Auto Channel

Page 1: Short story
Page 2: Concept
Page 3: Power unit
Page 4: Chassis & suspension
Page 5: Design
Page 6: Body
Page 7: Safety
Page 8: Features
Page 9: Production

Features

Sporting and stylish: high-quality materials and exclusive colour combinations within the interior.

The new BMW M3 is available in three exclusive interior variants:
The sporting, “basic” version is the Speed combination of cloth and leather. Newly developed, fully tanned Novillo leather is available as an option, exuding a particularly elegant and sporting touch with its smooth, velvety surface. Apart from classic Black, Novillo leather is available also in Palladium Silver, Bamboo Beige and Fox Red.

As a further, enhanced option, the interior may be finished in Novillo leather also around the bottom of the instrument panel, on the glove compartment cover, and on the side panels of the centre console.

Four exclusive trim versions with trim strips covering the entire width of the dashboard beneath the instrument cluster offer further opportunities to customise the new BMW M3.

The “basic” trim finish is in Titanium Shadow, with Alu Shadow and special leather with a carbon structure grain as well as fine-grain high-quality wood and plane wood dyed in Anthracite coming as options. Each of these trim variants gives the interior of the new BMW M3 its own very special look ranging from cool and technical all the way to sporting and elegant.

Highly effective air conditioning for a pleasant climate on board.

Featuring an elaborate, high-tech venting, heating and air conditioning system, the new BMW M3 offers its occupants a high standard of touring comfort regardless of the outside temperature. The flow of air goes either directly or indirectly to the occupants from several air supply sources, guaranteeing highly effective and at the same time draught-free circulation of fresh air. A further feature is separate control of the air temperature on the driver’s and front passenger’s side.

Both the driver and front passenger are able to control the air conditioning, communication, navigation and entertainment functions by way of the iDrive management system complete with the Controller on the centre console.

The Control Display fitted precisely in the middle at eye level shows the status of the function currently in use, as well as further options in the respective menu or the graphic map of the optional navigation system.

Telematics services for all-round convenience.

The Control Display also presents the information provided to the driver and his passengers by means of the BMW Online and BMW Assist mobile internet portal. Featuring an emergency call function, BMW Breakdown Assistance, the BMW Info information system, V-Info plus traffic information, and the mobility-based BMW Enquiry Service, BMW Assist offers a unique range of functions and benefits. A particularly practical advantage when travelling is the provision of information on hotels, restaurants or the cinema listings at the driver’s destination.

One of the automated telematics services offered by BMW Assist is the emergency call function: As soon as an airbag is activated, this very helpful function immediately establishes a link to the Service Centre, a short message sent through the navigation system informing the Centre of the car’s current location in order to organise rescue and assistance services without the slightest delay.

The V-Info plus traffic information system makes an important contribution to pleasant motoring free of stress and traffic congestion. It enables the driver to regularly retrieve the latest traffic information processed without delay by the navigation system in the new BMW M3 and used for calculating the best route.

Yet a further option is to prepare a forthcoming appointment for service and maintenance through BMW TeleServices, an innovative system for wireless transmission of service data to the driver’s BMW Service Partner.

Cockpit with M leather steering wheel and driver footrest.

The M leather steering wheel featured as standard is the perfect interface between the driver and his car. With its rim resting firmly in the driver’s hands, particularly thanks to the thumb contours, the driver always remains fully in control, the steering wheel offering a perfect grip for precise steering movements.

The remote control buttons for the audio system and mobile telephone, and, as an option, for the MDrive function activating the car’s set-up saved by the driver in advance are all positioned on the steering wheel spokes. And a further button may be freely programmed by the driver through iDrive for any particular function of his personal preference.

The newly designed and contoured front seats ensure optimum side support particularly with a sporting and dynamic style of motoring. The high standard of craftsmanship and seat finish, in turn, enhances the sporting design of the seats to an even higher level. An integrated footrest next to the clutch pedal gives the driver a firm support, while the side panels made of brushed stainless steel as well as the anti-slip cover in the middle highlight the sporting touch and function of the seats.

Interior lights package for a particularly exclusive atmosphere.

Within the interior of the new BMW M3, light plays a particularly important role in creating an exclusive atmosphere. Indirect illumination comes from the start as a standard feature, while the optionally available Lights Package intensifies the experience of supreme illumination in a particularly emotional manner:

The Lights Package is made up of a trim bar extending along the door linings and the side panels at the rear in a gentle, sweeping motion throughout the entire length of the interior. This trim bar incorporates small spotlights emitting gentle light beams to the lower part of the interior to provide a particularly discreet and attractive lighting effect.

Two full-size seats at the rear.

The new BMW M3 is laid out as a four-seater. Benefiting from seats in perfect ergonomics, all the car’s occupants enjoy superior motoring comfort also on long distances and excellent side support in fast bends.

As an option both the driver’s and front passenger’s seat are available with backrest width adjustment in conjunction with an adjustable lumbar support. The centre console extending all the way to the rear, in turn, splits up the rear seat bench into two full-sized and highly comfortable seats also at the back, the low seat bottoms giving the rear passengers generous headroom at all times.

The rear seat bench comes complete with lightweight through-loading available as an option with an – also retrofittable – ski-bag. Made of a special synthetic material reinforced by long fibres, the through-loading developed for the new BMW M3 is approximately 7 kilos lighter than a standard through-loading system.

Offering no less than 430 litres or 15.05 cubic feet luggage capacity, the luggage compartment clearly proves that the new BMW M3 is also perfect for long-distance motoring. As an option the luggage compartment comes with a special Storage Package comprising features such as a bags holder and a baggage net. A 12-volt socket, in turn, enables the driver and his passengers to connect external electrical appliances such as a cooling box.

Nothing but the best: the BMW Individual High-End Audio System.

The new BMW M3 comes as standard with a high-quality audio system. As an option, there is also the BMW Individual High-End Audio System developed by BMW M GmbH specifically and exclusively for this very special car. In this case no less than 16 high-output loudspeakers complete with Neodym magnetic drive and extremely stiff Hexacone diaphragms, a digital 9-channel amplifier with maximum output of 825 watt, and ultra-precise frequency bars guarantee unparalleled quality of sound.

A feature quite unique in the world of motoring is Dirac Live technology for signal processing. Dirac Live corrects the loudspeakers’ impulse response and ensures linear, time-phased playback within the interior of the car.

The ultra-precise impulse in audio reproduction generated in this way gives not only the driver, but rather all occupants in the new BMW M3 an unusually versatile, dynamic and lively experience of sound. An optimum listening experience under all driving conditions is ensured furthermore by speed-related volume control and speed-related equalising.

The driver or front passenger are able to control the BMW Individual High-End Audio System by means of the iDrive Controller, with the further option to mastermind all basic functions and settings via the audio controls on the centre console, as with all the car’s entertainment systems.