With the unveiling of the 2012 BMW 3 Series sedan all done and dusted, the Bavarian automaker’s engineers have now turned their focus on the other variants of the F30 series including the flagship M3 sedan that was captured by our spies testing on the streets of Germany in a fairly light disguise.
While BMW has done its best to hide the most telling styling features of the M3 such as the shape of the front and rear bumpers, the pictures expose the car’s muscular front and rear fenders that house larger alloy wheels and brake sets, as well as the beefier rocker panels.
We also anticipate the production model to feature a discreet boot lid spoiler and a bespoke set of exterior mirrors, both of which are absent from this prototype. It remains to be seen if the F30 M3 will get a power dome on the hood.
BMW’s testers have managed to keep the interior out of sight, but expect all the usual M bits and pieces such as a pair of bucket seats for the front passengers along with a sportier trim for the dashboard and door panels, plus unique sports steering wheel and instrument panel gauges.
The new M3 sedan will likely make use of materials such as aluminium and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic to reduce weight and improve the car’s handling characteristics
The word on the street is that the newcomer will replace the current model’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 for a smaller displacement six-cylinder engine that will employ two or perhaps even three turbochargers delivering somewhere around 450-horsepower.
A six-gear manual or an optional seven-speed dual clutch transmission will transfer power to the rear axle.
The new M3 Sedan should arrive in showrooms about a year after the regular 3-Series saloons, which are scheduled to go on sale in February 2012.
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