According to the grapevine, or to be more precise, Autoweek magazine, BMW will lift the covers off a new M3 Sedan concept at the 2013 Geneva Salon next March, much like it did with the current M3 Coupe that was shown as a pre-production study at the 2007 edition of the Swiss motor show.
If this holds true, then the Bavarians will likely present the final production model later in the same year – possibly at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show – and put it up for sale by spring of 2014 for Europe and later in the year for the rest of the world.
A high-ranking BMW official who was not named in the article also told the magazine that the rumors about a V6 turbo engine are “utter rubbish”.
Instead, the F30-based M3 will gain a straight-six turbocharged engine, which is believed to produce somewhere around 450-horsepower, up from the current unforced-induction V8’s 414hp (420PS).
The same powertrain will be used on the two-door model that will be named M3 Coupe or M4.
The Autoweek report notes that for the first time since the birth of the M3 series with the E30-based model in 1986, BMW will not offer a manual gearbox and that the car will be equipped with a standard seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
However, this is something that has not been confirmed by BMW officials, and let’s not forget that the automaker presented a manual gearbox option for the larger M5 sedan this year, so we would take the news with a grain of salt, at least for now.
Rendering Credits: Wildspeed for Bimmerpost
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