Re: More speculation (archive)

Just got back from Barnes and Noble and read pretty much every car magazine on the shelf including Bimmer, etc. I don't remember which magazine, but one mentioned the 5 series was getting a slightly revised look for 2001 and they speculated a complete overhaul in 2002 or 2003. Part of the rumor was the new M5 was to have 500 horsepower.

Another magazine (or maybe the same one :-) was talking about the new Audi A8 and the engine options for the car. One was a V12 producing 450bhp and one was a twin-turbo V8 producing 500+bhp.

The Audi rumor seems to lend credence to the M5 rumor because the V8 Audi engine will probably makes it way into the A6 (maybe as an S6 model). Soooo, BMW can't lose face and would need to counter with a 500bhp M5.

Additionally, maybe BMW is releasing the new M3 with 343bhp not only because they did not have enough time to complete the new engine (maybe a 3.4) but because they didn't want it to blow the doors off their M5 with 400bhp and extra weight.

So, if the M5 moves to 500bhp that leaves a lot of headroom to place a new M3 engine with additional horsepower underneath the M5.

Maybe by 2002/3 we will see a new M3 engine with 400+bhp. That is something I would love! Frankly the news of a 360bhp version is not too exciting (17 additional horsepower is not that different for a car weighing that much - unless they coupled it with a HUGE diet). It sounds like a tweaked version of the existing engine anyway.

I would hope that BMW puts the time and effort into something that will be sure to blow the doors off the competition such as the new S4. And for that I think they would move to a larger engine (3.4-3.6 I6, or a light V8) and hopefully boost the torque significantly as well.

From the competition that is on the horizon the new M3 seems to be outgunned from the start. Now I know horsepower and torque numbers hardly describe a car and that is why I am still going to buy an M3 over the others, but still... a bunch more ponies and a heaping addition of torque might be in order relatively quickly. Audi is biting at their heels and seem to be clawing their way up to BMW's level and I can only hope BMW accepts the challenge. Competition is great - a sports car arm race will be great for us enthusiasts (and I don't just mean numbers - quality, refinement, price, equipment, technology, etc).

Remember this is all speculation so don't get to defensive. Just some thoughts after reading the magazines. What do others think?

Hi, just found this comment on another E46 M3 forum:

"Well...I'm in Toronto for the weekend and decided to bother Downtown BMW. They got a fax from BMW yesterday stating that the M3 will lose 1 hp b/c of emissions...that's right...342hp for Canada AND US. Fantastic!!! Also, in the fax was mentioned that it's a POSSIBLILTY that, in the future (April?), there will be a special package that offers 360hp. He didn't know any other details."

Well, if this has any truth to it, it seems BMW *are* taking the competition (Audi/MB/Porsche) seriously. If this potential upgrade will be derived from various small tweaks or from the rumoured larger displacement (3,4 l.) we will just have to wait and see...

///Mark, Sweden

Present BMWs:
'97 M3 Coup�
'00 528i Touring
Past BMWs:
'89 M3
'98 528i
Future BMWs:
'02/03(?) M3 Coup�
'01 530i Touring

Follow Ups:

500HP M5!Willtop speed b over 200mph w/o computer shut down? n/t rca 11:01 8/27/2000 (0)
Your speculation equals my thoughts exactly! (eom) Bob ///M3 01:44 8/27/2000 (0)
Ironic Isn't It? Josh 01:36 8/27/2000 (0)
i was thinking the same thing =)(nt) ben 23:58 8/26/2000 (0)

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