Page 1: Short story
Page 2: Concept
Page 3: Power unit
Page 4: Chassis & suspension
Page 5: Design
Page 6: Body
Page 7: Safety
Page 8: Features
Page 9: Production
Design
The Expression of Perfect Concept Harmony
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Body design expressing a clear pledge to power and performance.
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Visible application of the “form follows function” principle.
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Driver-oriented cockpit, high-quality materials.
The dynamic design and look of the new BMW M3 is characterised by the short front overhang, the voluminous wheel arches, a long wheelbase, the passenger cell moved far to the rear, the A-pillars raked to a low angle, the low-slung windows, and the roof line merging harmoniously into the rear end of the car. The entire body has a slight but distinct wedge shape, with perfect proportions of the sporting and sleek silhouette excellently finished to the last detail.
Boasting numerous features specific to BMW M3, the new BMW M3 enhances the powerful look of all the lines already so distinctive on the BMW 3 Series Coupé with its sporting and elegant appearance.
With the exception of the doors, the luggage compartment lid, the windows as well as the front and rear lights, all body elements have been re-designed for the new BMW M3. In this process the modifications seek consistently to accentuate the outstanding driving dynamics of the BMW M3 clearly but unpretentiously.
Given this philosophy, the two-door Coupé simply exudes agility and its dynamic driving potential from every angle. Applying the principle that “form follows function”, the designers at BMW M GmbH have implemented the philosophy in designing the body that a technical solution must always be reflected by authentic sporting design and looks.
Front end symbolising the potential of the eight-cylinder power unit.
The differences between the “regular” BMW 3 Series Coupé and the new BMW M3 come out most clearly at the front end of the car: Three large air scoops below the radiator grille bear clear testimony to the greater demand for intake and cooling air of the eight-cylinder power unit.
Clearly, these air intakes are arranged and laid out exactly in accordance with the requirements of the engine and its ancillary units, extra-large openings serving to supply the normal-aspiration power unit with an ample flow of air. Precisely this is why the new BMW M3, like BMW M Cars in general, does not feature the foglamps fitted on the “basic” model. Large, vertical bars define the position and contours of the air intakes and enhance the characteristic design language of the car.
Made of aluminium, the engine compartment lid is dominated by a large centre “bulge”, the so-called “powerdome”. Together with the recesses next to this central section, the powerdome again bears clear testimony to the high potential of the eight-cylinder power unit within the engine bay. In its contours, the powerdome, together with the intake air scoops, takes up the arrow shape of the engine compartment lid and thus accentuates the lines of the car literally urging forward in a dynamic process.
Together with the double kidney grille again so typical of BMW, the low headlight units featuring bi-xenon dual headlights as standard round off the highly dynamic look of the BMW M3. The headlight units are cut off visually at the top to create the impression of a concentrated look extending out in front of the car. The corona rings integrated in the headlight units, in turn, may be used as daytime driving lights, giving the front end of the car its unmistakable character typical of the BMW brand also in the dark.
Silhouette with distinctive light and shade effects.
The powerfully modelled front wheel arches on the new BMW M3 symbolise both supreme agility and driving stability all in one. Together with 18-inch light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design again typical of a BMW M Car, the large and muscular wheel arches highlight the particularly wide track of the car. And looking through the spokes, the connoisseur will immediately recognise the compound high-performance brakes developed exclusively for BMW M Cars.
The two front side panels are interrupted by another sign of distinction so typical of a BMW M Car referred to by the designers as the car’s “gills”. The carefully chiselled contours of these air intakes and side panels give the car an even more dynamic look from the side further enhanced by the lines extending along the body.
The chrome bracket separating the two sections and bearing both the stretched-out direction indicator as well as the logo of the BMW M3 again enhances the three-dimensional structure of this unique element.
Developed exclusively for the new BMW M3, the exterior mirrors also have an important aerodynamic function. These mirrors are characterised by the black-coloured double bar holding the mirrors in position and reminiscent in its design of the wings of an aircraft.
With their horizontal light edge and their specific shape tapering out to the end, the exterior mirrors not only emphasise the sporting character and look of the car, but also, through their shape and design optimised in the wind tunnel, help to further reduce the drag coefficient.
Clearly confirming the qualities of rear-wheel drive.
The specific lines of the car with two areas merging into one another and forming the distinctively flared side-sills create a very dynamic flow of light along the side, giving the car an even lighter and more sporting look by making the side panel look lower. The side-sills, in turn, in their design, correspond with the shape and configuration of the powerfully contoured body line.
The so-called character line above the rear wheel arch forms an arch of tension both to the outside and up to the top. In addition, the light-and-shade contrast builds up additional excitement and generates a further sign of power on the rear side panel and the wheel.
Both of these affects guide the eye of the beholder to the rear axle, emphasising the significance of rear-wheel drive in contributing to the outstanding performance of the new BMW M3. And last but not least, the character and sill line form an ellipse moving to the front, again emphasising the forward-pushing power of the car.
Rear-end design adding a further touch of power.
On account of its very special proportions, the new BMW M3 also offers a particularly superior and muscular look from the rear. The design of the car at the rear takes up the design message and language already presented at the front, the side line dropping down gently towards the rear end and the wheel arches extending into a chiselled, almost “hollow” segment highlighting the rear-wheel-drive concept.
The entire rear end of the car looks low and wide, visualising the superior dynamics and powerful stance of the new BMW M3 on its wheels. And last but not least, this superior effect is further enhanced and supported by the high-tech rear light clusters complete with LED light rods.
A discreet spoiler lip on the lid of the luggage compartment serves to optimise the car’s streamlining, further reducing lift forces on the rear axle without in any way interrupting the discreet look of the rear end.
The contours of the split diffuser beneath the bumper with its chiselled bars once again take up the special shape and design of the air intake scoops at the front. The air guide duct and the dual tailpipes positioned far towards the centre axis of the car serve to visually contract the rear end in the lower middle segment, building up captivating optical tension versus the horizontal lines of the rear bumper. And as yet another feature typical of a BMW M Car, the four tailpipes are circular and cut off straight at the end.
Roof made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic.
In creating the new BMW M3, the designers of the car focused from the start on the purist principle of “form follows function” particularly in the case of the roof – perhaps more so than with any other component.
Made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFP), the roof serves to reduce the overall weight of the car by approximately 5 kilos, at the same time, through its visible material structure, underlining the high-tech claim of the entire car as a whole.
Using this special material originally used in aerospace and now to be seen in many high-tech sports ranging from Formula 1 all the way to the America’s Cup, the designers and engineers responsible for the new BMW M3 have succeeded in further lowering the car’s centre of gravity. Indeed, this reduction of weight is at a particularly important point – at the highest point on the body – and therefore has a particularly positive effect on the car’s driving dynamics.
The CFP roof is intentionally only covered by clear paint, keeping the structure of the carbon-fibre tissue clear and visible. A further point is that the darker look of the roof seen from the side makes the roof pillars look lower, thus optically reducing the height of the car.
The production method developed specifically for the CFP roof is currently used exclusively by specialists at the BMW Plant in Landshut north of Munich. Originally, this cutting-edge technology was conceived for the production of cars sold only in limited numbers or special editions. Now, thanks to the unique know-how of the production engineers at BMW Plant Landshut, there are new options in the use of CFP, allowing the use of this material on the roof of the new BMW M3 in far larger numbers.
Exclusive body colours highlighting the car’s dynamic design.
The new BMW M3 is available with a choice of four model-specific M metallic paintwork colours strongly accentuating the contours and proportions of the body in a particularly powerful look. With its light shimmer, for example, Melbourne Red combines supreme brilliance and particular depth of colour. Jerez Black, on the other hand, featuring blue pearl pigments, also offers highly interesting surface effects. And the more powerful Interlagos Blue, including red colour pigments, provides a highly attractive interchanging effect into the colour violet.
A colour already well known from the BMW M5 and BMW M6 is Silverstone, a light silver with a slight touch of blue. The new BMW M3 is also available in Alpine White and Black, two colours carried over from the BMW 3 Series Coupé, as well as the two metallic colours Sparkling Graphite and Space Grey. So depending on the customer’s choice, these body colours highlight either the technical and sporting character or the more supreme and elegant appearance of the car.
Dynamic design also within the interior.
The athletic lines of the exterior naturally continue within the interior, powerful contours and flowing lines accentuating the concave and convex surfaces surrounding the four seats. The horizontal lines dominating the instrument panel and the harmonious surfaces on the side panels give the interior a particularly dynamic touch.
The interior of the new BMW M3 stands out clearly on a number of essential points from the “underlying” BMW 3 Series Coupé: Right from the start, when getting into the car, the door cutout strips with the M logo highlight the unique and independent character of the new BMW M3. Then there are the dual circular dials typical of BMW – the speedometer and tank gauge as well as the rev counter and all temperature gauges – finished in specific M style, and visualising the dynamic potential of the eight-cylinder power unit. The numbers on the dials stand out in clear white from the black background, the needles in the traditional red of BMW M GmbH are particularly clear and easy to follow.
The cockpit control area is between the front seats within a newly designed centre console which, in its entire geometry, sweeps discreetly around the driver and extends all the way to the rear seats. In all versions of the new BMW M3 the console is finished in black leather, continuing the instrument surrounds and operating area in the right colour and in a harmonious, smooth design.
Colour scheme supporting the driver orientation so typical of BMW M.
Apart from the clear design and optimum ergonomic arrangement of all controls and instruments, the choice of colours inside the new BMW M3 is ideally suited to help the driver concentrate on the traffic around him and the driving experience. Regardless of the interior colour the customer happens to choose, the footwells and parcel shelf as well as the upper section of the instrument panel come in dark anthracite. As an additional feature, the dark roof lining and the dark covers on the A-pillars also accentuate the driver orientation so typical of a BMW M Car.
The dark colour scheme around the windscreen also helps the driver concentrate in full on traffic conditions, while the colours surrounding the front and rear passengers likewise enhance the experience of driving a genuine, thoroughbred sports car.
High-quality touch rounding off the experience on board.
An exclusive feeling of top quality adds the final touch of perfection to the sporting ambience inside the car. And indeed, the designers have given great attention to the use of high-quality materials and a perfect finish in true craftsmanship.
A double-stitch seam highlighting the demanding standard of production separates the upper section of the door and side panels when featuring optional leather upholstery from the other parts of the interior finished in the regular interior colour. Controls and instruments the driver and perhaps also the front passenger will touch particularly often, such as the switches and buttons for the air conditioning or the door openers, are highlighted in a particularly sophisticated and classy metal finish.
Within the interior of the new BMW M3 the designers have likewise given their utmost attention to a beautiful surface touch so essential to the sensual perception of a car. So through the materials chosen, they round off the premium experience on board the new BMW M3 characterised by outstanding quality in both design and finish.
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Related entries:
New BMW M3 Officially Revealed
New BMW M3 V8 Engine: In Detail
BMW M3 Coupe Convertible Spied
