Known by most as the ultimate representation of the BMW ethos, the BMW M3 is an essential installation in the powerful and dominant line of Motorsport machines. Specially designed to attract driving purists, the BMW M3 has been a driver's favorite for decades. The next generation is on the horizon and is expected to debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show with BMW M's new 3.0-liter, S58 engine with 474 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. That is a substantial improvement over the 444 horsepower of the 2018 BMW M3 Competition. The power bump is crucial as the new BMW M3 faces stiffer competition in the shape of the 500+ horsepower Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, 500+ horsepower Mercedes-AMG C63 S, and the impressive 450-horsepower Audi RS4.

2020 BMW M3 Is Lighter, Stiffer, And Has A More-Powerful Engine Than Ever Before

Carbon-Core architecture created with a fusion of light materials like aluminum, ultra-high-tensile steel, magnesium, and carbon fiber is the most critical cause for a significant weight loss of 65 kilograms (143.3 pounds). BMW Motorsport, who is in charge of creating the best M3 the world has ever seen, will take full advantage of the new architecture by gifting the M3 with perfect weight distribution and surgically precise steering. This is a design philosophy that will potentiate the drivers to focus on precisely tailoring their driving skills on and off track. All to advance the cause of merging human and machine in a way no other performance sedan ever did. And, of course, thus making the M3 and its overseer faster than anything else on the track (or the road).

Unlike previous generations of the M3, the new car is expected to have an all-wheel-drive system as standard equipment.

Rear-biased AWD, of course.

I suppose it is a similar setup to what the BMW M5 has now. It may be blasphemy to link all that with an automatic transmission, but that is precisely what is in store for the 2020 BMW M3 G80.

Yes, a six-speed manual transmission. Allegedly, Motorsport gurus call this a project the BMW M3 Pure, and it could be the best thing from the company in a long time. However, due to manual transmission limitations, Motorsport has to detune a new engine a bit - allegedly, to 454 horsepower and 450-ish pound-feet of torque. Nothing to sneeze at but be advised that in the real world, the M3 with xDrive and an automatic will be quicker and faster. Considerably so.

I am genuinely interested in what BMW M plans to do with the Competition nameplate? Can we expect an even more powerful BMW M3 Competition in the future? Maybe an M3 with 500+ horsepower? It is a definite possibility considering that many of the competitors push past 500 horsepower and that the X3 M Competition's engine delivers 503 horsepower.

Although based on BMW's B58 engine, the 3.0-liter, inline-six, S58 engine is, in reality, a heavily upgraded version of it. Some of the critical changes over the B58 include:

-* Upgraded compressors

-* Indirect intercooler

-* Air intake system with a pressure loss reduction

-* Electronically controlled wastegate

-* Injection pressure of 350 bars (up from 200 bars)

Add to this the high-performance exhaust system, whole new software management, and more responsive throttle response, and you have a hit.

As seen in the BMW X4 M and the BMW X3 M, the M-tuned S58 engine develops 474 horsepower. It will make the same power in the standard BMW M3 G80.

BMW M3 G80 Stiffness, Suspension, and Braking

The 2015 BMW M3 F80's braking distance is 99 feet. I believe that with better tires like the last generation of Michelin Pilot Sport and optional carbon-ceramic brakes, the 2020 BMW M3 will brake even fiercer. After all, it is a lighter car than before. Stiffer too. All of this helps a bit with braking. BMW M can slash a foot or two from the current M3's braking distance for sure.

While the brakes are important, I find that the addition of the electronic steering and active damper setup from the M5 is equally essential. With it, the 2020 BMW M3 is likely to become the most refined and fastidious Beemer on offer.

Conclusion

In the early years of the latest horsepower wars, the need became apparent for a new version of the BMW M inline-six engine that is capable of competing with the extremes of its competition. The S58 that is already massaged to develop more than 500 horsepower is a perfect solution for the 2020 BMW M3. It gives the performance sedan an entirely new performance ability briefly touched before only with the M3 Competition and the M4 GTS. Now, the BMW M3 will outclass both of them and force the competition to rethink its performance sedan strategy again.

2015-2018 BMW M3 Base Drivetrain and Performance Specifications

Further reading

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 BMW M3.

Read our full review on the 2017 BMW M3.

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW 3 Series.