BMW\'s forthcoming M3 and its M4 coupe brother

BMW F30-based M3 and M4 coupe We\'ve known for some time that BMW\'s forthcoming F30-based M3, and its M4 coupe brother, will be powered by aturbocharged straight-six motor. After BMW released further technical details, we now know that the bespoke M-designed engine be twin turbocharged. Power will top 430hp at 7,500rpm, with a peak torque figure that \"soars far beyond 500Nm [369lb ft],\" according to an official statement.
The announcement brings to an end many months of speculation that pointed towards triple-turbocharging for the fifth-generation M3. A six-speed manual gearbox will be standard with a seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission available as a cost option.
In line with the series production models, the coupe will for the first time be called M4, while the saloon remains M3. The M4 concept, unveiled at Pebble Beach last month, gives us a good idea of how the final production models might look, but they will remain under wraps until the Detroit Motor Show in January, as will prices and performance figures.
Through extensive use of carbon fibre and aluminium, the engineers at BMW\'s M division are aiming for a sub-1,500kg kerb weight, some 80kg lighter than a like-for-like E92 M3. Combined with the switch from 4.0-litre normally-aspirated V8 to turbocharged straight-six and such measures as electronically-assisted power steering, fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 25 per cent.
Turbocharging and ePAS are both new to the M3, which first arrived 28 years ago in E30 guise. It remains to be seen if these F30-based M cars rank among BMW\'s best, or if the new ecologically conscious technologies strip the M3 of the livewire character that made it such a performance icon.
Source: Pistonheads