Teased yesterday on its official Facebook page, BMW Malaysia has officially introduced the new G80 M3 and G82 M4 in the country, both vehicles set to arrive here in Competition form. It will however be a while before we see the cars in the metal – we hear that actual deliveries will only begin closer to the middle of next year.
In the meantime, sales have begun, and buyers have options for both models, priced accordingly. The base M3 Competition goes for RM664,800, while the inclusion of an Innovation Package adds RM75,000 to bump the price up to RM739,800. However, BMW Malaysia is offering an online pre-booking discounted price of RM58,000 for the Innovations Package from Dec 1 to 31, effectively reducing the IP-equipped version to RM722,800 until the end of the year.
As for the M4 Competition, the base model goes on sale at RM684,800, and opting for the Innovation Package – which is priced at RM76,000 – brings the price up to RM760,800. As with the M3, the Innovations Package is discounted to RM56,000 until December 31, which means the M4 Competition with the IP will go for RM740,800 until the end of the year. Both cars are available for pre-booking on the BMW Shop Online platform until December 31, at RM5,000 each.
In their standard guise, both Competition iterations of the new M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe will arrive at a cheaper price point than their predecessors, the F80 M3 and F82 M4, which went for RM738,800 and RM748,800 respectively when they debuted in June 2014, and even loaded with the Innovation Package, the pre-booking price still makes both cars marginally cheaper.
The M3 and M4 are powered by an S58 3.0 litre twin-turbo straight-six, which in its base form puts out 480 PS (473 hp) at 6,250 rpm and 550 Nm of torque from 2,650 to 6,130 rpm, an increase of nearly 50 PS and 50 Nm over the previous gen models.
For the local cars, the Competition specification bumps the output tune of the S58 to 510 PS (503 hp) at 6,250 rpm and 650 Nm between 2,750 and 5,500 rpm, which is 60 PS and 100 Nm more than the previous gen Competition models.
The mill is paired with an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission with Drivelogic, as seen on the M5 and M8, which drives the rear wheels. No all-wheel drive as yet, because the automaker will only be introducing its M xDrive AWD system on the Competition models only from the middle of next year. Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds, identical for both bodystyles.
In their standard form, both the M3 and M4’s full-height front grille is finished in high-gloss black, and the contrast colour also adorns the lower edges of the bumpers, side sills, side mirror covers, rear spoiler as well as the diffuser and their edge bindings. The cars also feature a BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line CRF roof, with mouldings again in high-gloss black.
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The base variants come equipped with LED headlights, black chrome tailpipe finishers and ride on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear double-spoke 826 M bicolour M forged wheels, with mixed tyres (275/35 R19 front and 285/30 R20 rears).
Standard fit on the M3 and M4, no matter what designation, are an Adaptive M suspension, M Sport differential and a M Drive Professional system, which adds a new M traction control function that provides ten different levels of intervention, along with a lap timer and a “drift analyser.”
Inside, the base M3 and M4 are dressed in black Merino leather upholstery, with the front seats being M Sport units, complete with illuminated model inscription. The interior trim finishers are in high-gloss black, and both cars feature a BMW Individual headliner in an anthracite finish.
Standard fit items include a M leather steering wheel, M-specific pedals, a HiFi loudspeaker audio system, three-zone automatic air conditioning and Comfort Acces. As per usual, there’s a BMW Live Cockpit Professional 12.3-inch digital instrument display panel and a 10.25-inch Navigation Professional central touchscreen display.
The Innovation Package adds on equipment, upgrading the front lighting to a BMW Laserlight system and introducing an electrically-operated glass roof. Although similarly-sized, the IP version features a different wheel design, in this case a double-spoke 825 M bicolour M black forged unit.
The IP also offers alternative interior finishes, in this case three, with the Merino leather upholstery and door card relief panels available in a choice of Kyalami Orange, Yas Marina Blue or Silverstone, with the seats featuring colour contrast elements. Other differentiating items are BMW Individual piano black trim finishers and M seat belts.
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The Competition models with the Innovation Package also gets a head-up display and ups the audio to a Harman Kardon surround sound system. Also included is wireless phone charging and Connected Package Professional, which incorporates intelligent emergency call, concierge and remote services as well as intelligent personal assistant feature
The package also and adds on Parking Assistant and a tyre pressure indicator as well as a Driving Assistant package, which introduces lane departure warning, lane change warning, front collision warning with braking intervention (AEB), rear cross traffic warning and rear collision prevention into the mix. There is however no adaptive cruise control.
Seven exterior colours are available for the M3 Competition and M4 Competition locally. They are Sao Paulo Yellow, Isle of Man Green, Alpine White, Brooklyn Grey Metallic, Toronto Red, Portimao Blue and Black Sapphire.
GALLERY: G80 BMW M3 Competition
GALLERY: G82 BMW M4 Competition
