BMW M Boss Confirms 2020 M3 Will Have 473 HP And All-Wheel Drive

There’s been a lot of speculation about the upcoming M3, but BMW M boss Markus Flasch has finally confirmed some initial performance specifications.

Speaking to Car Magazine, Flasch said “The next BMW M3 will have the brand new S58 engine that we’re launching in the X3 M and X4 M.” The executive went on to say the 3.0-liter M Twin Power Turbo six-cylinder engine will have 473 hp (353 kW / 480 PS) in the standard model and 503 hp (375 kW / 510 PS) in the Competition variant.

To put those numbers into perspective, the Mercedes-AMG C63 has a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with 469 hp (350 kW / 476 PS). That’s less than the upcoming M3, but the C63 S will be evenly matched with the M3 Competition as both will have 503 hp (375 kW / 510 PS).

Of course, it’s not quite that simple as C63 has 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) of torque while the C63 S features 516 lb-ft (700 Nm). If the M3’s torque rating carries over the X3 M and X4 M – like the horsepower ratings do – both the standard model and the Competition variant will have 442 lb-ft (599 Nm).

Also Read: 2020 BMW M3 Shows Off Its New Interior

Besides talking about engine, Flasch confirmed the upcoming sedan will have all-wheel drive. He said the system will be “very similar” to the one used in the M5 and this suggests it could be defeatable.

Regardless, the executed said “We will also do rear-wheel drive cars, purer ones too and a manual stick shift.” That should hopefully put the purists at ease.