New 2008 M3 Pictures Surface

The thing is awesome, especially the front view. Cant wait to get my hands on one of these things.

The front end is hot, but I'm still not sure of the back.

Still better looking than blue fish.

I meant that blue fish. Lexus

Then again knowing Toyota they are probably having meeting right now on a do over.

Let the wild speculation of how this will "destroy" the IS-F and RS4, begin...

Why do you want to state the obvious?

Not only will this car destroy anything in it’s path it will also cure cancer and help foster peace for all mankind.

OK, I’m kidding about the last two.

The front is very good looking. Nice Rims. From this 95% picture it is looking very promising in the looks department. The engine should be very capable. Will have to see the test results to know who is on top of the food chain.

yes the front and side views look great....the back still looks blah....sorry the tails as well as the whole back end still remind me of what a Buick coupe would look like. Guessing MSRP $60K???

Do you mean "destroy" as in sales or "destroy" as in on the track?

In terms of sales, the IS-F, RS4 and M3 are low volume models that will be sold out because there are easily more than enough fans of all 3 models to buy them up. This is not a $35,000 model we're talking about here. The IS-F is around $50,000, the new M3 most likely $55,000, and the RS-4 probably closer to $60,000. These are niche cars.

On the track, my money is with the M3. BMW is ALWAYS critical of the driving experience, and they have yet to fail in terms of handling. However, in terms of pure power, the RS4 may be pretty awesome.

The Audi RS4 starts at $66,000

The RS4 is sold out in Europe, and has exceeded expectations in the US.

One thing- I agree with the rest, but...

"On the track, my money is with the M3."

Wrong. The current, E43 M3 can't touch the RS4 around a track, in wet or dry. It simply killed it. Noone thought Audi would drop a bomb like it- but it's here, and it's the king of the hill. It will take a lot from BMW to topple it, but they're going to do it, I know. Unlike former S/RS Audis, it's not just supremely fast- but it has the best handling of any car bearing the four-ring badge before it. It has been said to "genuinely blur the line between a sports sedan and a sports car", and every road test has just been gushing. It will be a leapfrog thing from now on, RS4 and M3 going over each other. RS4 leaped the M3, now the new M3 will topple it, and then the B8 RS4 will come out and set the class afire, and so on...

I know the M3 is a better driver's car, but the S4 suits my needs just perfectly. Frankly, I'd rather have a sweet, throaty V-8 with good handling than a whiny inline six with great handling. AWD was also a necessity, but in retrospect, since I ended up with a winter car anyway, I guess not. I'm going to get a RWD car for my next- but I'm moving beyond the M3/S4 convertible realm, to more exotic convertibles like the Carrera Cabriolet, XKR convertible, 650ci, etc...

Oh and, they couldn't have compared the 335ci to the S4... it's not on sale yet. You mean the 335i coupe.

" And let's not mention that CSL version which the RS4 isn't even close to on a track (though miles ahead on road) and track performance is what we are comparing here, right?! "

If the RS4 had a track version, you know it would kill the CSL... so that's not really a valid comparison, either. The RS4 is a heavy car- and it's loaded with luxury amentities. That's one of the main reasons why it's such a marvel.

IS-F just a simple copy of a German original idea.

The original being the E30 M3! yeah!

Looks great!

Sure bet that will be an awesome car. Maybe a little too much on the M package and exhaust pipes stand out a bit much.

The back end of this car looks like shit, the front looks good though. In my personal opinion, the IS-F looks way better and more luxurious.

IS-F is totally different compared to this. Its not even in the same styling ball park. IS-F is a cow throwing robot straight out of the transformers movie. It will eat you and spit you out as red spray.

M3 is more Baroque.. it's sinuous lines are reminiscent of a Duccio masterpiece.

Who cares wether or not this car destroys the competition. I just want it to get here for christ sake!

Can't say much till I see the car in it's entirety, same goes for the IS-F.
Can't say much about performance because none of them (M3 & IS-F) actually exist.

This car looks good but I really want to see the final product at the Frankfurt autoshow. As far as looks go the M3 looks good in this form but the IS-F in its launch form looks rushed.

I think this new M3 look very soft compare it last M3 model. The current RS4 look way more aggressive and cooler than this M3 for sure, so is the Lexus IS-F.

My pick in this class by order:

1. Lexus IS-F
2. Audi RS4
3. Inifiniti G35
4. BMW M3
5. Acura TL
6. MB C-class AMG

Not sure why BMW is making this new M3 look so soft compare to it last gen and current competitor. Can wait to see the result from this new M3 and Lexus IS-F.

Lexus

I'm glad it's not by look, then your Lexus would have come at a dead last if even.

Acura TL and G35? Seriously? You're ranking RS/F/M/AMG vehicles and you put those in there as being "in the same class"? Can I have some of whatever you're smoking? It must be some really good shit.

it looks good...but i was hoping it would look more aggressive.

not sure about that lower side skirt piece that looks tacked on though.

imho, the new base CTS looks more aggressive

Now if those pictures are belong future M3, then I completely understand why you guys hate IS-F so much.

And off course the Corvette is just a simple copy of the Italian origninal idea, right ;) or should I say people that buy the covette because they cannot afford the real thing. "AKA" the like of Ferrari, Lambo, Aston Martin and Bentley. But hey! don't take my words for it, what do I know about car.

Lexus

I definitely agree that the new CTS look way better than this new M3. Imagine what the CTS-V make this look like? I dunno? what you think?

Lexus

Do think the next CTS-V is to be taken very seriously. It's to have somewhere between 500-600 horsepower. And from the looks of the new 08 CTS sedan, I think it would provide an interesting match up with the M3/M5/AMG/IS-F

Yep you guys know that every magazine will have a comparison between those cars when they come out. All the companies know that they need these cars to have their A-Game on because the automag results are gonna be more vital for sales than anything they can do.

This looks beautiful. I, for one, think it looks every bit as aggressive as the current M3- and it makes the E46 look very old.

This class will really heat up in the next year. The IS-F, then the M3, then the C63 AMG. And then, a year or two later, the next S4/S5 will come out with the RS4 and RS5 following shortly. And so it goes.

Audi only builds the RS models every few years, or so. The next RS model is the new RS6 which you won't even catch a glimpse of until the new R8 has been sold (Audi figures that an R8 buyer would likely be the same person to purchase the RS6 and they don't want to step on their own toes). We'll be lucky if the RS6 is available for pre-order by the end of this year. I highly doubt there will be another RS4 model as soon as 2009 given that the current model is a 2007. You never know though. The RS4 sold extremely well in the US and Europe, and Audi may decide to keep it going.

this car is going to be beautiful

I hate to use the word soft when talking about an M3 so I won't. Have to agree this is far more subtle than I would have expected though. How on earth can you say the front airdam is overkill on this and not the F?

People are speaking too early, as i said before i'm not particulary a BMW fan but the new M3 will topple the rest, don't even dare to question that, the major problem for the new M3 is that it is too delayed and since the new RS4 will be launched in 2009 the impact on the market will be smaller than it should and you can bet that some people will wait one year just to make a decision about wich car to buy!!!
IS-F is just the new kid in the block, it has a lot to prove before being a real contender for the title, by the way, i don't like some of the changes that were made to make it more sporty but taste is too subjectiv to argue about it!!

Oh well. It still looks like a mo-dern BMW. Or should I say the back looks like a Toyata? At least they fixed the busy, awkwardly shaped tail lights that this 3 had when it first came out.

Now they just need to address the Tiburon-like sharp crease along the side, the generic Asian looking front end, and the cheap yet modern-looking interior, and they'd be eye pleasers as well.

PS: I have 3 BMWs in my garage, and I love 'em all. I don't hate BMW. I just don't like their current product offerings (i.e., what BMW has become)

*me driving an IS-F* *whistling so that i wont sleep from boredom* *i look in the mirror* *i c something comming really fast, while im on full throtle* *I move aside n guess wat car it was? A new generation M3 :P* * i shout: holy crap!!! i guess i need to trade my lexus with this machine comming out of hell!*

BMW the ultimate driving machine.
Lexus striving to be german.

2008!!!

I've been hearing about, and waiting for a V8 M3 to be introduced for over 2 years now. The main reason I bought a new S4 last year, in addition to the AWD, was the fact that I just don't like the I6 in the M3. I don't like the whiny sound among other things. I'm not saying it's a bad engine, which it's not. I just prefer the torque and sound of the V8's and V10's. The sound of a V8 or 10 reving at 6K is something to be proud of.

I admit I'm more than a little disappointed that BMW has taken so long to introduce this new M3. Still, I won't believe it until I see it. BMW dealers have been telling me that a V8 M3 is right around the corner since at least 2005, and they were obviously lying.

If/when this car finally become available in 2008 I'm going to be driving a new RS6 or an R8 (I haven't decided yet) and the V8 M3 will be eating my dust. I drove a new M5, and the I-drive is so lame that I couldn't justify buying the car.

The bottom line is that BMW is lagging, and by the time we all see the new M3 it's going to have stiff competition. I'm going to hold off on making a final decision until I drive one, but I must admit I'm kind of impatient with BMW at this point.

I'm sick of hearing all this "the new M3 will blow away every other car in it's class" diatribe. It has no basis in fact because none of you actually know that. It's just talk, and talk is cheap. I'm more interested in a finished product and actual results. BMW made a huge mistake with that stupid I-drive in their M5, and now they're lagging with the M3. I'm bummed because I want one. I want one now though, not in 18 months, or whatever.

You're an idiot for so many reasons I can't even be bothered to sit here and list them all.

I am a bit concerned about M3 leaving M5 in the dust.
You guys?

As long as the new M3 doesn't have that stupid I-drive you're probably right. I wouldn't even buy the M5 because of it, and another person I know made BMW buy his back because he hated it so much. Oh well, that's what you get for pre-ordering a car you have never driven.

I expect the M3 to cost way more than the 50K people are quoting on this page. I think it will be right up there with the RS4 when you add on the option packages. It will still be much less than the M5 though and will probably be just as fast, or at least very close for 10's of thousands of dollars less.

"You're an idiot for so many reasons I can't even be bothered to sit here and list them all."

Why? What did I say that was untrue or unjustified? Sorry if you don't like hearing anything negative about BMW, but facts are facts. They are lagging with the M3.

Why don't you come up with some constructive criticism and facts vs. just calling me an idiot and then bailing. As far as I'm concerned, you're a 15 year old kid who has never even driven a car.

Why don't you come up with some constructive criticism and facts vs. just calling me an idiot and then bailing. As far as I know, you're a 15 year old kid who has never even driven a car.

Oops. Sory about the double post.

Why would anyone want compare the M3 to a glorified VW like the RS4?

I fail to understand that and it sickens me.

I don’t care what any publication, celebrity personality…yada yada would endorse that VW-thing.

Even if VW offered that thing at half the price of the M3 I still wouldn’t get it.

Whether it’s on the track or the road….. to me there’s only one direct competitor for the M3 --- the 911. That scene is played out across racetracks all over the world --- M3 vs 911, and it’s only fitting it translates into their roadgoing versions.

It’s an intriguing battle.
Two great adversaries tasked to uphold their long and glorious motorsport tradition.

You obviously haven't driven an RS4. Test drive one (if the dealer will let you) before you call it a glorified VW. It's a noticeable step up from the S4 and the dynamic ride control is something that every driving fan must experience, even if you don't plan on buying it.

BMW fans are the most closed minded, childish people I have ever exchanged words with. No fan of any other car/maker comes close. Your opinion is just as valid as everyone else's, but come on.... a glorified VW. You're guilty of one of 2 things. You either don't know what you're talking about, or you're a name calling teenager.

M3 vs 911? Please. One's a sports car, the other is a coupe. Apples and oranges. A 911 will dust an M3 any time, anywhere assuming that the driver is at least competent.

How can I put this clearly.

The RS4 has no appeal to me. ZERO. NADA.

I have no desire to drive it. I have no desire to own it. I don’t even want to hear about it.

If I thought it would be better than the M3, 911 or M5, I would have gotten it by now.

To each his own. So have fun driving your VW bud.

I can respect the "To each his own" comment. That's probably one of the most meaningful remarks I have heard on these BMW threads.

I don't own a VW though. Never have, probably never will. I took my ride in for maintenance a while back and they gave me a Jetta for the day. It's better than any comparable American car, but I was thoroughly unimpressed. There is a big difference between Audi and VW even though Audi is technically a subsidiary. The difference has everything to do with build quality. You can tell when you shut the car door. VW's are safe, but flimsy. You get what you pay for.

"If I thought it would be better than the M3, 911 or M5, I would have gotten it by now."

Better is obviously a subjective term in this case. That's fine though, I can respect that as well.

My mates new Passat wagon is every bit as well built as my bosses A4, both a similar spec too. IMO the gap between the two is which you prefer the styling of, and the more exclusive image attached to the Audi brand. In terms of actual product quality though, there is very little difference as far as I can tell.

Well, the price difference between the Passat and the A4 is not that great. I was only referring to the Jetta. The Passat is their high end offering and it is really similar to an Audi for obvious reasons. Similar console etc. It's not a bad car. Fortunately I'm not all that limited in what I can buy. I could have bought a new 911 Turbo if I wanted, but I went with an S4 for numerous reasons. The main reason it edged out the M3 (the only other car I was considering) was the AWD because it snows where I live. The V8 and 4 doors also helped with my decision, but to a lesser extent.

"If I thought it would be better than the M3, 911 or M5, I would have gotten it by now."

Well, you kind of would have to drive it first before making that decision... ya think?

Have you read a single review of the RS4? One? Because, if you read just ONE review, you'll get the full picture: it's the most desirable performance sedan on the planet. M5? M5 who? Bah!

I respect BMW for what they do, and know that the new M3 will be a world-better. Or, I think the new M3 will be a world-beater. It better be. With very stiff competition from Audi, and newcomers from Lexus and Mercedes, they'll have a lot to overcome this time around... but knowing BMW, they can do it.

s4driver- Go for the R8! The R8 V10, if you can wait. Why would you get a "practical" performance sedan when you can get an indulgent sports car? If you can, then you must. I might have to drive the R8- but it only comes in coupe for the time being, and I might HAVE to live with a 911 convertible by the time I'm looking for new wheels.

It's not so much what you said that was untrue or unjustified, it is the lack of factual content, common sense and 'facts'.

For interest I am 27, have driven dozens of cars and currentley own two (E90 320i and E24 635CSi).

You are of the OPINION that BMW are lagging. Can't quite see this myself, the new 3 coupe hasn't been avaliable for that long and M cars always take a while to be launched. If you are losing you patience with BMW that is tough. You say your dealer told you that the M3 would be around "since at least 2005" implying that it may have been 2004??... being a BMW enthusiast the general conscensus in most of the mag's I read indicated that the M3 would be due 2007 - for instance I've just reached to my shelf and grabbed at random an issue of Autocar dated 7th Feb 2006, and it says M3 due spring 2007. The fact that the M3 is such an eagerly anticipated car that it's development is closely scrutinized and much publicised is hardly BMW's fault, it just makes the wait seem even longer!

If you are of the OPINION that i-drive is lame fair enough, that just makes you look a bit stupid, the fact that you had a mate who also wasn't able to get his head round it is also irrelevant. Millions of people do not have a problem with i-drive. It obviously wasnt a huge mistake in the M5 (or M6, or any other i-drive equipped model..)or people wouldnt have been buying BMW's in their millions.

If you don't like it, tough! You have your opinions - as do I, I chose not to go for an A4 because I think they are ugly... but these are not facts, so for you to post having a go at BMW as if you know better, is really very annoying, THEY know better than YOU, but it is your right as a consumer to not buy a BMW! They will still sell M3's by the lorry load!

Anway that just wasted 20 mins of my life, and for all I know you are an Audi Fan-boy taking a cheap swipe at BMW!

Yeah, 2007. That's what the dealers have been telling me going back to at least 2005. Now it's going to be 2008, supposedly. They are lagging and it would have been better for them if they were able to get it in the showroom around the same time the RS4 came out.

The issues with i-drive are not just my opinion. It's been an issue with lots of people. My buddy who took his back is by no means the only person who did that. It's been happening and LOTS of people are not happy with it. Granted, many Americans don't want to own a car with a learning curve. I don't know what that says about them, but it does translate to fewer cars with I-drive being sold, at least in America. Millions of people drive BMW's for sure. Millions of people are not drving BMW's with I-drive though. It's a pretty small market.

Do you think the new M3 is going to have I-drive? I sure as hell don't.

Do you think BMW is going to keep making cars with I-drive? I guess we'll see, but I don't expect them to make more of them. Only less.

There are things I like about BMW and Audi. I happen to own an Audi at the moment and I don't plan on getting rid of it, but I'm ready to seriously consider the V8 M3 when it comes out. What's wrong with owning both? 2 years from now my plan is to have a new RS6 and a V8 M3 in my garage. Who knows, perhaps I would be more inclined to go with an M3 if it didn't snow where I live. Hint: Perhaps BMW should consider an AWD M-series. Now that would be cool.

i-Drive is still evolving, BMW are trying to make it easier for technophobes to figure out, so I would imagine that it will stay for a long time yet.

Having said all that, I'd rather people faulted BMW on i-drive, than on driving dynamics.

Well after having driven the M3, be sure to post your findings here!

Personally I'm looking forward to the M3 Saloon, I find myself needing 4 doors more often these days... I'm thinking chop in the 320i, pick up a slightly used 320si for a while, then see if my company will stretch to an M3 saloon.... I'm thinking probably not, at least not until my boss chops in his Audi for the Porsche he's eying up.... and then there's just the tax man to please... hmm, think I'll stick to my 320i for a bit longer.

"There are things I like about BMW and Audi. I happen to own an Audi at the moment and I don't plan on getting rid of it, but I'm ready to seriously consider the V8 M3 when it comes out. What's wrong with owning both?"

I totally agree! I don't get why so many fanboys here are devoted to only one brand. The beauty of life is choice. If the 335xi coupe comes out in the next year and a half, there's no doubt about it- that's my next winter car! I have an S4 Cabriolet and an A3 2.0T DSG for the winter... but my son will be taking the A3 in September 2008. I want something a bit more cosetting, a bit more powerful, for my next winter beater, and a 335xi coupe would be perfect. The new E92 is just gorgeous. It's a supermodel in a BMW world of everyday designs, and I'm smitten. If that doesn't come to market, I'll have to get a 328xi coupe, which I know is out- and 230hp seems good enough for one and a half seasons a year, especially because the A3 is so quick with only 200hp.

I can't understand how can someone compare M3 with 911 which is one of the best sports cars ever built.

I personally don't mind iDrive, and since I actually know how to use it I even like most aspects of it. I'll preface this by mentioning I have actually gotten to spend a good bit of time behind the wheel of M5's and M6's so I actually know what I am saying as opposed to just regurgitating what magazines have told me to think.

With that said, I have two problems with the M5 and M6. First, the SMG is probably the most annoying transmission I've ever encountered outside of the CVTs that are popping up everywhere. It surges between shifts in the softest automatic mode and it's almost painfully abrupt in full speed manual. Now, there are shift modes between those, but that brings me to my second problem. There are 279 possible combinations of suspension, horsepower, and transmission shift modes. Now that, to me, is ridiculous. I understand that it's cool to be able to customize the drive of your $90k+ car, but compared to an S6 or E63 that all you have to know how to do to enjoy the car is is hop in and go, that's just overkill.

What BMW needs to do is drop SMG for a more comfortable DSG-style transmission (which is coming already), and then eliminate all the superfluous modes. Make it so you don't need to take classes on how to operate a fusion reactor in order to enjoy it. Hop in, turn the car on, and tear it up. I don't mind having a "Sport" button, a "500hp" button, or a "Track" button. But there doesn't need to be 279 combinations. And you shouldn't need to worry about knocking your teeth out or smacking your face on the windshield when you shift.

I think the idea behind having so many settings is to avoid compromise, if you spend that much on a car, yes some may expect it to be perfect out of the box, but one's 'perfect' might not suit everyone... they are giving you the choice. In my book that is a good thing.

The M3 will begreatno doubt but the pretenders are on the door step. And don't forget, the press has had good thingsto say about the new C Class. The C63 should be a competitor in this group too.

The M3 will begreatno doubt but the pretenders are on the door step. And don't forget, the press has had good thingsto say about the new C Class. The C63 should be a competitor in this group too.

The M3 will be great no doubt but the pretenders are on the door step. And don't forget, the press has had good thingsto say about the new C Class. The C63 should be a competitor in this group too.

The C63 will be like every other bourgeoise Mercedes, nose heavy and nowhere close to the M3 and S4/RS4 in handling. The SL65 AMG is about the only Merc I could even see myself in, but they (and every other Merc for that matter) have such lousy maintenance records that I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The fact that a twin turbo V12 only comes with an automatic tranny sickens me as well, but that's neither here nor there. There's a reason why Consumer Reports doesn't recommend anything by Mercedes. CR isn't the last word by any means, but I do see a trend when none of their models are recommended.

"Hey S4... You like apples?! I have a an invitation to a special costumer tryout of the M3 in München in March!"

So do 3 other people I know. Your point?


"HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES!"

Again, your point?

I'll believe that there's 2008 V8 M3 when I see one. I take that attitude towards any new car no matter who builds it. I've been hearing talk of it for so long now I'm over it. I want results, no more talk.

"It's gonna be a 2008 model, but you will be able to buy it in 2007, that is if you have the money for it!"

Okay, great. So when will it actually be delivered? I don't like to pre-order cars without actually driving them first, even if I already have a good idea of what the car is like.

Audi RS 5

Just for the record. The next M3 competitor from Audi will not be an RS 4, but the forthcoming RS5 coupe.

The S5 is slated to debut as soon as next year, with the 450+hp RS 5 coming out as soon as 2009.

That means that BMW will have a year or two competing with the 420hp RS4, only to be seriously challenged (and probably beaten) by a much more powerful and andvanced Audi RS 5 coupe.

Maybe BMW will counter with another CSL!

S4driver:

"The fact that a twin turbo V12 only comes with an automatic tranny sickens me as well"

What do you want? A manual? You tell me how many maunual transmissions (clutch included) can handle over 1000nm of torque? It would be drivable, that's for sure.

A solid Auto was the only option for AMG, so that the
driver could experience that much grunt without having to have the leg muscles of an Ox and even bigger forearms....

It wouldn't be drivable...

once this thing hits the floor, its out with the 330xi and in with the M3

If this is indeed the new M3, then I am utterly disappointed. BMW let off the aggressive styling and let their softer, gentler side kick in. The old M3 had a presence to it, it looked fast. This car looks good and all, but it doesn't look fast. The rear end looks like a Buick Lucerne...I had to drive a rental one for two weeks..ugh.

Are we looking at the same picture?

Will, there's a difference between a car looking "cartoonish" and a car looking "sporty". Would you please admit that Lexus did a horrible job on the bodykit of the IS-F? Since I love the E92 so much, I might be a little biased, but I think BMW did a great job... as usual.

About the "overdone" air scoop... it only looks that way because of the black tape above the scoop, which lends it the impression of a gaping mouth that doesn't have a top.

I am not sure what all the fuss is about?