BMW E92 M3 Coupe Drives Off Into Sunset as Last Ever Built Rolls Off the Line

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BMW E92 M3 Coupe Drives Off Into Sunset as Last Ever Built Rolls Off the Line

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UPDATED PHOTOS - Last E92 M3 Coupe Produced (in Fire Orange) Goes to Belgium:












On the finishing straight: The BMW M3 Coupe reaches the end of its production run – but its racing career continues at pace.

05.07.2013

Munich. Fresh from a clean sweep of German Touring Car Masters (DTM) titles in 2012, the BMW M3 has continued to power from one victory to the next again this season. And the race-spec car is sure to be involved in a good deal more exciting action before the season concludes this autumn. The series-produced model, however, is already on the finishing straight as BMW M GmbH announces the end of production for the fourth generation of the BMW M3 Coupe. The high-performance sports car which spawned the championship-winning DTM racer is set to end its career on the road with more than 40,000 examples having left the factory. Indeed, the BMW M3 Coupe will be drawing a line under an extraordinary run on the world’s car markets. The BMW M3 Convertible, likewise powered by a high-revving V8 engine, will continue in production until September 2013.

The BMW M3 has epitomised the direct transfer of racing expertise to the road since 1986. And the latest generation of the high-performance sports car succeeded in adding another sprinkling of fascinating new chapters to its model history – from innovative technology yielding even more intense driving pleasure to BMW’s highly successful comeback in the DTM. With its athletic design, an overall package pieced together with hallmark M precision, and top-class performance capability, the BMW M3 enjoyed immense popularity around the world. Production of the BMW M3 Coupe – launched in 2007 – exceeded 40,000 units, and the BMW M3 Sedan added almost 10,000 units to the total. Just under 16,000 units of the BMW M3 Convertible have been built to date.

The most important shared feature of the three body variants is their powertrain and chassis technology, derived directly from motor sport. The 4.0-litre V8 engine, developed exclusively for the BMW M3, has cylinder banks positioned at a 90-degree angle to one another. It develops maximum output of 309 kW/420 hp, generates peak torque of 400 Newton metres (295 lb-ft) and revs to a maximum 8,400 rpm. Like the engine’s high-revving character, numerous construction details, such as the electronically controlled individual throttle butterflies, ion current knock control and dynamically optimised oil supply, were taken straight from motor racing. Alongside its instantaneous responsiveness, the colossal power delivery of the naturally aspirated engine – maintained at a constant level into the upper reaches of the rev range – is its defining feature. The BMW M3’s engine won the 3.0 to 4.0-litre class of the International Engine of the Year Award five times in succession.

The transfer of technology from race track to road also shapes the character of the car’s other powertrain and chassis components. A lightweight chassis developed specifically for the M3 – complete with a front axle secured to the body by an aluminium stiffening plate and a five-link rear axle with hollow-tube anti-roll bar and forged aluminium axle control arms – teams up with a rack-and-pinion steering system with M-specific Servotronic and the variable M differential lock to provide precisely controlled transfer of power to the road in any situation. The BMW M3 was fitted as standard with a high-performance compound braking system and could also be specified as an option with the three-mode Electronic Damper Control system. Another impressively innovative option introduced for the fourth-generation BMW M3 was M DCT Drivelogic. The first double-clutch transmission for series-produced vehicles to be set up specifically to suit the performance characteristics of a high-revving engine opens the door to extraordinarily dynamic acceleration with no interruption in the flow of power.

The fourth-generation BMW M3 was a trailblazer in its class when it came to intelligent lightweight construction. Playing a prominent role alongside the aluminium bonnet and plastic front side panels in lowering the weight of the Coupe’s body was its carbon roof. The use of this high-tech material on the scale achieved with the BMW M3 represented another important step for the BMW Group towards the industrial manufacture of carbon body components.

During the six years or so of BMW M3 production, the USA, Great Britain and Germany grew into its most important sales markets. In 2010 the Coupe also became a work of art when US artist Jeff Koons transformed the BMW M3 GT2 endurance racer into the 17th member of the BMW Art Car series. Koons’ creation was unveiled in early June 2010 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, before lining up in the Le Mans 24-hour race two weeks later. The BMW M3 GT2 added another rash of victories to the BMW M3’s exceptional record of success, including five titles in the American Le Mans series and victory in the Nürburgring 24-hour race.

The fourth-generation BMW M3 was produced at the BMW plant in Regensburg alongside the BMW 3 Series Sedan, Coupe and Convertible. Its V8 engine was supplied by the BMW engine factory in Munich, where specific production processes on the special engine assembly line ensured the high-performance unit would be marked by excellent quality and reliability.

Among the highlights of the BMW M3’s production run were the exclusive small-series variants of the car introduced over its lifetime, which brought its race-inspired characteristics even further to the fore. The BMW M3 GTS, for example, was developed as a road-legal clubsport-oriented model. The displacement of its V8 engine was increased to 4.4 litres, enabling maximum output of 331 kW/450 hp. Bespoke chassis components and aerodynamic measures, plus a two-seat cockpit designed for racing use, prepared this exclusive special-edition model for competitive race action on the track and ensured it offered a super-intense M experience on the road. 135 examples of the BMW M3 GTS were delivered to customers.

The BMW M3 CRT (Carbon Racing Technology) joined the fray in 2011 in a limited run of 67 units. Based on the BMW M3 Sedan and built at the BMW M GmbH factory, the BMW M3 CRT boasted exclusively manufactured lightweight components, a 331 kW/450 hp version of the V8 engine and modified chassis technology – all of which was a recipe for exceptionally precise handling balance. An innovative carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) manufacturing process was employed in the construction of the BMW M3 CRT. Its bonnet was made from two CFRP mouldings encasing an aramid honeycomb structure. This construction gave the bonnet the strength of a conventional steel equivalent, but at roughly a quarter of its weight. The bucket seats of the BMW M3 CRT were made from two CFRP layers wrapped around a recycled-paper honeycomb, and a carbon layer made using conventional production technology was added to visible areas. A rear spoiler and an air-channelling element integrated into the front apron (both made from CFRP) rounded off the exclusive lightweight elements found on the BMW M3 CRT.

BMW M GmbH celebrated the triple success of BMW’s DTM comeback – the drivers’, team and manufacturers’ titles were all won with the BMW M3 – with a limited-run special-edition model: 54 examples of the BMW M3 DTM Champion Edition would leave the factory, one for each DTM race victory notched up by BMW between 1987 and 2012.

BIMMERPOST Addendum: The E92 M3 Coupe will soon be replaced by the F82 M4 Coupe, which you will not have to wait very long at all to get a first look at. Stay tuned and join in the F80 M3 / F82 M4 discussions @ http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/index.php

Last E92 M3 Coupe Produced

[DrivenByE30]

At least it's a proper manual

[Stratus650]

The last "heaviest" M3 i would say lol

[VMcV3y]

I'm curious about where (or whom) will take delivery of that last coupe?

Also, pleased to see the E93 numbers -- 2nd place in sales.


- V


.

[sterile stork]

This is an awesome share and a fun read!

[Antinontoxic]

Originally Posted by Carlos@MORR

The last true M.

Aaand here we go... I was expecting someone to say this, but not this early already. I think this has been said ever since the E30 M3 production came to an end

Only thing we might say is that this was the last M3 Coupe, but who knows.

[metro44m3]

Last of the pure breds

[juicedcubed]

I feel lucky to have purchased my dream car. Ever since I was a young kid I dreamt of getting an m3 (e46 at the time). I am glad that the next gen is going back to i6, I am just iffy on the whole turbo thing. They should just leave that to the 335i body.

[TheDeliverator]

Would have been nice to see the breakdown #'s of DCT\MT sold.

[Endless619]

Whats weird is this E92 M3 just came out in reality and its a shame that it was only out for several years VS the NSX that ran from 1991-2005 and the S2000 that ran 10 years.

I was at my last unit when the new E92 M3 came out and I just transferred to my last unit and now the E92 M3 is already done? Such a shame.

[Hurricane]

It was a hell of a ride while it lasted.

[SYT_Shadow]

I also feel very lucky to have a 2013 M3... a dream car and the last of its kind.

Unless M builds a CSL version of the next M3/4 there's zero chance of me getting into a turbo M car...

[ramuman]

Originally Posted by juicedcubed

I feel lucky to have purchased my dream car. Ever since I was a young kid I dreamt of getting an m3 (e46 at the time). I am glad that the next gen is going back to i6, I am just iffy on the whole turbo thing. They should just leave that to the 335i body.

Lord. I do wonder how many people that complain about turbo lag have actually driven a car with the N54, N55 or the S63. They behave almost identically to large displacement NA engines. BMW has made miscues in recent times. Their turbo technology, however, isn't one of those areas.

[mdosu]

is that picture showing literally, the LAST E92 assembled? If so, the FO is one hell of a way to end production!

[bimmerjph]

This is the end of an era. An era many of us are not ready leave. Truly sad.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by VMcV3y

I'm curious about where (or whom) will take delivery of that last coupe?

Also, pleased to see the E93 numbers -- 2nd place in sales.


- V


.

well, you guys had about twice the amount of time to eek out a win over the E90

[Maz335i]

Originally Posted by mdosu

is that picture showing literally, the LAST E92 assembled? If so, the FO is one hell of a way to end production!

So true...love the color!!!

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by TheDeliverator

Would have been nice to see the breakdown #'s of DCT\MT sold.

rough guessing about 40% are DCTs overall since 2008.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Endless619

Whats weird is this E92 M3 just came out in reality and its a shame that it was only out for several years VS the NSX that ran from 1991-2005 and the S2000 that ran 10 years.

I was at my last unit when the new E92 M3 came out and I just transferred to my last unit and now the E92 M3 is already done? Such a shame.

NSX was such a low volume car though, and IMO, it over lived it's stay. When it came out it was on par with the Ferrari 355. When it left production, it was outpaced in terms of performance by cars half it's price and it's initial competitor just beat the snot out of it (F430). So Honda had a car that was upmarket that was being forced to move downmarket by the shifting trend in sportscars market offerings.

NSX production should have ended in 2003, IMO, and Honda should have developed the next gen to hit the market in 2005-06. Of course, I'm saying all this with no real insight on the profitablity of this car in Honda's portfolio relative to their overall business model. Toyota by comparison, took just as long to develop their supercar.

sorry to go off topic guys...anyways, S65B40 M3 = WIN!

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by mdosu

rough guessing about 40% are DCTs overall since 2008.

I would guess 70% sold as DCT.

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by mdosu

is that picture showing literally, the LAST E92 assembled? If so, the FO is one hell of a way to end production!

The sticker on it says "Letzter", which is German for last.

What I am curious of though is that is this just the last E92 M3 or the last E92 in general.

[FogCityM3]

Surprising how few coupes they have sold...would have thought they were pushing around 70k-80k.