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2008 BMW M3 SEDAN - JUST ADD DOORS
BMW’s product strategy might be predictable, but it’s undeniably effective. As sure as night follows day, a new 3-series sedan is followed by a coupe, then a convertible, then a high-performance variation. You could even argue that the inevitability of an M3 version following the introduction of all the new 3-series models adds eager anticipation among the cognoscenti.
And now, like the next mortar round in an incoming barrage, news of the M3 sedan has arrived with a bang, prior to its official world debut in October at the Tokyo auto show. The sedan version, of course, is for those drivers who simply must have four doors and space for five in their warp-drive suburban supercars. Why impress just one passenger when you can seat an audience of four?
To nobody’s surprise, the M3 sedan uses exactly the same powertrain as the M3 coupe—the splendid 414-horsepower four-cam V-8 with its eight throttle bodies, fly-by-wire throttle control, and double-VANOS variable valve timing system. Thus we can expect the same flexible torque spread and ease of operation along with the sizzling 8400-rpm rev ceiling and blazing acceleration.
BMW quotes 0-to-62 mph in 4.9 seconds, but since we have tested the coupe (in less than optimal conditions) at 4.4 seconds, and the sedan doesn’t differ much from that car in size and weight, we’d imagine sub 4.5-second sprints are extremely likely.
Dimensionally, Sedan and Coupe Are Almost Twins.
The dimensions of the M3 sedan are pretty much identical to those of the coupe, including wheelbase, height, and width. BMW’s figures for the sedan’s length are actually slightly shorter than those published earlier for the coupe (180.3 inches vs 181.7 inches), but perhaps this is due to bad arithmetic rather than actual dimensional variances.
The M3 coupe's most recognizable visual cue, its woven black carbon-fiber roof, doesn't carry over to the M3 sedan. Other than that, the primary difference between the two models is clearly the roofline and body-side stamping—the things that provide the car with four-door architecture. Apart from the doors, the roof, the luggage compartment lid, the windows, and the rear lights—all of which come directly from the regular 3-series sedan—the M3 sedan’s bodywork looks to have been carried over directly from the M3 coupe (with the obvious exception of the four door panels).
That includes the bulging hood with its functional intake vent, the flared front fender panels, even the addition of what BMW calls a Gurney flap on the trailing edge of the trunk lid. Also mimicking the coupe, the M3 sedan has low-profile, 40-series high-performance 18-inch (19s are optional) Michelin Pilot PS2 rubber all around, with 14-inch composite brake rotors visible through a split-spoke alloy wheel design.
As in the coupe, the car’s suspension benefits from the extensive use of aluminum, and the same variable M-differential lock system optimizes rear drive-wheel grip. And just as in the coupe, BMW’s electronic damper control system—featuring three selectable control maps—is offered as an option in the sedan.
Chassis Tuned For the Sedan.
Since the weight distribution is different in a sedan and the steel roof makes for a higher center of gravity, BMW engineers embarked on a specific chassis-tuning exercise for the four-door car. The objectives were the same, however, and the company claims that the sedan will circulate the Nordschleife (northern loop) of the Nürburgring and achieve “almost the same lap times.”
Although the four-door profile and roofline gives the M3 sedan a more mature, less overtly sporting appearance, there are really very few detail differences other than the interior space and rear-seat design, whose contours were borrowed directly from the other 3-series cars. It’s clear that BMW intended the sedan to convey the same pure sporting sense as its door-challenged sibling.
Unsurprisingly, the interior styling is identical, with specific M-design gauges, steering wheel, and doorsill logos reminding occupants of the car’s special provenance. The same variable red-zone tachometer counsels the driver about appropriate engine speeds at lower temperatures, and the same six-speed shifter selects gears. Alas, even the iDrive knob is the same.
Now that technology has endowed almost all vehicles with potentially the same usable performance regardless of body style, BMW’s two-tier approach to its M3 makes more sense than ever. More doors means more practicality with the same amount of fun. Everybody wins. At least, everybody with sixty grand to spend on personal transport. Yeah, must be nice.
*citation*