Tag Archives: M3

News

2027 BMW M3 Keeps the Inline-Six Alive—and a Manual Could Survive Too

Leave a comment

The next-generation BMW M3 is shaping up to be something increasingly rare in today’s performance-car landscape: a brand-new sports sedan that refuses to abandon its soul. As the automotive industry races toward electrification and tighter emissions regulations, BMW M is doubling down on the formula that made the M3 an icon—a turbocharged inline-six, a driver’s car philosophy, and, if all goes according to plan, a manual transmission.

2027 BMW M3 Isn’t Giving Up on Gas—or the Manual

Spy shots from the Nürburgring have already confirmed that BMW is deep into testing the next combustion-powered M3, but the biggest surprise isn’t hidden beneath the camouflage. It’s the fact that BMW M still sees a future for three pedals.

Speaking during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel made it clear that the manual gearbox remains an emotional cornerstone of the M brand.

“We intend to keep the manual as long as possible,” he said.

That’s no empty promise. In the United States—a market that has long embraced automatic transmissions—buyers are splitting M2 sales almost evenly between manual and automatic models. For BMW, that’s proof enthusiasts still crave the physical connection that only a clutch pedal and gear lever can provide.

Van Meel admits keeping manuals alive is becoming increasingly difficult. Suppliers are disappearing, modern driver-assistance systems complicate drivetrain integration, and mild-hybrid technology introduces new engineering hurdles. Still, BMW isn’t ready to surrender.

For a company that built its reputation on driver engagement, preserving that tactile experience matters just as much as chasing lap times.

The S58 Lives On

Perhaps even more important than the gearbox is what sits under the hood.

Rather than downsizing or adopting a plug-in hybrid setup like many of its German rivals, BMW is sticking with its celebrated 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged S58 inline-six. That’s becoming something of a statement.

Mercedes-AMG replaced its beloved V8 in the C63 with a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. Audi’s latest RS5 also embraces electrification alongside its V6. BMW, meanwhile, is betting that enthusiasts still want an engine that delivers character before complexity.

Getting the S58 ready for Europe’s stringent Euro 7 emissions regulations wasn’t easy.

BMW engineers completely revised the combustion process using pre-chamber ignition technology—a system that creates a high-energy flame jet before combustion reaches the main cylinder. The result is cleaner combustion, improved thermal efficiency, lower emissions, and even the ability to run a higher compression ratio without destructive engine knock.

The updated engine also receives new variable-geometry turbochargers and enhanced cooling, allowing BMW to maintain the current M3’s impressive output of 523 horsepower while meeting tougher environmental standards.

Perhaps best of all, BMW says the revised engine produces an even richer induction note and a more aggressive exhaust soundtrack at high rpm—a welcome bit of good news at a time when many performance cars are becoming quieter and more filtered.

Cooling Is the New Horsepower

Making power isn’t the challenge anymore.

Keeping temperatures under control is.

Van Meel says sustained track performance remains a priority, forcing engineers to redesign the cooling system around larger intercoolers and more efficient airflow management. That’s one reason the next M3 prototype wears an unusually large front grille—not simply for styling, but because modern high-performance engines demand serious cooling capacity.

It’s a reminder that today’s performance engineering is often less about extracting another 20 horsepower and more about ensuring the engine can repeatedly deliver every one of its existing horses.

An EV Twin—Not a Replacement

The next M3 won’t exist in isolation.

BMW will sell it alongside a fully electric M3 based on the Neue Klasse architecture. Although the two cars will share nearly identical styling, they are fundamentally different beneath the skin.

The electric version will use a flat floor and advanced underbody aerodynamics, while the gasoline-powered M3 retains its quad exhaust outlets and traditional drivetrain layout. Aside from subtle aerodynamic differences and the larger cooling openings up front, they’ll look remarkably similar.

BMW isn’t positioning one as the successor to the other.

Instead, it’s letting buyers decide.

Some customers will choose the emotional appeal, mechanical soundtrack, and familiarity of internal combustion. Others will embrace the instant torque and new performance possibilities of electric propulsion. BMW believes both groups deserve an authentic M experience.

The Wagon Lives to Fight Another Day

For enthusiasts who refuse to compromise practicality for performance, there’s more good news.

BMW has confirmed that the M3 Touring will remain part of the lineup.

What began as a niche enthusiast favorite has become one of BMW M’s biggest surprises. The high-performance wagon has found unexpected success in China, while the larger M5 Touring has exceeded expectations in the United States—two markets that historically showed little interest in fast wagons.

For Chinese buyers, the M3 Touring is even more significant: it’s currently the only way to own a 3 Series wagon.

Car and Driver Take

The next BMW M3 could end up being one of the final great internal-combustion performance sedans—not because regulations demand it, but because BMW is choosing to fight for it.

While competitors chase electrification with increasingly complex hybrid systems, BMW is investing in making its inline-six cleaner, stronger, and more engaging without sacrificing what enthusiasts love most. The possibility of a manual transmission surviving into the next generation only reinforces that philosophy.

Yes, an electric M3 is coming. It may even be quicker.

But if BMW delivers on its promise, the combustion-powered M3 won’t feel like yesterday’s technology clinging to relevance. Instead, it’ll stand as a celebration of everything that has made the M3 one of the world’s benchmark sports sedans for nearly four decades.

And in an industry rapidly moving away from analog driving experiences, that might be the boldest move BMW M could make.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

BMW Sends the G80 Out with a Clutch Pedal and a Bang

BMW is closing the chapter on one of its most controversial modern M cars the only way it really knows how: with a limited-run special that leans hard into nostalgia, driver engagement, and just enough restraint to make enthusiasts argue about it for years.

Meet the BMW M3 CS Handschalter, a US-exclusive farewell to the sixth-generation BMW M3 and, more specifically, one of the last manual transmission M cars you’re likely to see in the modern era. It follows in the footsteps of the Z4 Handschalter in marking a quiet but definitive retreat from the six-speed manual in BMW M’s higher-output lineup.

At its core, this is still a CS model, which means BMW hasn’t simply bolted a clutch pedal into a standard car and called it a day. The Handschalter is 20 kg lighter than the regular M3, and up to 34 kg lighter when optioned with carbon-ceramic brakes. It sits 6 mm lower than the M3 Competition and receives the full CS chassis treatment: stiffer springs, dampers, and anti-roll bars tuned to sharpen response and reduce any remaining hint of softness.

Unlike the more familiar all-wheel-drive CS setup, this version returns to rear-wheel drive. That alone signals its intent. This is not the most secure, fastest-to-the-first-corner M3 configuration. It is the one that asks more of you—and gives more back when you get it right.

Power comes from BMW M’s twin-turbo inline-six, but in this application output drops to 473 hp, down 69 hp from the automatic CS. The reason is less philosophical than it sounds: BMW M limits torque and power on manual cars to preserve drivetrain durability. The eight-speed automatic can handle more abuse; the manual, not so much.

Even so, performance remains properly serious. BMW claims 0–60 mph in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph, which places it firmly in “don’t mistake this for a nostalgia exercise” territory. It still moves like a modern M car should, just with an extra layer of mechanical involvement between driver and road.

Visually and tactically, it gets the full CS treatment: yellow daytime running lights, bold striping options, and a palette that swings from subdued black to louder greens, reds, and purples. Inside, carbon-fiber bucket seats dominate the cabin, reinforcing the car’s track-first identity while still pretending, at least faintly, that you might daily it.

At $103,750 in the US, it also sits in familiar CS territory: expensive, exclusive, and very deliberately positioned as the “final word” rather than a volume seller. Unsurprisingly, there’s no indication it will reach Europe, where the manual M3 has already been phased out in favor of automatic-only configurations since the G80 launched in 2020.

And while this car closes one door, BMW is already opening another. The next-generation M3 is expected next year, and for the first time, it will include a fully electric variant. That model will reportedly use a four-motor setup producing well over 1,000 hp, with software-designed “engine character” meant to replicate the feel and sound of a combustion M car.

Alongside it, a heavily updated turbocharged inline-six M3 will continue the combustion lineage, engineered to meet Euro 7 regulations. BMW M executives have even suggested both versions will be priced in the same general bracket, a move that signals just how seriously the brand is taking its transition.

So the M3 CS Handschalter isn’t just another limited-run special. It’s a closing statement. A reminder that, for all the talk of electrification and future-proofing, BMW still knows how to build a driver’s car that asks you to do the shifting yourself—one last time.

Source: BMW

News

The Next BMW M3 Inline-Six Heads Into a Hybrid Future

BMW’s M division is writing a new chapter in one of its most celebrated stories. The next-generation M3 Sedan—known internally as the G84—is officially in development, and yes, it will still pack an internal combustion engine. BMW M CEO Frank van Meel has confirmed the car’s existence, and now, thanks to a set of spy shots, we’re getting our first look at the next evolution of Munich’s performance icon in motion.

The Mule Takes Shape

The prototype recently spotted in testing isn’t yet wearing its final production skin. Instead, it’s cloaked in a mix of widened fenders, temporary panels, and development camouflage—classic BMW pre-production attire. Even so, its proportions tell a story: this M3 has a broader stance and a more planted look than the current G80 model, signaling tweaks to both chassis geometry and suspension setup.

Peek closer, and you’ll notice familiar M hallmarks. The test car rides on lightweight M aluminum wheels shod in wide rubber, with cross-drilled brake rotors and massive M calipers visible behind them. Around back, the quad exhaust setup—a tradition stretching back to the E46 M3—leaves no doubt about what kind of prototype this is.

A New Face for the M3

Underneath the camouflage, there’s a hint of what’s to come for BMW’s design language. The G84’s front end appears to move away from the polarizing, oversized kidney grilles of recent M models. Instead, the prototype shows an elongated, horizontal grille layout, reminiscent of the Neue Klasse concept cars and the upcoming all-electric M3 (ZA0). Slim, dual-LED headlight units flank the grille, though the rest of the bumper design remains under thick covers.

From the side, flush door handles further tie this prototype to BMW’s future design direction, while at the rear, a subtle trunk lip and the signature M quad pipes carry the brand’s DNA forward. The taillights are still heavily disguised, suggesting BMW isn’t ready to show off the final light signature just yet.

Under the Hood: Six Cylinders, Now Electrified

While the exterior still hides in plain sight, insiders are already sketching the G84’s mechanical blueprint. Expect a 3.0-liter inline-six engine, likely an evolved version of the S58 unit, paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The small electric assist won’t turn the M3 into a hybrid heavyweight but will instead sharpen throttle response, smooth out low-end torque, and improve efficiency—similar in philosophy to Porsche’s upcoming 911 Hybrid.

Sources suggest power will start around 525 horsepower, with higher-output versions pushing closer to 560 hp. The hybrid integration isn’t about chasing numbers; it’s about maintaining balance, response, and precision—the qualities that have always defined the M3’s character.

Farewell, Manual

There’s one inevitable casualty of progress: the manual transmission. The new M3 will reportedly launch exclusively with an eight-speed automatic paired with xDrive all-wheel drive. With the G80/G82 M3/M4 and G87 M2 marking the end of manual M cars, the G84 will carry the torch for BMW’s performance future without the clutch pedal. Purists, take a deep breath—this is the reality of the modern performance car landscape.

Why Not Plug-In?

In contrast to the larger M5, which embraces a plug-in hybrid system, the M3 will deliberately avoid the PHEV route. BMW’s engineers argue that the extra battery weight and packaging demands would dull the car’s agility and compromise its track-day readiness. Instead, the lighter mild-hybrid setup offers a way to meet tightening emissions targets without sacrificing the M3’s razor-sharp handling.

The Road Ahead

The G84 M3 isn’t expected to debut before 2028, but its early test outings are a clear sign that BMW intends to keep the M3 nameplate alive well into the hybrid age. The brand’s challenge is clear: merge cutting-edge efficiency tech with the raw, emotional performance that made the M3 a legend.

If these first glimpses are any indication, BMW might just be on the right track—literally. The M3’s next chapter won’t abandon its roots; it will evolve them, bridging the past and the future one turbocharged, electrified rev at a time.

Source: BMWBlog