The next generation of the BMW M3 and M4 are set to launch on September 23. By now, you probably already know the details; up to 500 horsepower in Competition trim, a six-speed manual for base-model480-horsepower cars, and before long, M xDrive. The S58 engine is already on the road in the X3 M and X4 M, and both models are going to get the same grille as the new 4 Series.
With just a few days left before the launch, BMW M has been sharing photos of the new M cars on its Instagram channel in the form of stories. The cars are obscured by green smoke in all of the shots, which seems to match the paint of at least one of the models. The grille itself is also featured, but so is a shot of the all-important six-speed manual gear lever. These are some of the final images we’ll see before the new M3 and M4 are launched, and BMW has a lot riding on the models.
Regardless of how you feel about the polarizing front end design, the next-gen M3 and M4 are set to elevate the models to a new level of performance capability. The S58 M inline-six alone has a lot to do with it, but so too does the addition of M xDrive, which has brought new life to the M5 after it debuted on the F90 generation. The sixth generation of the M3 is also of particular importance because BMW is developing a touring version of it. We’re highly unlikely to get the M3 Touring here in the U.S., but that hasn’t stopped us—and leagues of enthusiasts—from pining for it. The M3 Touring will be the first of its kind, and BMW is already road testing the model. It’s only a matter of time until the long-roof M3 hits the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring.
Will the upcoming M3 and M4 live up to their illustrious history? Only time will tell, but it will be interesting to see how driving enthusiasts react to some of the potent and capable M cars of all time, which also happen to wear an incredibly controversial design.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW M on Instagram.]