The unveiling of BMW’s new M3 concept car at last week’s Geneva autoshow has, as we expected, created quite a stir in the automotive world.

As with any new car, reaction to the M3′s styling was mixed across automotive fandom. Progressive enthusiasts loved the huge lump in the hood created by the new V8 motor, while the traditionally minded lamented the good old days of M3s past.

Sorry guys, but this is 2007. BMW, unlike certain other German sports car manufacturers, has shown a remarkable willingness to change with the times. This change comes too fast for most, but the folks in Munich truly live on the cutting edge. The styling of the current 7-series raised hell when it came out, but other carmakers have borrowed many of its design touches over the years, some of which have become industry standards. We think the same thing will happen with this new M3.

Another source of controversy is BMW’s engine choice for the new M3. This is the first time any production 3-series has been fitted with a V8 motor at launch time, and we’re sure that will upset some BMW purists. However, there is more than one reason for this considerable break with tradition.

The M3′s main competitors, namely the Audi S4 and Mercedes CLK63, use big, honking V8 motors. Although we have complete confidence in BMW’s ability to make an inline-six to compete with these musclebound machines, we do concede that the majority of the M3′s buyers might not have seen it that way.

Another consideration is racetrack performance. BMW made a huge splash with its M3 GTR in 2001, which raced successfully in the American Le Mans Series. Endowed with a 4-liter V8 making 450 horsepower, the GTR dominated the field in 2001, clinching the GT class title. The GTR’s career came to a close when new rules stated that cars competing in the Le Mans series had to be produced in greater numbers than the GTR, of which only ten were sold to the public.

It’s a logical assumption that BMW want to achieve racing success on the level of the M3 GTR, so stuffing a V8 under the new M3′s hood can certainly accomplish that goal. Power output for the new motor is rumored to be over 420 horsepower, so the new M3 will be gunning not only for its Mercedes and Audi rivals, but for Porsche’s 911 and Infiniti’s new GT-R as well.

The M3 concept seems to embody the best of past BMWs. It features the high-revving V8 muscle found only in beloved the last-generation M5. Equally as compelling are the small touches inspired by the legendary M3 CSL.

The M3 CSL, or Coupe Sport Lightweight, was the nastiest M3 ever built. It had 30 more horsepower than a normal M3, but most remarkable were its razor-sharp reflexes. This world-renowned responsiveness came from a strict diet of lightweight materials, most notably a roof panel finished in carbon fiber. That is now a standard item on the new M3, along with an aluminum bonnet. The use of these materials not only lightens the car, improving performance across the board, but also lowers the car’s center of gravity. We expect the new M3 to have some of the sharpest transitional abilities of any car on the road.

BMW is not known for cutting corners, and we think this M3 is going to blow away its competitors. The M3 has come a long way from the days of the four-cylinder E30 M3, and this is going to be the biggest leap it has taken yet.

Read comments or post your own… BMW M3 Forum

You can also watch the BMW M3 Concept Video on YouTube.

Due to the significance of the BMW M3 Concept unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, Roadfly has made new exclusive footage with commentary available. This footage supplements the previous M3 Concept videos made available by Roadfly.com.

Read and or comment: BMW M3 Forum

Link to video: Exclusive BMW M3 Launch Video

Here is some footage of BMW’s new 2008 M3 concept revving its engine, from the car’s official launch at the 2007 Geneva auto show. This is the hottest ‘music’ on the web right now, since it’s the first time the car-buying public has heard the M3’s all-new V8 in full song.

This motor is going to light the world on fire. It is rumored to displace four liters and make as much as 420 horsepower, and it will probably rev to at least 8000rpm.

We’ve also heard that the new M3 will be offered with a twin-clutch DSG transmission, replacing the old single-clutch SMG used in the previous generation M3.

BMW calls this M3 a “concept,” but they have a habit of introducing road cars at autoshows and calling them concepts. They did it with the E60 M5, and therefore we expect the production M3 to look just like the car you see here.

Join the discussion of the new 2008 BMW M3 (E92 M3) in the message forums.

Video of the new BMW M3 Concept .

The BMW M3 Concept was one of the hottest cars unveiled at the Geneva International Auto Show. If you’re like most Roadflyers… you can’t get enough! Here are 18 more M3 pictures. Click the images or follow the link below to get wallpaper sized photos with minimally intrusive watermarks.

Photo montage video with commentary of the BMW M3 Concept Car unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show.

Post your comments on Roadfly.com the world’s largest M3 message forum. M3 Forum

Link to the 2008 BMW M3 Concept

Photo Note: Hi-res photos suitable for printing or using as desktop wallpaper are available in our photo gallery. 2008 BMW M3 Concept Car Pictures

Sports Car and BMW Enthusiasts alike have eagerly been waiting for official photos and specifications of the all new 2008 BMW M3. BMW finally unveiled the BMW M3 Concept today at the Geneva Auto Show.

Its very name is a symbol for unique performance on the racetrack and in everyday traffic. For two decades, BMW M3 has embodied the athletic heart of the brand in its most fundamental and succinct form. Its dominating role in motor sports and the ultimate driving experience it affords the driver on the road are inseparably intertwined. The qualities on which this synthesis is founded have given the BMW M3 the exceptional status it enjoys the world over.

At BMW M GmbH, engineers have persisted in continuing this success story with the presentation of the new BMW M3 Concept Car. The concept study being presented to the public for the first time at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva (8th to 18th of March, 2007) gives a first impression of what a future BMW M3 might look like.

The basic form for the BMW M3 Concept Car is a derivative of the new BMW 3 Series Coupé. The few components adopted directly from the series model are the headlamps and taillamps and, as the only body elements, the two doors and the luggage compartment lid. In all other respects, the BMW M3 Concept Car, which is being presented in the Chrome Shadow finish characteristic of BMW M GmbH concept studies, is obviously an individualistic and athletic vehicle with technology at the focus of its engineering.

Individualistic body concept with emotional aesthetics.

In keeping with tradition, the engineers at BMW M GmbH developed the BMW M3 Concept Car as a fundamentally individualistic vehicle. The level of commitment to this approach is clearly demonstrated by its body. While it is based on the dimensions and the underlying form of the BMW 3 Series Coupé, virtually all body elements have been newly developed and designed from the ground up. Apart from the supporting vehicle structure, only the doors and the luggage compartment lid were taken over from the series model. All other components were specially engineered for the BMW M3 Concept Car, lending the vehicle exterior unique aesthetics that accentuate its superior power. Unmistakable features that make the BMW M3 Concept Car instantly recognisable are the special trim at the front and rear, the engine compartment lid with its bulging Powerdome and two air intakes, the lateral air slots in the front side walls, the side skirts and the exterior mirrors in a BMW M typical design.

Front with additional air intakes, engine compartment lid with Powerdome.

Faithful to the principle of “form follows function” in designing the body for the concept study, designers at BMW M GmbH used elements that not only visually emphasise the increased sportiness of the vehicle, but also serve a technical purpose. Conspicuous at the front are three large air intakes below the cooling grille that supply the engine with additional intake and cooling air. Strong, vertical struts delineate the air intakes and enhance their characteristic form.

The aluminium engine compartment lid exhibits a wide bulging curvature known as the Powerdome. Like the air intakes beside it, the Powerdome suggests the great potential that can be expected of a powerplant in the engine bay of a BMW M3. The M3 Concept Car features a high revving V8 engine that is anticipated for the series car once it goes into production.

The contours of the Powerdome and air intakes are in line with the forward-pointing sweep of the engine compartment lid and harmoniously blend into the overall design of the front, which is longer than that of the BMW 3 Series Coupé. Together with the double kidney grille typical of BMW and the flat headlamp units, they lend the BMW M3 Concept Car a highly dynamic character.

Wheel arches and side skirts communicate agility and stability.

The muscular front wheel arches of the BMW M3 Concept Car symbolise the high level of agility and driving stability achieved by this vehicle. Together with the forged 19-inch light alloy rims in the classic Y-spoke design, they emphasise the vehicle’s wide track, while a glance through the spokes of the rims reveals the compound high performance brakes developed exclusively for M vehicles.

The opening behind the wheel arch on the front side wall, which the designers refer to as gills, has an elaborate three-dimensional form that is split by a discreet chrome bracket containing the direction indicator and the M3 logo.

Two arched surfaces form the pronounced side skirt, creating a purposefully designed contrast between light and shadow. By giving the side wall a lower appearance, the side skirt lends the car a lighter, sportier look from this angle. The incidence of light on the likewise sharply defined rear wing and wheel stresses the dynamic character of this vehicle and visually highlights its rear-wheel drive.

The design of the side skirt corresponds with the shape of the strongly pronounced contour line. The play of light and shadow between the parallel contours of the skirt and contour line brings about a tightness in design that emphasises the individual character of the BMW M3 Concept Car even more strongly.

Exclusive exterior mirrors developed for the BMW M3 Concept Car feature the characteristic black double foot that reminds the viewer of the wings of an aircraft. Even this small detail is in keeping with the principle of “form follows function”. With their horizontal contour line and tapered shape toward the outside, the exterior mirrors not only contribute to the overall impression of the vehicle, but their aerodynamic shape, optimised in a wind tunnel,
is advantageous to air resistance values.

Wide track, muscular stance – rear design emphasises dynamic performance.

The rear of the BMW M3 Concept Car picks up on the design of the car’s front. The side lines gradually sink toward the rear and the wings end in a modelled hollow flute, emphasising the rear-wheel drive and visualising the superior dynamics of this vehicle. From any angle, the rear creates the impression of a pronounced wheel orientation and a muscular stance. Its proportions lend it confidence and a calm yet powerful impression. A visually discreet spoiler lip on the luggage compartment lid, also called a Gurney flap, optimally channels the air at the rear and additionally reduces lift on the rear axle.

The contours of the diffuser, whose design is subdivided by modelled struts, mirror the shape of the air intakes at the front. The diffuser and the double exhaust tailpipes positioned close to the vehicle’s longitudinal axis appear to pull the rear together at the centre and build up a tension in conjunction with the horizontal lines of the bumper. The tailpipes have a round cross section and are cut off vertically, as is typical for BMW M GmbH engineering.

Exclusive roof with visible carbon fibre structure.

There is hardly a body element in the BMW M3 Concept Car that exhibits the level of advanced technology as clearly as the roof. It is constructed of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). Specialists at the BMW Plant in Landshut, Germany, rely on an exclusive production method in which the structure of the Formula 1 material remains visible and the finely structured surface is only coated with a layer of clear finish.

As a highly visible advanced technology component, the CFRP roof dominates the technically innovative appearance of the BMW M3 Concept Car. Seen from the side, it lets the roof edge appear flatter and thus lowers the perceived body height. Apart from the exclusive appearance, the CFRP roof also offers a real technical advantage: It is considerably lighter than a steel roof. This not only reduces the overall vehicle weight, but by reducing the weight of the highest element in the body, the centre of gravity is lowered as well. Thus, the reduction in weight at this location is particularly beneficial to the agility and dynamic performance of the vehicle.

The CFRP roof is a perfect example of how interlinking technical innovation with an individual design strategy was central to the development of the BMW M3 Concept Car. Following the tradition of the previous three generations of the BMW M3, this concept study represents a high performance sports car interpreted for use in everyday diving, with its every detail being yet another example of the objective pursued by the engineers. The BMW M3 Concept Car is a vision that shows where striving for the ultimate driving experience will take us in the future.

Photo Note: Hi-res photos suitable for printing or using as desktop wallpaper are available in our photo gallery. 2008 BMW M3 Concept Car Pictures

Sports Car and BMW Enthusiasts alike have eagerly been waiting for official photos and specifications of the all new 2008 BMW M3. BMW finally unveiled the BMW M3 Concept today at the Geneva Auto Show.

The contours of the Powerdome and air intakes are in line with the forward-pointing sweep of the engine compartment lid and harmoniously blend into the overall design of the front, which is longer than that of the BMW 3 Series Coupé. Together with the double kidney grille typical of BMW and the flat headlamp units, they lend the BMW M3 Concept Car a highly dynamic character.

Wheel arches and side skirts communicate agility and stability.

The muscular front wheel arches of the BMW M3 Concept Car symbolise the high level of agility and driving stability achieved by this vehicle. Together with the forged 19-inch light alloy rims in the classic Y-spoke design, they emphasise the vehicle’s wide track, while a glance through the spokes of the rims reveals the compound high performance brakes developed exclusively for M vehicles.

The opening behind the wheel arch on the front side wall, which the designers refer to as gills, has an elaborate three-dimensional form that is split by a discreet chrome bracket containing the direction indicator and the M3 logo.

Two arched surfaces form the pronounced side skirt, creating a purposefully designed contrast between light and shadow. By giving the side wall a lower appearance, the side skirt lends the car a lighter, sportier look from this angle. The incidence of light on the likewise sharply defined rear wing and wheel stresses the dynamic character of this vehicle and visually highlights its rear-wheel drive.

The design of the side skirt corresponds with the shape of the strongly pronounced contour line. The play of light and shadow between the parallel contours of the skirt and contour line brings about a tightness in design that emphasises the individual character of the BMW M3 Concept Car even more strongly.

Exclusive exterior mirrors developed for the BMW M3 Concept Car feature the characteristic black double foot that reminds the viewer of the wings of an aircraft. Even this small detail is in keeping with the principle of “form follows function”. With their horizontal contour line and tapered shape toward the outside, the exterior mirrors not only contribute to the overall impression of the vehicle, but their aerodynamic shape, optimised in a wind tunnel,
is advantageous to air resistance values.

Wide track, muscular stance – rear design emphasises dynamic performance.

The rear of the BMW M3 Concept Car picks up on the design of the car’s front. The side lines gradually sink toward the rear and the wings end in a modelled hollow flute, emphasising the rear-wheel drive and visualising the superior dynamics of this vehicle. From any angle, the rear creates the impression of a pronounced wheel orientation and a muscular stance. Its proportions lend it confidence and a calm yet powerful impression. A visually discreet spoiler lip on the luggage compartment lid, also called a Gurney flap, optimally channels the air at the rear and additionally reduces lift on the rear axle.

The contours of the diffuser, whose design is subdivided by modelled struts, mirror the shape of the air intakes at the front. The diffuser and the double exhaust tailpipes positioned close to the vehicle’s longitudinal axis appear to pull the rear together at the centre and build up a tension in conjunction with the horizontal lines of the bumper. The tailpipes have a round cross section and are cut off vertically, as is typical for BMW M GmbH engineering.

Exclusive roof with visible carbon fibre structure.

There is hardly a body element in the BMW M3 Concept Car that exhibits the level of advanced technology as clearly as the roof. It is constructed of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). Specialists at the BMW Plant in Landshut, Germany, rely on an exclusive production method in which the structure of the Formula 1 material remains visible and the finely structured surface is only coated with a layer of clear finish.

As a highly visible advanced technology component, the CFRP roof dominates the technically innovative appearance of the BMW M3 Concept Car. Seen from the side, it lets the roof edge appear flatter and thus lowers the perceived body height. Apart from the exclusive appearance, the CFRP roof also offers a real technical advantage: It is considerably lighter than a steel roof. This not only reduces the overall vehicle weight, but by reducing the weight of the highest element in the body, the centre of gravity is lowered as well. Thus, the reduction in weight at this location is particularly beneficial to the agility and dynamic performance of the vehicle.

The CFRP roof is a perfect example of how interlinking technical innovation with an individual design strategy was central to the development of the BMW M3 Concept Car. Following the tradition of the previous three generations of the BMW M3, this concept study represents a high performance sports car interpreted for use in everyday diving, with its every detail being yet another example of the objective pursued by the engineers. The BMW M3 Concept Car is a vision that shows where striving for the ultimate driving experience will take us in the future.