BMW M3 2016 News

BMW marks three decades of M3 with a limited run of special-edition sedans.

The family yesterday turned down a bid of $146,000 for the orange high-powered sports car. The 2010 BMW M3 has only 6926km on the clock but yesterday failed to meet a secret reserve set by Tomic's father John during a Brisbane auction. Pickles Auctions manager Robert Webster said the Tomic family had negotiated with the highest bidder, a mysterious interstate buyer, but had failed to reach an agreement. "It will be up to the Tomic family whether or not they re-list the car for auction. They may sell privately or through a dealer,'' he said. "They spent around $200,000 for the car in 2010 and they were expecting a higher return.'' The failed sale comes just two weeks after the 19-year-old was pulled over three times and fined twice by police in less than two hours on Australia Day. Police also charged Tomic with three traffic offences, including evading police. Talking at a media conference this week Tomic said he might never drive in Australia again. Pickles Auctions national manager Steve Allen said Tomic had said he now wanted to focus on his tennis career without distractions. "He's had his fun and he's ready to focus on tennis now,'' Mr Allen said. "We thought it would fetch a high price given the publicity surrounding the car and its performance enhancements. "There are only five of these BMWs in this colour in Australia.'' John Tomic attended the auction and appeared disappointed with the final bid. Punters said they were shocked the top bid was turned down. Bidder John Marshall joked he wanted to buy the BMW for his granddaughter. "I was thinking about it but she's only on her P-plates,'' he said. "It's an outrageous price for a car but I guess with all that comes with it . . . "I am here looking for a more sensible car but it was great to witness the auction. I thought for sure it would sell today.'' The Tomic family has until tomorrow morning to reconsider the $146,000 bid.

Just as HSV and FPV went big on black on their latest V8 muscle cars, and Benz has plans for an upcoming Black Series C63 Coupe, so the newest BMW M3 is a black attack. It's called the Frozen Black edition, reflecting the matt black bodywork. There will only be 12 cars for Australia with the Frozen Black package, which was developed in Germany for worldwide work. It's a typical deal on the limited-edition front, with visual tickles to justify a $17,100 increase over the $155,000 showroom sticker for a regular M3 coupe. "We managed to grab 12 cars for Australia. It's only available as a coupe and we've had a lot of interest," says Piers Scott, spokesman for BMW Australia. "Frozen Black is just a synonym for the matt paint. So that's the visual effect. We've had a number of customers, through BMW Individual, choose frozen paint finishes for their cars." BMW denies the black-mobile is reaction to the arrival of the latest Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe in Australia, even though the first supplies of its obvious rival have just landed. "M3 sales are healthy. It's certainly not reactionary. It's a car that we knew there would be demand for," Scott says. The details of the Frozen Black package run to the paintwork, 19-inch black chrome wheels and black chrome exhaust, black Novillo leather in the cabin with red stitching, special leather dash trimming with red stitching, black side gills and red brake calipers. The Frozen Black M3 comes after the M3 Pure Edition and as sales of the Competition Pack for the M3 continue strongly. "The Pure edition was something just for Australia, that we concevied here. The Competition Pack is global, and so is the Frozen Black,"  says Scott. "It's only available in the Coupe. There are a batch for the 'states but I don't think you'd find them everywhere in the world."

There is plenty of go left in the BMW M3, based on the way it's being teased and tizzied for extra showroom appeal. The newest tweak is an M3 sedan that fits between the regular model and the GTS coupe, a space previously reserved for the lightweight CSL. The newcomer was teased at the Shanghai Motor Show with the promise of around 325 kiloWatts, bigger brakes, firmer suspension and lightened exhaust - without the wild rear wing on the M3 GTS.

The track-ready version from BMW’s M division doesn’t meet the Australian Design Regulations for ground clearance or decibels, says the carmakers Australian spokesman Piers Scott.  “We’re not sure of the exact specs of the M3 GTS, but apparently it’s lower and louder than the limits,” he says, referring to the ADR’s restrictions for 100mm clearance and 83 decibel noise limit. “However there will be a right-hand drive version, and although it looks like we’re not able to have it at the moment, it might change -- we’re still discussing it.”  Scott says that if any of the 120 cars being built do arrive, it will be with a pricetag nearly double that of its $163,000 M3 Coupe sibling. “I’d think it would be in the region of about $300,000, based on a rough comparison with what the price estimates in Europe have been,” he says.  What it offers for the price premium is a bigger, gutsier engine – a high-revving 4.3-litre V8 that develops 331 kiloWatts of power and 440 Newton-metres of torque (the M3’s 4.0-litre offers 309kW and 400Nm) – mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox that allows shift without losing traction. At 1500kg – about 80kg less than the Coupe -- the orange GTS  is aerodynamically helped by a front racing apron and rear wing, and with features like the grille, roof trim, alloy wheels and gills finished in matt black and dark anodised chrome, the GTS is clearly track-oriented. “Obviously it is designed so that you can drive it to the track as well, but it’s very much for the track day enthusiast,” Scott says.  “It’s the essence of M. The M3 is right at the core of what the M division does best and this is the M3 in its purest, most race-ready form.” Scott acknowledges that over recent years some attention may have drifted away from the M3 as other high-powered premium cars entered the field – most noticeably from Mercedes-Benz and Audi – but says this was not the motive for building the GTS, despite the brand’s triumph over its German rivals at this week’s 24-hour Nurburgring race with the M3 GT2. “New high-performance entrants have raised the stakes, but the M division has always pursued their own strategy.  However, certainly there is a halo effect with the GTS. To some degree it’s a message for purists … stripping the car down to its most basic form, and showing the superiority of rear wheel drive over four-wheel drive as a track day car.”

The new car market is facing the doldrums, but BMW will inject some red-hot summer sizzle to the family sports saloon mix next weekend (SUBS Nov 22) with the launch of its first - for Australia - M3 with four doors. The sports saloon market has been dominated by the potent 6.2-litre Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG saloon, leaving rival BMW out in the cold with nothing in its weaponry to counter. But that's all about to change. BMW's 4.0-litre V8-packing M3 sedan will join the M3 coupe and cabriolet to give its German rival a serious run for its money. The M3 saloon will hit the streets running with, according to BMW, a price advantage over C63 AMG - but that depends on how you look at it. The Benz sells for $144,365 and comes with a seven-speed auto G-tronic transmission. The base M3 with a six-speed manual box has been priced at $145,000 which is $17,901 under the M3 coupe and $31,142 cheaper than the M3 cabriolet. But the M3 saloon fitted with BMW's new Getrag seven-speed dual clutch robotised sequential manual/auto is priced at $152,309. BMW charges a hefty $7309 just for the sequential box. BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski says the M3 manual still holds a price advantage over the C63 AMG: "The M3 saloon comes standard with a rear locking axle which Benz sells as a $5826 option and our saloon has keyless entry; Benz charges $1800 for that as an option and there's no 19-inch alloy wheel availability on the Mercedes." BMW sells the optional larger wheels for an extra $4000. The five-seater M3 offers serious performance from its 309kW V8 with 400Nm on tap which redlines at 8400rpm. Andreevski expects most buyers will opt for the dearer version of the M3 because it packs more performance for less fuel usage over the manual. The dual clutch model is marginally quicker, if set in launch mode, taking a claimed 4.7 seconds to hit 100km/h; the conventional manual takes 4.9 seconds. BMW says the semi-auto is rated at 11.9l/100km, while the best the manual can do is 12.4l/100km. Standard gear includes a brake regeneration system which recharges the battery on overrun or braking, and 18-inch alloys shod with 245/40 ZR-rated rubber up front and 265/40s in the rear. The optional 19-inch alloys have an even lower profile, with 345/35 up front and 265/35 in the rear. The saloon also boasts a full satellite navigation system with 8.8-inch colour monitor, TV, LOGIC7 hi-fi, bi-Xenon headlamps, Novillo leather upholstery, and M-seats which are power adjustable and heated.