Archive for the 'BMW M3' Category

2011 BMW M3 coming with Competition Package

Published on January 21, 2010 in BMW, BMW M3, BmwM3, m3, m3 gts and M3Gts. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .



As far as we can tell, there’s little if anything wrong the E92 M3. However, according to a post on Bimmerfile, that small point will not be stopping BMW from offering a Competition Package on 2011 models. What goes into a Competition Pack? We’re not certain, and Bimmerfile can only speculate (bigger wheels, brakes, maybe). Knowing that much, we’ll join ‘em. But first, a little history.

Way back in 2005, BMW began a Competition Package for the E46 M3. Included were upgraded wheels, larger brakes, stickier tires,a firmer suspension and a revised Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system identical to the one on the hardcore M3 CSL. In addition, the E46 M3 Comp Pack also came with a quicker steering ratio. Inside, a bit of fussing took place in the form of Alcantara steering wheel and hand brake coverings and the steering wheel saw a few buttons (multi-function controls and cruise) deleted in favor of a DSC M button.

Will the E92 Competition Package feature similar upgrades? Hard to say, but we’ll guess yes. For their part, Bimmerfile is speculating that larger wheels and brakes will be part of the package (at least), along with an upgraded interior. The E46 Comp Pack added about $4,000 to the price of the M3. You can be certain that this number will increase when the new package drops. Is there any chance that the Competition Pack will offer a few of the goodies found on the hardcore M3 GTS (pictured above)? Once again, maybe. Improved wheels, brakes and tires being the safest bet.

One curious note: there’s a 7MA option pack attached to the Competition Package code (ZCP) that might simply mean a manual transmission option, or (according to Bimmerfile) could be an upgraded exhaust system good for a few ponies more.

BMW 335iS

Published on January 18, 2010 in 3 Series, BMW 3, BMW 335i, bmw 335is, BMW M3, BMW Tuner, Bmw3-series, Bmw335i, Bmw335is, Bmw3Series, BmwM3, convertible and tuner. Closed Tags: , .


Now that BMW has replaced the twin-turbo 335i with the new twin-scroll, direct injection model, the question everyone’s been asking – and by everyone, we mean Bimmer fanatics – is what will happen to the outgoing N44 engine? The new N55 produces the same power and the same torque, but with a flatter curve that makes the grunt more accessible. Yet as every BMW tuner knows, the outgoing N44 has more potential. So the answer, according to reports, is BMW’s plan to offer a new model dubbed the 335is.

Like the almost-an-M Z4 sDrive35is that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show last week, the new 335is is tipped to get a revised version of the twin-turbo inline-six, producing 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque (with overboost unleashing 369 lb-ft). Coupled with an M-Sport appearance package with a blacked-out grille and matching mirrors, and a choice of either six-speed manual or (for the first time outside of the M range) seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and you’re looking at the hottest dreiwagen this side of an M3. The run from 0 to 60 is expected to be dispatched in five seconds flat, with a top speed limited to 149 mph instead of 130.

BMW M3 Thunderstorm

Published on December 7, 2009 in BMW M3. 1 Comment Tags: , .



Autotechnik + Tuning has done a job on the BMW M3, but if you don’t look closely, you might miss it. Echoing a sentiment we love, they declare “At first glance you cannot estimate the scope of retrofitting.” However, while we appreciate their tuning philosophy, we’re not so sure about their tuning math.

ATT adds a supercharger and remaps the engine software, all of which bumps the M3′s horsey count from 414 to a nice, round 500. To get that bad boy in your engine bay will cost you a tear-shedding €11,749 ($17,455 U.S.). But that’s not all: a new exhaust, KW coilovers, and ATT-TEC Le Mans wheels on 20-inch rubber will add more than €7,000 ($10,399 U.S.) to the line at the bottom of the invoice. Those are the kind of numbers that’ll give you a concussion, especially when we’re talking about an 86-horsepower improvement.

BMW M3 with new LED taillamps

Published on December 1, 2009 in 2010 bmw m3 and BMW M3. 0 Comments Tags: .



Just a couple of years into its run, this is your slightly revised BMW M3, free of camo save for the taillights. The photog on the scene said there is nothing we should expect from the next Munich mauler save for new LED lamps in back and an updated interior. We speculate that cabin changes will include upgraded materials and lines that bring it closer to its recently unveiled siblings higher up the food chain. And that should be enough to keep everyone happy while BMW and M3 mavens focus on the M3 GTS.

Valentino Rossi drives BMW M3 GTS

Published on November 19, 2009 in BMW M3 and valentino rossi. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Valentino Rossi drives BMW M3 GTS
After securing his record ninth MotoGP title, there’s little doubt that Valentino Rossi is the fastest man on two wheels. And BMW has acknowledged the Italian rider’s speed by awarding him a brand-spankin’-new M3 sedan.

The German automaker is a sponsor of the motorbike racing series, providing organizers with safety cars and other vehicles, and even using it to debut the new X6 M crossover earlier this year. And every year BMW gifts a car to the rider who proved the fastest in qualifying over the course of the season. Rossi’s won the “M Award” five times now, but before he drove off in his new V8 sports sedan, BMW gave him a rare opportunity to sample the new hardcore M3 GTS.

So what did the fastest man on two wheels think of the fastest Bimmer on four? Quite a lot, apparently, as the multiple world champion said he wants to be first on the list when the M3 GTS goes on sale next year.

BMW M3 GTS is here!

Published on November 4, 2009 in Bimmer, BMW, BMW M, BMW M3, bmw m3 csl, bmw m3 gt, bmw m3 gt4, bmw m3 gt4 street, bmw m3 gts, BmwM3, BmwM3Csl, BmwM3Gt, BmwM3Gt4, BmwM3Gt4Street, BmwM3Gts, breaking, coupe, csl, m3, m3 csl, m3 gt, m3 gt4, m3 gt4 street, m3 gts, M3Csl, M3Gt, M3Gt4, M3Gt4Street, M3Gts, performance, spy, spy shots and video. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .



The eye-catching orange paintjob is a throwback to extreme Bimmers of yore. But after you look past the timely Halloween color scheme, you’ll notice a set of exclusive 19-inch competition alloys – coated with 225/35 rubber up front and 285/30 in the rear – protruding out of the bulging bodywork, housing six-piston calipers up front and four in the rear and mounted to yellow springs and an adjustable suspension. You can hardly miss the giant front splitter and rear wing protruding from either end, and the interior’s been stripped down with contoured racing buckets, an emergency cut-off switch and a fire extinguisher taking the place of the air-con, nav and radio, along with mounting points for a roll cage and six-point harnesses and a Macrolon rear windscreen to replace the stock glass, helping the M3 GTS tip the scales at just 1490 kg (3285 lbs), some 419 lbs less than the stock M3 coupe’s 3704-lb curb weight.

First deliveries are scheduled to begin in Germany next May, carrying a sticker price of 115,000 euros (about $170k) before taxes. Official engine specs haven’t been released, but we’re still looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower from an enlarged 4.4-liter V8, driving through the Bavarian automaker’s 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

$170k BMW M3 GT/GT4 Street

Published on November 3, 2009 in Bimmer, BMW, bmw csl, BMW M, BMW M3, bmw m3 csl, bmw m3 gt, bmw m3 gt4, bmw m3 gt4 street, bmw motorsport, BmwCsl, BmwM, BmwM3, BmwM3Csl, BmwM3Gt, BmwM3Gt4, BmwM3Gt4Street, BmwMotorsport, coupe, csl, m csl, m3, m3 csl, m3 gt, m3 gt4, m3 gt4 street, M3Csl, M3Gt, M3Gt4, M3Gt4Street, M5, MCsl, Motorsport, Nurburgring, performance, spy and spy shots. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .


The former turned out to be a one-of-a-kind special. But details on the latter are beginning to circulate, and they look promising. Firstly, sources suggest that the model won’t wear the CSL designation at all, and instead be labeled either M3 GT or M3 GT4 Street, in reference to the homologated racing version.

First, the good stuff: the engine is tipped to be tuned in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower, give or take, driven exclusively through the 7-speed dual clutch transmission with no manual expected to be on offer. Stopping power is anticipated to come from Brembo 6-piston calipers up front and 4-pots in the rear gripping slotted steel discs, and while carbon-ceramics may be on the options list, the jury’s still out on when BMW will roll out the production version of its F1-derived Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a.k.a. regenerative braking. Recaro buckets and the removal of the rear seats should help the M3 GT (or whatever it will be called) shed some 220 lbs of weight, sitting 25mm lower on BBS alloys mounted to a Sachs suspension with standard roll bars.

The prototype is said to have already lapped the Nurburgring in 7:40, with testing still underway in France. Targeting the Porsche 911 GT3, the hard-core M3 will be extremely limited in production – possibly as few as 25 examples annually – available directly from BMW Motorsport but certified for road use – at a price point hovering around 110,000 euros ($172k). Unfortunately, the signs suggest that it won’t be making the transatlantic voyage Stateside.

Spy Shots: BMW resurrecting the M3 CSL?

Published on October 20, 2009 in BMW, bmw csl, BMW M3, bmw m3 csl, bmw m3 gt4, bmw m3 gt4 street, BmwCsl, BmwM3, BmwM3Csl, BmwM3Gt4, BmwM3Gt4Street, csl, m3, m3 csl, m3 gt4, m3 gt4 street, M3Csl, M3Gt4, M3Gt4Street, Nordschleife, Nurburgring, Nurburgring nordschleife, NurburgringNordschleife, spied, spy, spy pics, spy shots, SpyPics and SpyShots. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .


We’re not sure what to believe anymore. A bit over a year ago, reports surfaced that BMW was planning a successor to the E90-generation M3 CSL, a highly coveted, track-focused version of its legendary sports coupe. Within a month, the Bavarian automaker had announced that it was canceling the program. And then these photos show up.

This M3 test mule was seen lapping the N

German tuner builds V10-powered BMW M3 wagon

Published on October 13, 2009 in BMW, BMW 3-Series, BMW 3-series wagon, BMW E91 3-Series, BMW M3, Bmw3-series, Bmw3-seriesWagon, BmwE913-series, Manhart, Manhart Racing and ManhartRacing. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .



Wedging BMW’s V10 into an M3 is nothing new, but what if you want the convenience of a wagon? Manhart Racing has the answer. The German tuner has converted an E91 to look like the M3, then stuffed M5′s V10 into the engine bay complete with its seven-speed SMG. To quote Manhart Racing…”Attention all sporty, family men!”

The transformation from a standard E91 3-Series Estate to super wagon begins with the exterior, where the car gets the front fascia, front fenders, side skirts, and the powerdome hood from the M3. Manhart Racing then adds their own rear wheel arches and rear fascia that makes room for a stainless steel exhaust system sporting quad exhaust tips. Next, the 5.0-liter V10 gets stuffed into the engine bay along with the the gearbox, and a limited slip differential is mounted out back.

Manhart claims a 0-100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of just over 200 mph. You can buy your own turnkey version for a mere €120,000 or Manhart will gladly upgrade your current E91. Hit the jump for full details.