Autoblog

click above image for more high-res shots of the 2008 BMW M3

We're admittedly smitten over the new BMW M3 coupe and have passed along every morsel of information we've come across over the past few months. With the new M3 officially unveiled, however, the only real question left unanswered is how much it will cost. Today we've learned that if you live in Her Majesty's kingdom, a new 2008 BMW M3 coupe will cost you £50,625. If you're curious, that equates to $101,300.63 USD, which means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Along with being the most capable M3 ever produced, however, it's clear next year's model will also be the most expensive. That's the price you pay for a 420-hp V8 that can rush this Bimmer to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

click on the above image to view all the colors of the M3 rainbow

We're secure enough to admit that the production version of the BMW M3 coupe looks better than we expected. Some among the team credit the hot Melbourne Red paint job the car is wearing in BMW's first batch of official photos. While the car's design is certainly a wicked canvas, the paint color in which it's dipped makes a big difference. BMW's International website has an interactive feature allowing one to display the new M3 in any of its eight available colors, which include Alpine White, Black, Sparkling Graphite, Space Gray, Interlagos Blue, Jerez Black, Silverstone II and the aforementioned Melbourne Red. Not only that, the interface allows you to rotate the M3 in a full 360-degree circle, as well as change the wheels from the standard 18-inch, double spoke alloys to the optional forged-and-polished 19-inch wheels that come with their own anti-thefy security device.

The M3's brochure states that metallic paintwork is an option, which likely means that a portion of these colors will cost you extra. We've added pics of the M3 wearing every color with both sets of wheels to our gallery in case you're not interested in waiting for BMW's color changer to load.

[Source: BMW via M3post]

Click image for 35 high-res photos

We knew this was coming because the story broke a few days ago (Thanks, AutoWeek!), but it's always helpful when the automakers back it up with scads of photographs and the bona-fide PR details. Frank covered the essentials on April 3rd, and we recommend you check his post out if you haven't already. To review, here's a quick, bare-bones summary of the official details surrounding the '08 M3 Coupé:

• First-ever V8 M3
• New engine weighs 33 lbs. less than the outgoing M3's six-cylinder
• 420 horsepower/295 lb-ft at 3900 rpm, 8400 rpm max engine speed
• 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds, 155 mph top speed (electronically limited)
• 6-speed manual tranny
• MDrive - allows configuration and retrieval of driver-specific performance settings
• All-new aluminum suspension
• Carbon fiber reinforced roof
• Usual complement of "M" appearance, aerodynamic upgrades. Minimal body panel carryover from 3-series coupe
• Regenerative braking used to power the car's on-board network

The exhaustive press release from BMW is pasted after the jump, and gets deep into the nitty-gritty (with the usual caveat that all info posted relates to the Euro-model). We also have 35 new photos in the attached gallery for your enjoyment. Is it just us, or does the production M3 look even more striking than the M3 Concept shown in Geneva? Perhaps it's the photo car's Melbourne Red color, which goes nicely with the gunmetal grey wheels it sports. Now we want to see the sedan version!

[Source: BMW]