The new BMW M3 Coupé gets some serious competition in the premium performance sector — the new BMW M3 Sedan boasting the same drive technology, a 309kW M-derived V8.

But despite sharing an engine, the Coupé's four-door "brother" has also been developed as a new car from the ground up, with an eye on drivers who want a sports car with everyday practicality.

Apart from the load-bearing structure of the car, only the doors, the roof, the luggage compartment lid, the windows and the rear lights come from the body of the "regular" BMW 3 Series Sedan. In other words, the number of body parts developed brand-new from the ground up is virtually as large as on the BMW M3 Coupé, which incidentally shares its front end with the Sedan.

The Sedan is also recognisable as a BMW M3 at first sight, characterised by the engine compartment lid with its powerdome and the two openings to the side. The newly designed front and rear air dams ("gills") in the front side panels are also tailored to the M3 Sedan, alongside the side-sills, rear-view mirrors, and light-alloy rims in typical BMW M design.

It's a question of power

Displacing 3999 cc, the new V8 also found in the Coupé develops maximum output of 309kW and peak torque of 400Nm at an engine speed of 3900rpm — some 85 percent of this maximum torque is available throughout the speed range of 6500rpm.

With the engine revving up all the way to 8400rpm, it offers and torque at all speeds. This power is fed to the rear wheels by a six-speed manual gearbox as well as brand-new final drive.

The V8 power unit features BMW's variable double-Vanos camshaft management for fast and responsive valve timing, and improving engine output, torque and response.

So acceleration to 100 km/h comes in 4.9 seconds and continues to 250km/h, where electronic engine control sets an artificial speed limit. Average fuel consumption determined in the EU test cycle is 12.4 litres/100km.

Driving pleasure

The chassis and suspension of the BMW M3 are new developments from the ground up. A number of details have been modified versus the configuration chosen on the Coupé to make allowance for the weight balance of the four-door model.

The general objective with the Sedan was to adjust all features to the power of the engine and the drive forces encountered on the road — as well as save weight all round. It’s why nearly all components on the newly developed front axle are made of aluminium. Even the high-performance brake system with its compound discs allows a further reduction of weight versus the brakes on the former model.

Virtually every detail on the five-arm rear axle made in lightweight technology is a new development: from the rear axle subframe through the transverse arms and track arms made of aluminium, on to the reconfigured wheel mounts, the mounting points for the longitudinal arms now lower down, to the aluminium dampers and the hollow anti-roll bar resting on new mounts.

Both the front and rear axle feature hollow anti-roll bars optimised for their function and weight.

The new final drive comes with a Variable M Differential Lock, which responds to differences in speed between the right and left rear wheel, generating up to 100 percent locking action with fully variable action whenever needed and so optimising traction on all road surfaces.

A further enhancement is hydraulic Servotronic power assistance controlling steering forces as a function of road speed — and with BMW iDrive enabling the driver to choose and vary the degree of power assistance. There is a choice of two different control maps activated through the Normal and Sports mode.

In the Sports mode the M3 maintains its direct feeling and feedback on road conditions, while in the Normal mode steering power assistance is more comfort-oriented.

Smoothing the ride

Supporting the driver are electronic driving dynamics programs like DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) which permanently monitors the driving condition of the car, the brakes intervening on individual wheels whenever required and reducing drive power in order to stabilise the car. The goal: counteracting any over- or understeer in bends in good time.

Further systems integrated in Dynamic Stability Control are the ABS anti-lock brakes, ASC (Automatic Stability Control) preventing the wheels from spinning on surfaces with reduced traction, a Start-Off Assistant preventing the car from rolling back when setting off on an uphill gradient, as well as CBC (Cornering Brake Control) preventing the car from spinning or swerving out of control when applying the brakes in a bend.

DSC now comprises additional functions for even greater driving safety. Whenever the driver is likely to apply the brakes in full, the system builds up pressure in the hydraulic brake circuit in good time and pre-loads the brake pads to speed up response and shorten the stopping distance required, while Regular Dry Braking in wet conditions removes a possible film of water from the brake discs.

As an option, the dampers on the new BMW M3 may be fitted with EDC Electronic Damper Control with electrohydraulic adjustment of damper forces optimising vertical vibration behaviour when driving fast and dynamically, while reducing any squat and dive motion when accelerating and applying the brakes.

The iDrive control system, meanwhile, can be enhanced by adding the MDrive function which gives the driver the option to choose his personalised setting for all dynamic driving systems open to individual configuration. This customised configuration is automatically saved within the system and can be called up by pressing the MDrive button on the multifunction steering wheel.

The look

In designing the body of the new BMW M3 Sedan, the approach was "form follows function". The aluminium engine compartment lid, for example, boasts a large powerdome in the middle, hinting at the potential of the eight-cylinder housed within.

The contours of both the powerdome and the air intakes follow the forward-pushing arrow shape of the engine compartment lid, blending with the entire front end of the car longer than on the "regular" BMW 3 Series Sedan.

The front end also incorporates three large air intakes beneath the radiator grille feeding the power unit with intake and cooling air. The air scoops border at the side on large, vertical bars. Together with the double kidney grille so typical of BMW and the flat headlight units with their bi-xenon headlights, these give the new BMW M3 a more dynamic look.

The structure and configuration of the front end is determined primarily by the supply of air needed by a high-performance engine, nearly the entire front end opening up to feed air to the naturally aspirated power unit. This is precisely why the new BMW M3 Sedan, like BMW M Cars in general, intentionally does without the foglamps featured on other BMW models.

From behind, the design takes up the particular look of the car's front end. Compared with the Coupé, the surfaces at the rear end of the Sedan show a clearer horizontal structure, emphasising the width of the rear end.

A gurney flap on the luggage compartment lid optimises the car’s streamlining and reduces lift on the rear axle to an even lower level.

In its contours, the split diffuser beneath the bumper takes up the shape of the air intakes at the front of the car, the air guide duct and the dual tailpipes moved far towards the centreline of the car visually contracting the rear end at the lower centrepoint. A further feature is the circular shape of the four tailpipes cut off straight at the back in typical BMW M style, the entire rear end bearing a clear focus to the wheels of the car.

Inside job

Right from the start when getting into the car, the door cutout strips bearing the M logo, highlight the character of the M3 Sedan. The dual circular instruments typical of BMW — the speedometer and fuel gauge as well as the rev counter and oil temperature display — also come in specific M style. The figures presented stand out clearly in white from the black background, with the indicator needles themselves in the traditional red of BMW M.

A feature typical of BMW M Cars is the variable warning zone in the rev counter informing the driver while the engine is warming up of the recommended engine speed range depending on the current engine oil temperature: the borderline between the yellow pre-warning zone and the red warning zone moves up in the new BMW M3 Sedan as a function of increasing oil temperature all the way to the maximum limit of 8400rpm.

The digital displays presenting the time, the outside temperature and mileage counter, as well as the various telltale lights, are positioned between the two circular instruments.

The spokes within the M leather steering wheel, in turn, incorporate the remote control buttons for the audio system and mobile telephone and, as an option, the MDrive button.

As an option both the driver’s and front passenger’s seats are available with backrest width adjustment, while the rear seats may be equipped as an option with through-loading. This gives the 450-litre luggage compartment greater capacity

While the BMW M3 Sedan is of course first and foremost a BMW M Car, it also comes with additional functional qualities giving the car a unique personality.

Pricing:
BMW M3 Sedan: R646 500