40 years of the BMW M3
BMW M3 celebrates 40 years as the benchmark M car, tracing six generations from 1985 to today, each defined by motorsport success and engineering milestones.
The BMW M3 debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt motor show with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine producing 200 hp and weighing 1,200 kg, accelerating from 0–100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. Its racing pedigree began immediately, securing victories in the German DTM, World Touring Car Championship and the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The original model also introduced a convertible variant, expanding its appeal beyond the coupé.
The second generation arrived in 1992 with a six-cylinder engine and expanded body styles, including a four-door sedan. A sequential manual gearbox option debuted in 1996, while the third generation in 2000 featured a 3.2-litre six-cylinder producing 343 hp. The limited-run M3 CSL reached 360 hp and cut 0–100 km/h time to 4.9 seconds, while the M3 GTR dominated the ALMS series in the US.
The fourth generation launched in 2007 with a 4.0-litre V8 producing 420 hp, accelerating the coupé to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. BMW returned to the DTM in 2012 with the M3 DTM, winning the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in its debut season. The fifth generation in 2014 replaced the V8 with a turbocharged straight-six, cutting fuel consumption by 25% while increasing power to 450 hp in the Competition Package.
The sixth generation, introduced in 2020, added the M3 Touring in 2022 and introduced M xDrive all-wheel drive. The limited-run M3 CS sedan achieves 0–100 km/h in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 302 km/h, marking the fastest series-produced M3 to date.