M3 Saloon – is it a mistake?

We’ve seen all the spy pics, heard the rumours and speculated about its existence – but now it’s official – the 2008 BMW M3 Saloon has broken cover, reincarnated after just over a decade of coupé-only M3s. Will it be met with the same enthusiasm as its E92 coupé cousin, or will it detract from the exclusivity of the iconic M3 badge?

By Kyle Kock

Let’s turn back the clock to the late ‘90s… Although later maligned by some for making the M3 badge “too available” to ordinary men (and women), the four-door E36 M3 featured uprated double Vanos, advanced engine management and solid state ignition with individual coils, the four-door M featured an 18 kW power hike and torque boost of 30 N.m over the Coupé. Because of the obvious weight disadvantage that came with the saloon bodyshell, the power-to-weight ratio was only improved by 0,74 per cent. The engineers at Munich made up for it by introducing a six-speed transmission, adding revised spring and damper settings, and upgraded brakes with improved ABS. So, yes there were improvements on the four-door M3 (come on, that 3,2-litre six-cylinder M engine was named World Engine of the Year six consecutive times)…

To this day, E36 M3 Coupés and Saloons still turn heads, but not like they used to. Granted, the E36 shape is over 15 years old, but following the introduction of the M3 Saloon back in ’97, 3 Series M cars became a lot more commonplace, and, as I will explain later in this piece, you can’t always be sure what you’re looking at – a genuine M3 saloon, or a pimped-out 316i with supersized rims and an “M” bodykit?

Let’s give the current (E92-based) M3 its due. It’s making waves, and in my opinion, colossal ones at that. Comparing the M3 with more expensive, exclusive and limited creations by the world’s supercar manufacturers has been commonplace from the introduction of the first generation M3, and guess what, I’m doing it again. You see, among the many things BMW has gotten right, the one thing that stands out is the M3’s massive value-for-money (or “bang for buck” in this case) sports car appeal.

Now that BMW has announced the arrival of the M3 Saloon, I think that the stats should speak for themselves. The M3 saloon’s engine bay houses the same 4,0-litre V8 found in the coupe. Produced with motorsport know-how that delivers 309 kW and 400 N.m of torque, with all of 8 400 r/min to play with, this engine isn’t a toy.

But what really sets this newcomer apart as a M3 Saloon? Starting with the styling – it’s not a huge departure from the coupé’s, with an aluminium bonnet featuring the now infamous “power bulge”, the gaping air intakes slots in the front, bi-xenon headlamps, M gills behind the front fenders, and an M-typical 4-tailpipe layout. The discreet spoiler lip and the split diffuser reduce aerodynamic lift, with the latter taking up the shape of the air intakes up front. The Coupé’s carbon-fibre reinforced plastic roof is not fitted, however.

BMW claims that even with the added weight the M3 Saloon is just a tad slower than the coupé, sprinting from zero to 100 km/h in 4,9 seconds (0,1 seconds slower mind you) and still capable of hitting the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h rapidly. This is the part I like though, as chassis and suspension has seen a bit of a notch up, with nearly all materials used being made of aluminium to save weight. A few other decent improvements include stiffer spring struts, swivel bearings, central carrier element and additional thrust panel, which are all made of aluminium as well and improve lateral stiffness and rigidity of the entire front section. Of course, added in the package is BMW’s Variable M diff-lock (generating up to 100 per cent locking action) for maximum possible traction from the 265/40 tyres that sit in the rear fenders.

As well as a BMW Individual high-end audio system, with 9-channel amplifier and 16 high-performance loudspeakers, the extras list includes driver and passenger seat backrest width adjustment and a “through loading” option for the rear seats. Occupant protection comprises six airbags, three point inertia seatbelts, belt force limiters and belt latch tensioners all coming in as standard equipment. Also standard are central safety electronics for proper management and control of the car’s restraint systems.

Lets not forget the optional MDrive, offering the driver a chance to maximise personal preferences regarding dynamic driving functions, meaning a very personally set-up M3, with control over the Sports Plus engine map, M Dynamic DSC mode and the Sports Servotronic control map via iDrive. The various control maps allow the manipulation of the throttle butterflies and other parameters that noticeable change engine response and behaviour.

That is all very well and good, but what about the M3 Saloon’s 3-Series looks? And I’m not talking about the obvious, bog-standard, 3-Series tail-lamps, either… This is exactly what made the E36 M3 Saloon a love-hate kind of vehicle. On the one hand, the M generation of vehicles have become progressively more understated through the years. On the other hand, you can readily spot a lesser, but obviously beefed up 3-Series model that resembles the E36 M3 Saloon, but aren’t capable of producing its performance. All that pretenders need to do is slap on those unique 17-inch rims, add a bit of a body kit, and they’d be driving something that looks alarmingly similar to the old warhorse.

I fear that soon-to-be new M3 Saloon drivers may suffer the same insulting imitation in the form of E90s with add-on 18-inch aftermarket alloys, aftermarket bumper and power bulge bonnet and perhaps even dummy quad-tailpipes, all of which actually could look good on a “normal” 3-Series. I know that it’s virtually impossible to order M3 parts and accessories unless you own the real thing, but is that going to stop folks from trying to mimic the “M3 look” one way or another – as the E90 M3 becomes a fixture on the South African market, the phenomenon is bound to steadily gather steam, too.

And I wonder what BMW is playing at here, is this some kind if marketing strategy or is it just a coincidence that approximately R635 000 of exclusivity can be made to look as so understated that it could be copied by cynical wannabes? When the M3 Saloon hits our local showrooms again in the near future, will it be enough to make people stop and actually consider the four-door option? Then again, the target audience are probably folks who bought previous M3s and no longer want to look as conspicuous as they did in the early ’90s and early ’00s, opting instead for looks that are a bit more “subtle”.

I think the M3 Coupé is just about subtle enough though, and perhaps the Munich-based automotive giant has gone a bit too low-key on the M3 Saloon. I guess what I ’m really asking here, is whether the M3 Saloon will ultimately benefit the M3 badge.