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Re: M3: 1st-Year problems, the delay, BMW wake up! (archive)
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Posted by Marc S on August 13, 2000 at 23:04:20:

In Reply to: Re: M3: 1st-Year problems, the delay, BMW wake up! posted by Qwerty on August 13, 2000 at 17:41:41:


Hello all,

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't putting the M5 engine in the new M3 hurt the price point that BMW is aiming for with both cars? I would think that the price and performance of the M3 would have to be slightly lower then the M5. Why would anyone buy the M5 if you could get a 400hp M3?

They're still different cars with different images. But consider the following - BMW could de-stroke the M5's v8 for the M3. The M3 could, for instance, have a 3.6 liter version of the M5 engine. It would still provide all the great torque, and likely could rev even higher up into the rev range with the reduced stroke. And, it would be more differentiated from the M5 which gets the "big 4+ liter 400hp v8" while the M3 gets the 3xx hp 3.6 liter version. And then, down the road, as competition increases, BMW need only increase the displacement on the M3's little v8 and wah-lah! Lots more performance and no major engine change needed.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

Marc

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