2020: The sixth-generation M3 (and M4) bring controversial looks
You may have noticed that, after discussing the first model, this story has largely avoided discussing the appearance of the various generations of M3. That’s because, from the E36 on, they’ve generally stuck by a straightforward playbook: take the basic 3 Series, widen the fenders, add slightly more aggressive aerodynamic features, and call it a day. It’s easy to tell the similarity between various M3s, even if they’re from different times.
That changed with the sixth-gen model. When it debuted in 2020, the M3 sedan and M4 coupe (internally called G80 and G82) both came wearing an exaggerated version of the G22-generation 4 Series’s massive front grille, even though the G20-gen 3 Series sedan the new M3 was based on used a more traditional (read: subtle) BMW double-kidney grille. Comparisons to the porcine foes from the Angry Birds video game were not unwarranted.
Look past that (if you can), however, and you’ll find an exceptional performance machine, as always. For the sixth-gen car, the Competition Package became a dedicated trim level: basic M3s and M4s made 473 horsepower from their twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six and came exclusively in rear-wheel-drive, while the M3 Competition and M4 Comp made 503 horsepower from the same engine, with power flowing to the rear wheels — or, for the first time, all four, using an all-wheel-drive system specially adapted for M use by the performance subdivision. Competition-trim cars came exclusively with an M-tuned eight-speed torque converter automatic, while base models offered the option of that gearbox or a six-speed manual.
Come 2021, BMW rolled out the G83 M4 cabriole; then, a year later, the brand began selling a station wagon version for the first time in the form of the M3 Touring, though it would remain verboten for Americans. As before, sharper variants followed, but the names had changed. Instead of a new M4 GTS, BMW M rolled out the M4 CSL coupe in 2022; the brief was the same, however, with the straight-six’s power boosted to 543 hp and roughly 200 pounds carved out of the car to make it more raw. (Later that year came an even wilder, limited-run variant — the M4 3.0 CSL, packing an extra 10 horses and a bespoke body.) 2023 saw the arrival of the sedan alternative, the M3 CS, which used the same combo of 543-hp engine, and eight-speed auto but paired it with all-wheel-drive instead of the CSL’s rear-wheel setup and added a couple of seats in back.
What’s next for the M3? Well, nothing is certain, but BMW M’s boss has said that, as of 2024, the brand has no plans to ditch the potent inline-six, suggesting the internal-combustion M3 should live on as long as buyers want it (and governments let BMW sell it). That said, with BMW planning on introducing a revolutionary new EV version of the 3 Series based on its “Neue Klasse” platform, don’t be surprised to see an all-electric M3 eventually sold alongside the gas-powered one.