A resourceful F30POST member of ours went BMW VIN diving and may have uncovered many details for the upcoming BMW M3 Sedan (F80) and M4 Coupe (F82)!
While obviously no production F80 M3 or F82 M4 have rolled off the line yet, manufacturers like BMW register VINs for their pre-production test cars, so finding the details behind such VINs can reveal much about the upcoming production models (although keep in mind that everything is subject to change by the time the model hits production).
So, what does the BMW M4 coupe's VIN reveal?
The highlight is the
310kW (415 hp) S55 3.0L inline 6 engine listed [
photos]. Consistent with the information
we've been posting, this would have the next M3 and M4 featuring similar horsepower figures to the current M3 (414 hp) from the 3.0L inline 6 multi-turbo S55 engine. But, we've also been previously told by a trusty source familiar with F80/F82 development that the cars will boast approximately
100 lb-ft more torque (in range of 395 lb-ft) (
source).
The same source also
told us that engineers were targeting E46 M3 weight. The E46 M3's curb weight is 3,415 lb, while the current E90 M3 and E92 M3 weigh 3,726 and 3,704 pounds, respectively. This would represent an approximate 300 pound weight reduction; great news for BMW enthusiasts who bemoan the increasing weight of cars in general. The caveat to keep in mind however, is that curb weight is calculated based on the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, and with the ever growing list of standard equipment and technology in late model cars, don't be surprised or disappointed if you don't see exactly 300 pounds shaved. What's important is that the E46 M3 weight is being used as a target, which in any scenario, should result in significant weight reduction for the new M3 and M4.
The rest of the VIN information reveals many of the features and options to be available for the F80 M3 and F82 M4. See the full VIN info below.
Follow our M3/M4 coverage at
http://www.bimmerpost.com/m3/f30m3/ and catch all the latest spy pics and information at
http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=602770
BMW M4 UK version:
Here are the previous photos we posted of the S55 engine: