It has been a banner year for performance cars, with the launch of about a dozen new models, including the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang and Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG.
Now it’s BMW’s turn.
The M3, stuff of legends and myths, is all new for 2015. It loses weight, gains torque and, perhaps most importantly for auto enthusiasts, gets a new engine, which is smaller, but turbocharged to deliver even more power. Fuel efficiency reportedly improves by an impressive 25 percent.
The M3 is the vaunted high-performance version of the 3 Series, which BMW recently split into two separate lines. The sedan continues to be called the 3 Series, while the coupe is now called the 4 Series, under a new naming convention that uses odd numbers for cars with four doors and even numbers for those with two doors.
So starting with the 2015 model year, there will be an M3 Sedan and an M4 Coupe. Both had previously been called the M3.
The two new vehicles make their debut at the Detroit auto show in January and go on sale in early summer.
In Pictures: 2015 BMW M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe
The rear-wheel drive M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe have undergone substantial changes when compared with the outgoing M3. One of the most notable is that they have gotten lighter, despite being several inches larger.
At 3,300 pounds, the 2015 BMW M4 Coupe is 176 pounds lighter than the previous version. But even more impressive, the M4 Coupe weighs 100 pounds less than the model from two generations ago (known by its codename E46 to hardcore enthusiasts).
Downsizing the engine to a turbocharged inline six-cylinder—another big change—saved 22 pounds. BMW says this new engine is 25 percent more efficient than the outgoing V8, which delivered 14/20 miles per gallon in city/highway driving.
Yet the six-cylinder also boasts more oomph by comparison. It produces 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, making the 2015 coupe and sedan the most powerful versions of the car ever. Top speed is limited to 155 miles per hour.
Some are mourning the loss of the burly V8. Remaining inventory of 2013 M3s sold out quickly earlier this year because of rumors that the new version would offer a smaller engine.
But aficionados will appreciate the return of a six-cylinder, which is similar to the one used in the second and third generations of the M3. They also will relish in the standard manual six-speed transmission, a feature that is largely being abandoned by other automakers in favor of newfangled dual-clutch, paddle-shift transmissions. BMW says the 2015 coupe and sedan go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds with the manual transmission, down from 4.6 for the outgoing M3.
Not to be left out, BMW is offering a seven-speed paddle-shift transmission as an option. This makes for a slightly faster sprint to 60 mph of 3.9 seconds.
The new manual transmission is 26.4 pounds lighter and considerably more compact than the one it replaces. It also includes a feature that automatically blips the throttle on downshifts, mimicking a technique used by race car drivers. (The newly redesigned 2014 Chevy Corvette also has this feature.)
The 2015 BMW M4 Coupe replaces the M3 Coupe, according to a new naming convention the automaker is... [+]
Generally speaking, V8s sound better than six-cylinder engines, but BMW aims to ensure that the new M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe do not disappoint when it comes to their exhaust note. To that end, electrically actuated flaps in the exhaust pipes amplify the sound. The sound level can be controlled with different settings inside the car.
The 2015 models are loaded with impressive new technology, but the fact that they have dropped so much weight is critical, especially for performance cars, where added pounds can have a noticeable impact on handling dynamics and acceleration.
BMW is reintroducing the M3 Sedan for the 2015 model year. The last time BMW offered a new M-badged... [+]
Despite the adverse effects of piling on weight, it had become a foregone conclusion that each new version of the M3, which was first introduced in 1985 and is now in its fifth generation, would be larger and heavier than the one before. To be fair, that also had been the case with almost every other vehicle on the market.
But not anymore. Stringent fuel economy standards have prompted automakers to start cutting pounds, because lighter is better when it comes to improving miles per gallon.
Less weight is also better for performance, which bodes well for the new M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe. The 2015 models use aluminum instead of heavier steel for the hood, front fenders and various suspension components. They also use carbon-fiber reinforced plastic for various parts, including the roof panel.
The new roof saves 11 pounds on the M3 Sedan and more than 13 pounds on the M4 Coupe when compared with the metal roof on the 3 Series Sedan and 4 Series Coupe. Subtracting weight from the highest point on the vehicle has the added benefit of lowering the center of gravity, which aids handling dynamics.
Various aerodynamic improvements were made to both cars, the most visible of which are evident in the revised front and rear bumpers. (Go to the slideshow to get a better look at the new styling.)
The 2015 BMW M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe have a plethora of settings to tailor the steering, suspension and transmission to one’s tastes.
Virtually every automaker has been blunting the driving experience through the use of electric steering, which improves fuel economy. BMW is no exception. But as a company known for its sporty cars, BMW aims to maintain an edge over competitors by honing the mechanical aspects of the M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe. One example is an innovative carbon-fiber brace that ties the front suspension towers together to enhance steering response. So-called “strut tower braces” have been around for a long time, but BMW's horseshoe-shaped one looks radically different than the usual design.
The 8,000-word press release BMW put out is chock full of esoteric terms describing numerous other improvements to the chassis of the 2015 M models—such as “play-free ball joints and elastomeric bearings” and “double-elastic mounting for the rear differential within the rear axle subframe.” The upshot here is that these are the kinds of obsessive changes that ensure the M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe will remain at the forefront of the performance car market.
As expected, the new M3 and M4 were tested extensively on the notoriously punishing Nurburgring racing circuit in Germany. Experienced racers Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock—who drive in the German Touring Car Masters series for the BMW Motorsport team—helped with the development.
“The suspension has a very sporty set-up: the feedback from the front axle is extremely direct, the grip at the rear axle is phenomenal and the engine performance is awesome,” Spengler says in the press release.
He also offers a positive review of the electric steering, saying it is "very precise" and "responds instantly to inputs."
The 2015 BMW M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe aren’t just about spirited driving, though. They remain well-rounded cars with all of the creature comforts and amenities of the vehicles on which they are based, but with a few enhancements, such as even more comfortable and supportive sport seats. Basically, they are practical performance cars as adept at everyday driving as they are at racing around a track.
A leather-clad steering wheel and heavily bolstered sport seats are standard on both the 2015 BMW M3... [+]
Many regard the BMW M3 as the standard by which all sport coupes and sedans are measured. While other companies are quickly catching up—as Cadillac has done with its new ATS sedan and Lexus with the recently introduced IS—BMW holds an advantage. The German automaker benefits from decades of engineering and racing prowess dating back to the early 1960s, when it introduced the 1500, 1600 and 2002 models, which many consider to be the world’s first true sport sedans.
Besides the Cadillac ATS-V and the Lexus IS F, competitors include the Audi RS 5 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. (Click here to read about how the Black Series version of the C63 AMG handled on the racetrack shortly after its launch.)
Though BMW has not released full specs and pricing, the 2015 M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe are expected to cost slightly more than the outgoing M3, in keeping with the company's recent pricing strategy. The 2013 BMW M3 Coupe had a starting price of $60,100, excluding a $925 destination charge. (The last time BMW offered an M-badged version of the 3 Series Sedan was for the 2011 model year.)
Look for more details on the new M3 and M4 after their world debut at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The auto show is open to the public January 18 through 26.
Get a closer look at the newly redesigned BMWs:
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