BMW Unveils M3 Concept Car
There is a reason why when a new “M” car is born, it creates a ruckus among car enthusiasts. The BMW Motorsport department or “M” has been known to release some of the best performing, and fastest cars on the race track and the road. Now, the new M3 is just around the corner, and I have high hopes for this car.
From the photos I have seen, the car seems to be a step forward in terms of appearance over the current 3 Series (E90). Although M3 will be based on the E92 (which is basically a coupe version of the E90), it appears that the only body panels they will have in common are the doors, and possibly the headlamps and tail lamps!
I am a bit disappointed to see that the driver oriented cockpit of older BMW’s have not returned on this M car. The dashboard is still the same flat unit seen on the newer “Bangle” cars. Older BMW’s have a curved dashboard with the ventilation, radio and other switches and controls angled towards the driver. This used to be a welcome design feature that gave drivers an added sense of control. The reason why BMW might remove such a nice feature is beyond me.
Judging from the interior photos, I am happy to see that a normal manual tranny will be available for the new M3. Some drivers (like me) still prefer a normal stick shift with 3 pedals compared to a paddle shifter. I enjoy having to heel and toe or rev match my shifts. Having a computer do that for me in my opinion, takes away some of the fun factor in driving. For those who want that Formula 1 feel in the car, or for those who want to shave off every single tenth of a second they can in a race track, I am sure the M3 will also be released with SMG paddle shifters.
The “power bulge” on the bonnet will house a high revving, high performance V8. I would guess that such a power plant would most likely require a huge amount of air to operate, hence the necessity of large vents on the front apron of the car. I am curious to see if they will install an entirely new engine for the production version, or if they will use the same engine found in the E39 M5’s.
Personally, I would want a smaller and lighter engine than the V8. Some people might argue that BMW needed more power in order to stay competitive, so a V8 would be a logical move. For me, if they had kept the car light by removing all of those driver aids and luxury items, they wouldn’t need such a powerful engine to be fast. Lotus have been doing that with a fair amount of success on the Elise and Exige.
Overall, the new M3 looks good so far. I am sure it will become a fine weapon of choice for the track, and still work well as a daily city commuter. I hope it lives up to what an M car should be, “The ultimate driving machine”.
