New info on the car from germany (archive)

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The following quotes are taken from an article about the upcoming 2001 BMW M3 in the 21/1999
issue of German magazine "Auto Bild" from May 28th 1999:

"Successors have to offer more - more of everything. They have to be bigger, more powerful, better.
How else should the customers be convinced to buy a new car? While these tasks are quite easy to
solve with bread-and-butter cars, the developers face tremendous difficulties if they have to deal
with a thouroughbred like the BMW M3. When in later summer 2000 the new M3 arrives, a hard
piece of work lays behind the M-Team around development supervisor Gerd Richter. [...] A front
spoiler with mighty intakes, a rear bumper in M5-style with four exhaust pipes, as well as 3
centimeter widened fenders to fit the 18-inch wheels (front 8J with 235/40-tires, rear 9J with 275/35
tires) are the visible differences to the standard Coupe. [...] The most significant problem in the
development of the M3 was the engine. The 3.2 Liter with 321 hp is pretty much at the top of it's
capacity. ... But the new M3 needs more power, first because of the reasons mentioned above,
second because the car's weight increased, and third to not let the gap to the 400 hp M5 become to
big. As an alternative, the M-Developers thought about creating a new V8, a small brother of the
M5. The considered parameters: 4.0 Liter displacement, 350 hp with the option for more. But when
calculating the cost, the idea with the V8 disappeared faster than an M3 accelerates. About 150.000
German Marks the Super-M3 would need to cost. 10.000 Marks more than an M5. Estimated world
wide sales: about 20 cars per year. Conclusion: A new M3 with the old engine - or none at all. ... The
engine is extended to 3.4 Liters. The output grows to 340 hp, the maximum to torque 370 Nm. [...] The
performance is on the level of the M5. Acceleration 0-100 kph in about 5 seconds, the top speed
remains being electronically limited at 250 kph. ... When the delivery of the M3 starts in late summer
2000, the price is supposed to be "just under 100.000 German Marks", so about 99.999 ... "

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