A new teaser video shows the BMW M3 lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife and driving on the roads around the famous track in an effort to develop the next performance sedan electronic assist systems. The four doors in this clip are still camouflaged, but there are plenty of close-ups to take a look at some of the design details.
The most intriguing styling element for the new M3 is that it doesn’t share the massive Series 4 grille inputs and the future M4. Camouflage in this sedan hides some of the kidneys, but some shots reveal its size. The openings extend slightly below the headlights, but the look isn’t as flashy as the coupé’s gigantic nose.
For the first time, the M3 will be available with all-wheel drive. However, purists will still be able to get one with only rear axle power. According to this video, the AWD system uses an on-board coefficient of friction meter that tells electronic systems how much traction is available. From there, you can modify the settings to suit the conditions.
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The latest rumor indicates that the rear-wheel drive M3, which is supposedly under the Pure name, debuts first and goes on sale in early 2021. The Pure would also be available with a manual gearbox. The all-wheel drive system joins the line in late 2021 and you may only get an automatic transmission.
As for power, we know that the M3 and M4 use a variant of the S58 twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six. This mill produces 503 horsepower (375 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) in the racing versions of the X3 M and X4 M. It is currently unclear if the cars would use the same tune as the crossover.
The spy photos also show BMW working on the M3 CS with even higher performance. There aren’t many official details about it yet, but tweaks like more power, less weight, better brakes and a stiffer suspension are expected.
