It's been a while since the last F80 M3 spy photos, but we've now spotted the next generation F80 BMW M3 Sedan undergoing winter testing in Sweden. Compared to the previous spyshots, the F80 prototype has lost a bit of camouflage - mostly at the rear which now shows the tail lights in their full glory. The car's appearance is low, wide, and impressive with massive fender flares. The M3's kidney grilles are also very obviously styled in a sleeker/sportier shape than the F30 3 series sedan. The production version will also get dedicated M3 exterior mirrors not yet shown on the prototypes.
We also spot 4 piston fixed caliper brakes at the front and 2 piston fixed piston calipers at the rear axle, mated to the M trademark slotted drilled brake discs. BMW M's newly developed active rear differential will likely make it to the new M3.
The engine is still a bit of a guessing game. Of the options sampled by BMW M earlier, both the 3L N55-based inline 6 and the 3.3L S63 based V6 still seem possible. Both engines would be aspirated by at least two turbochargers (three if you count the electric assist turbocharger we first broke news about here). Output is expected to be in the ballpark of 450hp which is plenty considering that BMW is set to reduce the weight compared to the E9x M3 models.
Read Article