2008 BMW M3 Arrives
The fourth generation BMW M3 Coupé is a technical tour de force. With 420hp, the V8-engined performance car is capable of zero to 100kmh in 4.8 seconds. While engine capacity, cylinder count and output have all increased compared to the previous M3’s six-cylinder unit, engineers have managed to reduce power plant weight and introduce elements of BMW’s EfficientDynamics programme.
The use of lightweight engine components means the 3,999cc engine weighs 15kgs less than the previous 3.2-litre six-cylinder. Brake Energy Regeneration combines with an induction system featuring eight individual throttle butterflies and double-VANOS variable valve technology for the best performance. Such technology is why the new BMW M3 posts a consumption figure of 12.4l/km on the combined cycle, an eight per cent improvement over the outgoing car.
The standard specification for New Zealand will feature a carbon fibre reinforced plastic roof, a new M differential, and compound brakes, M Drive, BMW Navigation and specific M Seats with the luxury leather you would expect.
In addition to the standard car, the M3 “High performance” receives electronic damping control (sport, normal or comfort), Adaptive headlights, high beam assistant, heated front seats, BMW Individual high gloss satin gloss exterior, Hi-Fi professional with LOGIC7, 19” M double spoke alloys and the M Driver package with greater performance. New owners will also be invited to participate in BMW Driving Training.
Awarded Excellence in Popular Performance
The BMW M3 has won Popular Mechanics' 2008 Automotive Excellence Award in the performance category, presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The all-new M3 Coupé and M3 Sedan made their North American debuts at the LA Auto Show. The BMW M3 Coupé has been on sale in New Zealand since October 2007 and the BMW M3 Sedan is due to arrive in early 2008.
In its December 2007 article about the awards, Popular Mechanics automotive editors praise the new V8-powered BMW M3 as "one of the few performance cars that can triumph at weekend track days and still carry four friends in perfect comfort and luxury to an evening movie...The M3 is elegant and powerful, and it does its job at a comfort level not many cars can match."
Each year, to determine the winners of the Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards, the magazine's editors drive more than 100 of the newest cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles, amassing well over 100,000 miles in the process. Through their experiences on extended test drives around the world, instrumented comparison tests and longer-term evaluations, the auto team nominates a list of vehicles in each category. Those selections are put to a vote and the top vote getters in each category win an Automotive Excellence Award.