Tag Archives: BMW M4

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The Future of BMW M3

The demand for electric cars is increasing, however, most European car manufacturers are struggling with competition. This forces most of them to continue offering cars with ICEs. Mercedes-Benz and Škoda have announced that they will continue to develop ICE and hybrid cars in the future, but what is the future of sports cars with an internal combustion engine? Will BMW follow the same path and what is the future of one of their most desirable models, the BMW M3?

BMW has embraced the idea of launching an electric M3 under the announced Neue Klasse platform. However, it seems that the Bavarian company will keep the existing 3.0 twin-turbo six-cylinder engine (S58) in the new generation, codenamed G84, which will arrive in 2027 or 2028. This means that the recently refreshed M3 and M4 will remain on sale for sure until 2027.

BMW previously announced that the Neue Klasse platform will be able to handle up to 1000 kW (1360 HP), which means that the electric M3 will be slightly more powerful than the gasoline version. However, sales of the M3 are expected to be good in the future as well.

At BMW, they are not even thinking about a hybrid version of the BMW M3, because the new generation will be adapted to the new Euro 7 standard.

Source: BMWBlog

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Choose a manual gearbox while you still can, says Frank Weber

Although more and more manufacturers offer cars with automatic transmissions only, BMW is one of the companies that tries to keep manual transmissions in its range, especially when it comes to M models. Since they could soon be removed from offer, Frank Weber advises you to buy a car with a manual gearbox while they are still on offer.

“They are fun cars, but let’s be honest, there are fewer and fewer of them. And that’s why there’s no point in developing them anymore. If you want a manual transmission, you have to buy it now, before it’s too late,” added Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

His message had an effect. According to official data, in January 50% of BMW M2 cars sold were with manual transmission. At the same time, BMW sold 20% of M3 and M4 models with manual gearbox. Also, at the end of last year, BMW decided to offer the Z4 roadster with a manual transmission, thus joining the Toyota Supra, which offered such an option from the start.

In America, the M division currently only offers M2, M3 and M4 models with an optional six-speed manual transmission. On the other hand, in the UK only the M2 can be ordered with a manual gearbox due to very low demand. “We have customers who drive 25,000-30,000 kilometers a year and don’t want to stand in the city traffic, changing speeds,” added Weber in an interview with the Italian magazine Quattroruote.

BMW currently offers many cars with a manual gearbox, however the increased demand for an automatic gearbox could change this, as in Europe almost 70% of buyers opt for this option.

Source: Quattroruote

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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