According to Car Magazine, the boss of BMW M division, Markus Flasch, has confirmed that the next 2020 BMW M3 will be powered by the same twin-turbo six-cylinder engine as the X3 M and X4 M crossovers. This was an open secret in the BMW world, but it’s the first time that an official goes on the record to confirm the S58 engine for the 2020 BMW M3.
“The next BMW M3 will have the brand new S58 engine that we’re launching in the X3 M and X4 M,” he told Car Magazine. “It will have 480bhp in the standard version and 510bhp in the Competition version.”
The leaked 8-speed automatic transmission
Furthermore, Flasch decided to drill more into the different drivetrains offered, similar to what he’s told us two weeks ago.
“Drivetrain-wise, think about the M5’s all-wheel drive system – we are able to put it in the M3 as well. It’ll be very similar. But we will also do rear-wheel drive cars, purer ones too and a manual stick shift.”
So basically, the 2020 BMW M3 horsepower will be rated at at least 500 hp with all-wheel drive and likely the entry-level 480 hp M3 with rear-wheel drive. The manual transmission will be offered for the lower powered M3.
The same report mentions the S58 paired with a water-injection to cool the high combustion temperatures.
Even though the internal name for the manual M3 was “Pure”, Flasch said that the name was purely a working title. The “Pure” models are rumored to have restyled aprons front and rear, their own wheel design, an optional standalone signature paint job, special fabric and alcantara upholstery, color-coded cabin trim and bespoke instrument graphics.
As expected, we will see some more special M3s and M4s down the road – in the shape of CS and CSL variants. The report mentions a limited-edition CSL with a full-monty bodykit, including an almighty rear wing and front air dam, carbon-ceramic brakes, racing seats (the rear bench is a delete option, while a roll cage is an optional extra), and a bespoke instrument display.
Those models are expected to arrive after 2021.
