In a follow-up interview with US publication Road and Track, Klaus Fröhlich said the use of normally aspirated motors in previous M3 models impacted on the steering due to the extra weight over the front axle, making them “awful”.
“People told me M cars can't be turbo. They have always been high-revving naturally-aspirated engines. Honestly, this high-revving engine was a V10, or a V8 in the 3-series, and it was so many pounds on the front axle, the steering was awful. It's not the boring turbocharged engine, it's revving, revving, revving” Fröhlich said.
Taking a swipe at disapproval after the introduction of the all-wheel drive M5, Fröhlich, who two months said he did “not want to hear sh*t anymore” after negative media reports following the unveiling of the new G20 3-series, said the addition of all-wheel drive has in effect curbed understeer and contributed to making the amount of power available more useable.
“I hate understeering all-wheel drive cars. Most cars, if you push them hard, or if you're not such an experienced driver and you tear at the steering wheel, you get understeer. The fun is gone. So I told [former M boss] Frank Van Meel, whenever I drive the car, it should never, never understeer,” he said.
“If you have more than 600 horsepower, a rear-wheel drive car loses nearly one second in 0-60mph (96km/h). And by the way, the new M5 with all-wheel drive weighs less than the predecessor without it”.
Asked about the next generation M3 and M4, Fröhlich, who previously confirmed that the latter would be the last to offer a manual gearbox, said both will become available with all-wheel drive at some stage, but added that the rear-wheel drive layout will indeed be kept.
“I think there is still a big market for pure rear-wheel drive. I always really appreciated what Porsche did on the 911. They have whatever new derivative every month. I think we missed some opportunity not doing the same on M4. So I'm interested that, on M3, M4, we do more. This car will be rear-wheel drive, but we will have an all-wheel drive derivative too”.
In a subsequent related report, Britain’s Autocar, citing alleged BMW officials including CEO Harald Krüger at the recent Paris Motor Show, confirmed that the next M3 will indeed not be rear-wheel driven, but have the option of a six-speed manual gearbox.
According to the publication, the decision not to include all-wheel drive or electrification like Mercedes-AMG’s 53-line of models, came as a result of weight with the end goal of making the newcomer lighter than the now discontinued M3 CS that tipped the scales at 1 586kg.
The article also alleges that the G20 M3 will continue with the current 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine, but with heavy revisions and indeed water-injection to lift power from 317kW to 347kW, 15kW more than the F80 M3 Competition Package (CP). Gone however is the seven-speed M DCT ‘box in favour of an eight-speed Steptronic, while the CP will likely use the new S58 motor from the forthcoming X3 and X4 M that will generate a reported 368kW.
With speculation building that the M3 could possibility make its world debut in Geneva next year, the M4 is only slated to arrive in 2020, a year after the standard 4-series make its alleged premiere.
