BMW M3 featured in Feb. issue of CAR
The February issue of CAR Magazine based in the U.K. isn't set to go on newsstands until January 3rd. The cover, however, which reveals what appears to be an official shot of the new BMW E92 M3 rear end, is already up on the buff book's website, while pages of the accompanying article are being hosted on M3Post.com and GermanCarScene (we'll refrain from posting them here on account of the obvious illegality of scans). In the issue, the BMW M3 is called The Most Exciting Car of the Year, no doubt due to the anticipation of its release, which has been fueled by a steady stream of spy shots and rumors of a 400+ hp V8 under the car's long hood. The article inside the issue states that the new M3 will cost £48,000 GBP, or about $94,000 USD (!) if you trust exchange rates. It goes on to reveal that the engine is indeed a 4.0-liter V8 producing 420bhp, but that the motor can only propel the M3 to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. The current M3 with "only" a 333-hp, 3.2-liter inline-six can manage that in skilled hands, which casts some doubt on the information provided (an over 100% price increase, seriously?). So take the info with a grain of salt, but the scans of CAR Magazine's February issue sure look like official shots from the manufacturuer to us.
Thanks for the tip, Disco Stu!
[Source: M3Post.com via GermanCarScene]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
zlh 4:39PM (12/31/2006)
Don't trust that price. Any Top Gear fan knows that cars in the UK cost a LOT more. its not uncommon for the cost in British pounds to be close to the cost in US dollars.
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Bowserusc 4:40PM (12/31/2006)
Seems like something's off to me. The details just seem a little wrong. Plus things are usually cheaper in the US than their direct exchange rate.
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Ben 4:41PM (12/31/2006)
You should know by now that you can't trust straight exchange rates when it comes to selling cars in the US compared to the UK. For comparison, the Audi RS4 cost about £50,000 in the UK, but only $66,000 in the US. So you're probably looking at around $63,000 for the M3 in the US then, which is a slight premium over the last one, but definitely not 100%.
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Jeff Banks 4:53PM (12/31/2006)
Weirdly the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at that rear end was Toyota Corolla.
Good or bad, I think everyone is going to be happy that the old back end is leaving (except me, i've rather grown fond of it)
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jon... 4:51PM (12/31/2006)
Price is wrong. All the other M3's were priced high in non US markets as well. Consider the M5's price, they wouldent make he M3 that price when you think about it. Im betting $55k or so. Maybe less.
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MMMMM M3 5:28PM (12/31/2006)
Yeah, that price is a little bit high. While I dont doubt there will be a price increase, I dont think it's a 100% increase.
Plus, Car's times seem a little sluggish on certain cars. I think they show times of what every Average Joe will get. I think in an issue a while back, they clocked a 300C doing the 0-60 run in like 6.2 sec when everyone else was getting mid fives.
Oh well, can't wait for the new M3. I wish they would have stuck with the straight six but a V-8 is nice...
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chuck 5:18PM (12/31/2006)
To back up the previous posters, the current M3 convirt. costs £45,195, which is $88,582, as opposed to $56,600 for the same car in the US. The new M3 should be mid to low 60's.
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wibble 5:21PM (12/31/2006)
£48k sounds about the right price. UK prices can not and should not be used as straight exchange rate conversion, cause they'll always come out far to expensive.
For comparision the current M3 Coupe 3.2 SMG costs £43,493 in the UK so a £5,000 (10%) increase would be inline with previous increases going from E46's to E9x's cars.
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jon... 5:27PM (12/31/2006)
It is hard to beat the service with BMW, but the CTS-V is great to drive. I do own a BMW 330 but with the last generation I actualy liked the CTSV better then the M3 SMG. Some of it could have been the SMG, but the CTS had so much more torque. If I could afford either one I would get it in a sec. I dont modify my cars but if you do the CTSV has what amounts to a corvette engine so there are a ton of parts. Interior quality is not a BMW, but its as good as most NEAR-Luxery brands (volvo, saab...). My brother used to own one but traded up to the STSV so I had a fair amount of driving time in both. As far as the STSV goes, its no M5, or E55. But then if you get it used you can get a substantial discount...think 20-30k less then a new M5 with 10-20k miles...
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John P. 5:43PM (12/31/2006)
Mid 60's for that? sorry but an M3 just isn't worth it. $50k max.
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Ian 10:26PM (12/31/2006)
1) UK cars basically are priced high
2) UK cars inlcude VAT whereas US cars don't include State Sales tax (much lower)
3) The exchange rate is way out of reality these days and BMW cannot convert car costs from the Euro to the Dollar or they would lose all sales
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E46M3Owner 12:44PM (1/03/2007)
While these may or may not be BMW's offical photo's - the looks do not stir my soul like when I first saw the E46 M3. There's one number I want to see and that is weight. The E46 is just too heavy. While it has tons of real world grip, every time I throw it into a corner I feel the weight. If this thing weighed 3000lbs, I'd bite the bullet on looks and trade in my E46. However, I just don't think that's the direction BMW is going in.
The one thing I envy about Corvette's year after year is that they make it a priority to keep the weight down.
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Mike G 7:06PM (12/31/2006)
Speaking of what isn't worth the price: Car magazine now that they've changed the format from an informative all around car mag to a new elitist supercar/lifestyle focus. I guess they decided it was more fun just writing for doctors, lawyers and white collar criminals.
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the friendly grizzly 9:24PM (12/31/2006)
To #5: I thought the same thing about that back end. Thanks for confirming it.
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MikeW 7:16PM (12/31/2006)
The M3 should have direct injection, making 450hp from a 4.0 flat plane crank V8
and then the M5 should also have direct injection so 550hp from 5 liters.
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Jon 7:24PM (12/31/2006)
I will agree with Mike G, Car isn't the read that it used to be. Apparently BMW's styling isn't what it used to be either, if that back-end view is indeed accurate.
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chewy 9:02PM (12/31/2006)
Not even a BMW fan here, but you never convert European prices to American prices. They include lots of built in taxes and fees in the advertised price. Second, European manufacturers usaully underestimate their 0-62mph (not 60 and it does make a difference) acceleration times. The 335i coupe according to the BMW UK site costs 33,420 pounds or 65,556 [actual US price is 40,600] the BMW UK sites also lists 0-62 itme of 5.5 seconds for the 335i coupe but we know it has done 0-60 in as little as 4.8 seconds.
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Car videos & Motorcycle videos 10:35PM (12/31/2006)
I think the BMW 335i twin turbo will defiantly impact the BMW M3 sales, with a ECU the 335i should have close power levels as the M3.
http://www.dpccars.com
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paul 10:48PM (12/31/2006)
UGLY!!!OVERPRICED!!!OVERRATED!!!UNRELIABLE!!!
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Dennis 1:44AM (1/01/2007)
That is very ugly. The current M3..looks like an M3..That looks like a POS!! The rear of it reminds me of a Mercury Milan. The new BMWs suck in style. Buy a 2007 SLK55 AMG for $54,000. 5.5 Liter AMG Built-V8..has less horsepower than the BMW, yet still manages 0 to 60 in the same amount of time as the 08' M3!! SLK55 Is so much more stylish than M3, and handles better.
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