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Compared to regular spy shots of the next-gen 3 Series – codenamed G20 – the development mule caught on camera here sits low and boasts a wider track complete with flared wheel arches. It even rides on the same lightweight wheels fitted on the 493bhp M4 GTS, strongly hinting that the G20 3 Series spotted here is a fresh M car.
Other clues to the performance potential lurking underneath the skin of this development mule are the subtle lip spoiler on the boot lid, and the hefty exhaust system complete with four tailpipes.
We’ve yet to see the fine design details BMW has in mind for the new 3 Series, and thus, the M3, but our overall impression is that an evolutionary rethink of the car’s look is in the pipeline rather than a complete overhaul.
The overall shape of the 3 Series and M3 mules we’ve spied chimes nicely with that of the current production car, though masking at the front suggests that a lower, wider look is planned for the car’s face. This sportier looking front end will be most evident on the M3, which will be kitted out with more aggressive looking bumpers complete with additional ventilation.
The next M3 should be lighter and more agile too, as like the new 592bhp M5 above it, it will move to BMW’s partial carbon-fibre Cluster Architecture, also known as CLAR.
We’re still unsure as to what BMW could place under the bonnet of the new 3 Series, but a development of the current 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six powering the current generation F80 model seems a safe bet, with a significant advance on the 425bhp offered in the base version of that model.
With the new 3 Series set to break cover next year, we anticipate the M3 to arrive in late 2019.
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