latest generation BMW M3 is one of the most powerful production cars, but G-Power believes that the high-performance sedan deserves and can do more. That’s why they prepared three equipment packages that raise the engine power up to 720 hp.

The car is equipped with a new carbon kit that gives the BMW a more aggressive look. This includes a new front splitter, new side skirts, a Dynamic fixed rear wing, and many other components.

The M3 is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, which in the most powerful G3M ​​Bi-Turbo equipment package has 720 hp (529 kW) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. All this was achieved thanks to new software, a new exhaust system, hardware improvements and an improved ECU unit. It is mounted on a set of 20 and 21 inch (Hurricane RR and Hurricane RS) rims wrapped in 285/30 R20 (front) and 295/25 R21 (rear) tires.

With the other two packages, G-Power offers power increases to 670 hp (493 kW) and 620 hp (456 kW), with the same hardware but a different ECU unit.

The interior of the base BMW M3 has been retained. There are reinforced carbon fiber seats and a 12.3-inch digital touch screen, as well as a steering wheel with buttons that allow the driver to switch to sporty driving mode.

Source: G-Power