Pictured by motor1.com rounding the Green Hell, the G20 3-series derived M3, first spied back in February, is difficult to fully make out thanks to its extensive black-and-white wrapping and pre-production body panels, although it is easy to identify certain M car traits such as the flared wheel arches, quad-exhaust outlets, a deeper front air dam, subtle boot spoiler and fatter alloy wheels.
While the interior is likely to mirror that of the G20 albeit with a number of M specific touches, the engine is set to be the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six S58 unit that will power the imminent X3 and X4 M, and which will reportedly produce the same 331kW as the current M3 Competition Pack (CP) in standard guise.
For the mentioned CP model though, power will rise to 500 PS or 368kW, but unlike its SUV siblings and indeed the M5, the M3 will continue to be rear-wheel drive and possibly have the option of a manual gearbox in certain markets. At present though, it remains unknown as to when the M3 will make its official international debut.
In a heated interview with Australia’s motoring.com.au meanwhile, BMW Head of Development, Klaus Frohlich, said he has become tired with negative media reviews and claims surrounding previous generation 3-series’, adding that these have spurred engineers on during the G20’s development.
“It has to beat everybody in the segment in driving dynamics because all the Australian, UK and American journalists say ‘ooh the E46 CSL was the last real 3-series’. I do not want to hear that sh*t anymore”, he said.
“First thing and this is for me the most important thing; you can drive fast and completely relaxed. You don’t feel how fast you are. Second thing and this thing is a big achievement; this car is much more valuable, it has much better materials and it is solid like a rock”.
Describing the overall comfort aspect as being “more like a 5-series”, Frohlich stated that the 3-series remains one of BMW’s core models despite the soaring popularity of SUVs.
“I think it is about what is the brand standing for. As a company, BMW has a big history of compact four-seaters with a lot of power — 1600, 2002, the first 3 Series, the 323 with two exhaust pipes. This is BMW still in the minds of many people,” he said.
“Commercially for example, the 5-sreis is I think a bigger contributor; for example in China we would sell millions of cars of that type. But from the heart of the brand [the 3-series] is still the most important car. It is the right mixture of having the character and having the volume. You can have a super-sharp brand shaper very race equipped, but it will only sell some thousand units. This is a multiplier and it’s sporty”.
BMW South Africa has already announced that the G20 will become in March next year.
