BMW M Models 2014 News

After splitting their house into separate line-ups for the sedans and two-doors, BMW is getting ready to reveal the new M3 sedan and the M4 coupe

The M4 has already been unveiled as a motor show tease and this is the real thing, despite the underwhelming look of a 4 Series coupe body that looks like it's still waiting for the M work.It won't have the power of the C63 from Benz, but BMW is still touting more than 330 kiloWatts with sequential turbocharging.

 M fans need wonder no more; the BMW Concept M4 has just been revealed ahead of its debut at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and subsequent Frankfurt appearance.Though still a concept, the car is an almost perfect representation of BMW’s successor to the M3 Coupe, the new M4, which we’re expecting to see debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January.Full information on the Concept M4 will be released in a few hours but from these images, we can see that the design takes the already aggressive 4-Series and turns things up a notch. Pumped fenders, chunky alloy wheels and carbon fiber used on the roof and exhaust tips all scream performance, and it’s great to see that designers have retained the previous M3 Coupe’s powerdome hood.The sedan version of the car, the M3, should adopt a similarly aggressive look. It is expected to debut in production trim alongside the M4 in Detroit. Both cars should be for the US market a few months after the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January.What’s still unclear is what will be powering them. The engine is tipped to be a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six and matched to it should be an M-DCT seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box. Drive will be sent to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. You can hear the new engine in a teaser video released by BMW M recently.www.motorauthority.com  

Keep this video on repeat as those growls you hear are the sweet sounds of the new straight-six engine developed for the latest generation of the BMW M3 and the all-new M4 (basically a new M3 Coupe). Also shown in the video is a small sliver of the new M3’s power dome hood, whose yellow hue is likely to be the car’s hero color.BMW is set to preview either its new M3 or M4 (or perhaps both) in concept form at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance later this week and will follow up with the production versions at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January. The cars are likely to hit the market early next spring, as 2014 models.The M3 will get the F30 3-Series’ body and the M4 will get the F32 4-Series’s svelte coupe shape. However, both cars will have common internals. The highlight will be the raspy engine you hear in the video above, which to these ears sounds a bit like the 3.2-litre straight-six last used in the E46 M3.The engine is believed to be a 3.0-litre unit codenamed the S55. That makes it sound very much like a high-performance derivative of the N55 found in the latest 335i and 435i models, which makes sense as the BMW M Division is no longer building standalone engines.A pair of turbochargers and tuning of the heads should get performance to the levels demanded by an M car. We’re expecting a power figure somewhere between 300 and 335 kW.www.motorauthority.com  

Much has been made of the significance of the two-door M3's name change to M4. But both M3 and M4 will live on in the 2014 model year, despite the nomenclatural bifurcation.The real test, of course, will be how the new M4 drives. If it's lighting lap times on fire and stunning stoplight racers, the name will be a technicality.Fortunately, we may not have long to wait now. In an interview with Motor Trend, BMW M Performance Automobiles's managing director Friedrich Nitschke has confirmed both the M3 sedan and M4 coupe will be at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.So what can we expect next January? The 2014 BMW M4 is expected to focus on performance through lightness, shaving weight from the standard 4-Series wherever possible. Add to that a turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine cranking out something north of 310kW and you have the start of a good recipe.The same engine is expected in the 2014 M3 sedan, and most of the rest of the performance equipment should be shared between the two, though adjustments to account for tuning differences will be made. Among the other performance-enhancers expected for the M3/M4 duo is an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential, lower and stiffer suspension, wider wheels and tires, upgraded brakes, and a range of aerodynamic changes to the exterior. For more details, see our 2014 BMW M3 spy shots.www.motorauthority.com  

... and this M4 proves it. It is being tested at the Nurburgring just as official pictures of the regular 4 Series coupe go public, and Carparazzi sources say it will continue with a six-cylinder engine, but wearing up to three turbochargers for maximum go. Here later this year.

The growing number of supercars and other exotics being bought by Dubai Police shows no sign of slowing. The latest patrol cars spotted on the beat in the Gulf city are a BMW M6 Gran Coupe and a Ford

With the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG now offering as much as 430kW in ‘S-Model’ trim, the 412kW of the BMW M5 is starting to look a little feeble, at least in terms of bragging rights (we doubt most owners would be able to tell the difference). To rectify the issue, BMW is planning an upgrade for the M5, which Car and Driver is reporting will boost output to 423kW. The upgrade will likely arrive as a Competition Package and is said to be developed for both the M5 and M6. Being part of a Competition Package, expect a host of other upgrades including new wheels, brakes and tires. Revised suspension and a number of minor aero tweaks are also likely. Cars fitted with the Competition Package are expected to deliver 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) times around 0.1 of a second quicker than those with the current 412kW rating. This could mean 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds for local models. For those at home counting, that’s still 0.6s behind the new all-wheel-drive E 63 AMG S-Model available in left-hand drive markets. Look for the M5 and M6 Competition Package to be offered overseas by the mid-year, while the option is yet to be confirmed for Australian models. "We would absolutely be interested if such a package proves suitable for our market, but cannot confirm any M5 or M6 performance boosts at this stage", BMW Australia's Corporate Communications boss Lenore Fletcher said. "Australia has the highest per-capita takeup rate of BMW performance variants in the world." Ms Fletcher suggested the package could join the range when the M5 and M6 range is refreshed locally in the fourth quarter of this year.  Note, the power wars aren’t likely to end there. Audi’s RS 6/RS 7 duo is tipped to receive their own ‘Plus’ upgrades that could see output reach as much as  447kW. However, no official word of their release has been mentioned.  

The world record for drifting is currently 11.18km, set by Red Bull athlete Abdo Feghali at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit on February 15.Feghali was helped by using an Easy Drift system -- a ring mount that slides over the rear tyres to reduce grip and replicate skid conditions. Once the Easy Drift wears away, the driver continues on the car's tyres.However BMW is already eyeing his record, and plans to male a bid to break it on May 11 -- claiming BMW Performance Driving Instructor Johan Schwartz will drift a BMW M5 for 65km or more. The teaser video shows him in practice and we'll be keen to see the official bid. 

The German brand has announced details of the M3 Pure Coupe, in effect a cut price version of the performance machine. Priced from $125,000, a hefty $30,000 less than a standard M3, they've basically removed all of the features that someone more interested in the dynamics is not going to miss or want for that matter. Still included however are the Bi-Xenon lights, the pro navigation system, Bluetooth and USB audio interface, along with the storage and lights package, front and rear parking sensors and the light weight carbon fibre roof (you wouldn't want to lose the latter). Changes to the interior include cloth and leather upholstery as well as Titanium Shadow interior trim as standard. Gone are things like the CD stacker, adaptive headlights, comfort access and the no cost option sunroof. You might however miss the heated seats and Harman Kardon sound system. In addition there is also revised pricing to options available across the M3 range, which add to the enthusiast appeal of the M3 such as the Competition Package, M Drive and Electronic Damper Control. The Competition Package, which must be ordered in conjunction with M Drive and Dynamic Damper Control, is $1800 ($600 saving), M Drive is $2700 ($700 saving) and Dynamic Damper Control, $3300 ($700 saving).