A new BMW 3-Series prototype has now been spotted in public, wearing heavy camouflage, yet having noticeably wider fenders. Gotcha, M3!
Our marksman with the lens had very little time to take pictures of the car as it was driving by, but he did notice that aside from the fenders, nothing else looked different at the front.
As for the rest of the car, we can see what appear to be M side skirts, a small trunk lid spoiler and a set of quad-exhausts, which is actually what gave the car away - it made more noise than any regular 3-Series prototype seen so far.
According to sources, the 2020 M3 will be powered by a new twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, utilizing the same water-injection system as the M4 GTS, sharing the latter's power output of 493 HP (367 kW) and 442 lb-ft (598 Nm).
If this turns out to be true, it will make the new car significantly more powerful than the current M3, not to mention lighter and more Eco-friendly, if it does indeed adopt a 48-volt mild hybrid system and electrically spooled turbos.
Like its larger sibling, the M5, the all-new M3 is also expected to come with all-wheel drive, although rumor has it this is going to cost buyers extra and that it won't be standard on the car. The system will likely be coupled to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, while the six-speed manual may yet survive the generational shift, if only in rear-wheel drive variants. Grain of salt though.
The launch date for the 2020 M3 remains unknown. But since the all-new 3-Series will come out to play sometime next year, we could see the M-version make its presence felt either in late 2018 or sometime in 2019, the latter scenario being more probable.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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