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The Future BMW M3 will be tri-turbo!
 
BMW’s M division has always been known for consistently pushing the envelope in performance and engineering. For example, the E30 M3 had a ferocious 192 horsepower inline-4 that had thrust comparable to a Jupiter missile and could still go around a corner properly. The next generation E36 M3 was powered by a brand new six cylinder engine with 240 horsepower. M’s desire to be the automotive equivalent of Magellan didn’t start or end with the M3 - the e60 M5 set the bar high with its revolutionary V10 which revved to over 7000 rpm! - but BMW keeps excelling at taking the sports car to the next level. Proof of this comes in the latest details for the future M3. According to AutoExpress, the new M3 (due out in 2014) will revert back to a six cylinder motor as opposed to the current V8. But just because it has lost two cylinders to the relentless push for greater fuel economy, don’t think that the innovation has stopped. The newest engineering masterpiece from BMW is the tri-turbo engine. That’s right, an engine with three turbos. How does this work? Well, the first two will be rather conventional since they will run off exhaust gasses, but the third will be an electric turbo. This new engine will reportedly push out around 450 horsepower and, in addition to this inventive engine, AutoExpress reports that BMW will add more carbon fiber parts to help lower the weight. If this M3 does come into production, BMW will set an engineering benchmark that few can hope to surpass and a performance threshold that will set them atop the heap. 2011 BMW M3 by Active Autowerke and MAC
Who said that American tuners do not know how to update a German sports coupe? Active Autowerke, a Miami-based tuning shop, and Mac Auto Couture have unveiled two impressive update packages for the new BMW M3 Coupe. Their updates include significant exterior and interior improvements, but also many changes made under the hood. And although the two tuners said nothing about the new output, it is rumored that the 420 HP was left far behind. Their package include a new front bumper, carbon Kevlar front splitters, a vented race hood, carbon Kevlar vents, new rear diffuser, carbon boot lid, REcaro seats, KW Clubsport Coilovers, performance steering wheel flat bottom. One of the most impressive packages is the one painted in Ithaca Green. It features all steel widebody conversion to quarter panels, complete color change to Lamborghini Ithaca Verde pearl green, dry carbon fiber roof, dry carbon fiber Vorsteiner front spoiler and rear diffuser, Vorsteiner Aero bootlid, moldings and mirror bases painted matte black and a new set of 20" wheels. For the engine upgrades the tuners also placed a new supercharger kit and a new exhaust system with custom tips. BMW M3 CRT already sold out!
BMW’s newest special edition hasn’t even been out for a week yet and already there are reports stating that the BMW M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) has completely sold out. That’s right, according to German magazine, Autobild, any hopes of owning one of the 67 available units may be dashed. That being said, we’ll play it on the safe side and wait for the official confirmation from BMW before sticking a fork in this special edition. If this rumor does hold any water, don’t expect BMW to amp up their production efforts to quench the demand. An insider has already stated that the company only has the resources and timeframe to produce 67 units, and a total of zero of those units will be making their way over to the States. Once again, the US gets a big fat goose egg on the cool special edition models and what’s worse, the BMW M3 CRT didn’t even need the US market to fill its orders. The newest and coolest feature on the new M3 CRT is the CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) components. What makes the CRT unique is that BMW has taken the leftover CFRP and reprocessed it with synthetic resin to create a bonnet that has the strength of a conventional steel hood at a quarter of its weight. This new hood is even 50% lighter than an aluminum hood. Add this component to the 4,360 cc V8 producing a total of 450 HP at 8,300 rpm and a peak torque of 324 lbs-ft at 3,750 rpm and you get 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. 2012 BMW M3 CRT
BMW chose the M Night event in the lead-up to the Nürburgring 24-hour race to debut the sedan version of the BMW M3 GTS. The new model is called the M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) and debuts the new production process for CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) components. It will be limited to only 67 units, each priced at 130,000 euro - or about $185,000 at the current exchange rates. Like with the GTS, the new M3 CRT’s drive system, chassis technology, and intelligent lightweight design has been inspired directly by motor sport. It features a weight reduction and a more powerful engine, but the main feature of the M3 CRT is the car’s bonnet which is made from a cellular carbon honeycomb This material is produced in a globally unique process pioneered for the manufacturer of body components for the BMW i3 and BMW i8 models. UPDATE 06/28/2011: BMW’s newest special edition hasn’t even been out for a week yet and already there are reports stating that the BMW M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) has completely sold out. That’s right, according to German magazine, Autobild, any hopes of owning one of the 67 available units may be dashed. If this rumor does hold any water, don’t expect BMW to amp up their production efforts to quench the demand. An insider has already stated that the company only has the resources and timeframe to produce 67 units, and a total of zero of those units will be making their way over to the States. Once again, the US gets a big fat goose egg on the cool special edition models and what’s worse, the BMW M3 CRT didn’t even need the US market to fill its orders. Hit the jump to read more about the BMW M3 CRT. Full story 2011 BMW M3 Frozen Black Edition
This time last year, BMW was teasing their all new M3 Frozen Gray Edition with the high maintenance exterior paint job and 30 unit limit. It didn’t matter how irrational the purchase was, all 30 units were immediately sold out - it only took 12 minutes - and BMW is hoping to have a repeat performance with the special edition 2011 Frozen Black Edition M3 Coupe. That’s right, BMW just made the frozen paint that much hotter by slapping on some black paint. The Frozen Black Edition M3 Coupe will be distinguished by BMW’s Individual Frozen Black exterior paint with a deep metallic luster to accentuate the athletic lines of the legendary M3. The interior will look much like last year’s model with Novillo Leather and unique red-contrast stitching. The package will also add M3 GTS black wheels, red brake calipers, and gloss black exterior trim elements. The engine powering this bad boy will also go unchanged, so expect to see the same 4.0-liter, 414 HP M V8 engine equipped with BMW’s M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT). The 2011 Frozen Black M3 will be limited to only 20 units, but one model is going to be held back at BMW North America to no doubt make a killing at an auction at a later date. However, if you want to be one of the lucky 19 to pick one up, then call BMW at 1-800-245-4269 no earlier than 11:30AM Eastern Time (8:30AM Pacific) on Thursday, June 16, 2011 and make sure you have $79,650 to part with. We’d put several reminders on your smartphone too because something tells us those 19 units will be eradicated in less than 12 minutes. UPDATE 06/17/2011: As you might have already expected, the M3 Frozen Black Edition has been sold out! It only took 22 minutes for anxious customers to swipe the 20 units, which surprisingly is 10 minutes longer than last year’s Frozen Gray edition. Guess the upkeep on the paint job was a real b*tch! Hit the jump for the full equipment list. Full story2011 BMW M3 Carbon Edition
Is it just us or has the Chinese market received tons of special edition BMW M3s lately? In March, the company unveiled an M3 Coupe Matte Edition after last year’s M3 Tiger Edition, and they’re prepping the market for another one: the M3 Carbon Edition. This new special edition is limited to only 111 units and deliveries will begin in July at a starting price of 1.23 million yuan, or about $189,000 at the current exchange rates. As its name suggests, the M3 Carbon Edition is all about carbon fiber. It will include a carbon fiber roof, black wheels, an auto scanner, a carbon fiber kit, carbon fiber rear spoiler, high-gloss chrome trim, and contrasting white and black leather with white stitching on the interior. A "carbon edition" logo on the door handles will help to further identify the special edition. The carbon fiber roof reduces the car’s weight by about 11 lbs, but it also lowers the center of gravity. Under the hood, everything remains unchanged: a 420 HP V8 engine matched to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission Drivelogic. 2011 BMW M3 GTRS3 Candy Cane by Vorsteiner
We have seen lots of tuning updates for the BMW M3, but this is without a doubt the sweetest interpretation of the sports car. Tuning firm, Vorsteiner, threw a little sugar on the M3 and calls it the "GTRS3 Candy Cane" because of its pure white exterior combined with striking red elements, including red side mirrors, wheels, bits of the bonnet, and the BMW logo. It’s not every day we see a red BMW logo, but we think the company will forgive the color swapping for this ride. Adding to the exterior look of the M3 is the new aerodynamic package. Vorsteiner strapped on a carbon fiber wide body conversion, a vented carbon fiber race hood, and a VRS carbon fiber boot lid. The lightweight titanium exhaust system and the new set of red V-309 Forged 5 Spoke wheels size 20" combined with Michelin PS2 Sport Tires 285/25/20 325/25/20 complete the look. A KW V3 EDC Coil over suspension system was also thrown in to absorb the bumps through CandyLand. As for the engine, Vorsteiner has created two different stages to boost power, but specifics have yet to be revealed. What we do know is that Stage II is ready to pump out up to 620 HP, which is a good 200 HP over the standard version. BMW bringing four models to Frankfurt
BMW is rather busy preparing their lineup for the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. Apparently, they are showing up with no less than four world premiers: the M5, the M3 GTS sedan, the redesigned 1-Series, and the i3. So, if you plan on taking a trip to Germany during that period, you should definitely make a stop in Fankfurt to soak up all of the automotive goodness scheduled to appear. While the first three models in the line-up are no surprise, the i3 will definitely steal the show. Unfortunately, it will not be a production version, but it will give us a good idea for what to expect in 2013. According to BMW, the i3 will be the world’s first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon. It will feature an electric motor with an output of about 150 HP and a top speed of 100 mph. It is rumored that the i3 will have an autonomy of 160 miles. Video: BMW RR vs. BMW M3
Does a BMW M3 get the lead during a race against the BMW S 1000 RR just because it has an extra two wheels? BMW Motorrad chose to tackle that question with a duel of sorts between Rico’s two-wheeled motorcycle and Nico’s luxury four-wheeled sports car. Anyone prepared to watch the video should probably know that the 999 cc four cylinder inline engine found in the S 1000 RR and the 4.0 L V8 sitting snug in the BMW M3 were both given a proper tuning upgrade that added a new Akrapovnic exhaust system. This new exhaust provided both machines with a few extra HP. Another thing to know before watching is that each vehicle started the race on the opposite side of the other, hence the title, The Chase. Any guesses on which beast caught up to the other? Watch the video to see for yourself. 2011 BMW M3 GTS by G-Power
The BMW M3 GTS is no doubt one of the most impressive M3s ever: lightweight body parts, carbon aerodynamic parts, titanium exhaust, racing suspension, roll cage, and racing bucket seats with six-point seat-belts. However, according to G-Power, the GTS is missing one important thing - ultimate output - and the German tuner is ready to offer it. In order to increase the car’s output, G-Power is offering a "Sporty Drive" supercharger system, adapted specifically for the BMW M3 GTS. The new system will increase the car’s output from a standard of 450 HP to 635 HP and 464 lb-ft of torque. The new "Sporty Drive" supercharged system is combined with a lightweight, all-titanium exhaust system that delivers the necessary reduction in exhaust back pressure. The exhaust, developed specifically to suit the requirements of the SK II supercharger system, is equipped with 100 cpsi metal catalytic converters. With the new output, the G-Power M3 GTS will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and to 124 mph in 11.9 seconds. Top speed is 200 mph. If you are interested in obtaining the new "Sporty Drive" system, G-Power is offering it for a price of €23,500 - or about $33,500 at the current exchange rates - not including taxes or installation. | featured reviews: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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