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2020 BMW M3 to Get up to 517 HP… and a Manual Gearbox

2019 BMW M3 CS
Photo: BMW
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Daniel Rufiange
All-wheel drive and a manual gearbox are also planned, but not together

This week Markus Flasch, head of BMW’s M performance division, provided some new details about the next-generation M3 that is set to debut as a 2020 model in two months, this in an interview with British outlet Car Magazine. Purists will be happy with what’s brewing at M.

Under the hood, M3 will get the same 3.0L inline-6 turbo engine already in service in the X3 M and X4 M SUVs. According to Flasch, the new edition of this unit will deliver 487 hp in the base version of the M3, and 517 hp in the Competition variant. The outgoing generation produced 425 hp in the base model, and 453 in the CS edition.

The other big change is that the M3 will also be available in an all-wheel-drive configuration, borrowing the system at work in the M5, itself offering the configuration for the first time ever. In the M5, the driver can switch from RWD to AWD with the push of a button.  

However, there’s an added appeal that will be built in to the rear-wheel-drive M3. Purists will rejoice that that version will come only with a manual transmission. In the view of many, this version will be the true-blue, genuine-article M3.

The other transmission is an 8-speed automatic unit.

Esthetically, we expect a model with more imposing lines and features, and some spy shots floating around online indicate the rear end bears the usual BMW visual signature – namely, two pairs of exhaust tips.

The 2020 BMW M3 is set to be presented at the next Frankfurt auto show this coming fall.

Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists