Autoknowtive
1986 BMW M3 Pickup Concept
The first BMW M3 Pickup did not sport the original's boldly flared wings, as it was equipped with the narrower body of its regular, volume-produced sibling.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
BMW M3
BMW has built the M3 since 1986. Autoknowtive’s catalog has 19 of them, from the 1986 BMW M3 Pickup to the 2025 BMW M3 Touring. Body styles here: Coupé, Convertible, Wagon and Hatchback. Sold new in North America, Europe and Asia.
- Built
- 1986–today
- Brand from
- Germany
- Body styles
- Coupé, Convertible, Wagon and Hatchback
- Sold new in
- North America, Europe and Asia
- In the catalog
- 19 cars, 4 of them concepts
How it changed
Power went from 238 hp in the 1987 M3 to 530 hp in the 2025 M3 Touring. It got heavier along the way: 1,200 kg for the 1987 car, 1,865 kg for the 2025. The most powerful here is the 2025 BMW M3 CS Touring at 550 hp (410 kW), more than 90% of the cars in the catalog. Quickest from 0 to 62 mph: the 2025 BMW M3 CS Touring, in 3.5 s.
Every M3 in the catalog
1987 BMW M3
Contrary to the situation with the mid-engine sports car, the BMW M3 was not going to be crafted by hand in small batches. This car was to be produced as a mass-production automobile on an assembly line.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
1988 BMW M3 Cabriolet
The second package was intended for a very special circle of customers: an open M3 based on the 3 Series Convertible.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution
A civilian version of this original M3 with the biggest capacity drove onto the roads with the additional name of Sport Evolution.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
1992 BMW M3 Coupe
The BMW M3 was exactly 31 millimetres lower than a BMW 3 Series Coupe.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
1996 BMW M3 Compact Concept
The idea behind the 1996 BMW M3 Compact was to present younger customers, in particular, with an entry point into the world of BMW M cars.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2001 BMW M3
The third generation of the BMW M3, this time based on the E46 model series coupé, made its debut in the year 2000. And once again, the third edition of this world-famous sports car from Munich excelled from the start through even more performance, more dynamism and even more unique design, clearly setting this special model apart from the other versions of the BMW 3-Series.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2001 BMW M3 Convertible
Photo: NetCarShow
2003 BMW M3
In 2003 BMW introduced the series version of the Concept Car which had already hit the headlines at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show - the BMW M3 CSL, an abbreviation standing for "Coupé, Sports, Lightweight".
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2007 BMW M3 Concept
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.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2009 BMW M3 Convertible
The BMW M3 model family is being upgraded by yet another fascinating player: The new BMW M3 Convertible, the third body version of BMW's high-performance sports car following the Coupé and Sedan, offers new possibilities to experience uncompromising driving dynamics.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2011 BMW M3 Pickup Concept
The practical features of the BMW M3 Pickup are no less impressive. Maximum load capacity has been raised to 450 kilograms. The load bed of the BMW M3 Pickup is clad in high-grade structured aluminium sheeting and provides the biggest cargo capacity ever offered on a BMW M vehicle.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2015 BMW M3 Sedan
The launch of the new BMW M3 Sedan and new BMW M4 Coupe sees BMW M GmbH revealing a new interpretation of the high-performance sports car - and carrying the BMW M philosophy over into the fifth generation of the M3.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2018 BMW M3
The inline 6-cylinder engine has a long tradition at BMW, and in the first-ever BMW M3 CS it is once again responsible for delivering top performance.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2021 BMW M3 Sedan
The new BMW M3 Sedan will be built at BMW Plant Munich alongside the new BMW 3-Series Sedan.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
2023 BMW M3 Touring
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986.
Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
2025 BMW M3 CS Touring
Photo: NetCarShow
2025 BMW M3 Sedan
Photo: NetCarShow
2025 BMW M3 Touring
The roof of the BMW M3 Touring, like its standard-fit roof rails, comes in black. It has a Gurney flap on the roof spoiler as an additional air-directing element.
Text: press release via NetCarShow
Photo: NetCarShow
Specs side by side
| Car | Power | Torque | 0–62 mph | Top speed | Weight | Engine | Drive | Gearbox | EPA combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 M3 Pickup | 238 hp (177 kW) | 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) | 6.5 s | 154 mph (248 km/h) | 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) | 2.5 L inline-4 | Rear Wheel Drive | 5-Speed manual | — |
| 1987 M3 | 238 hp (177 kW) | 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) | 6.5 s | 154 mph (248 km/h) | 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) | 2.5 L inline-4 | Rear Wheel Drive | 5-Speed manual | — |
| 1988 M3 Cabriolet | 238 hp (177 kW) | 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) | 6.5 s | 154 mph (248 km/h) | 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) | 2.5 L inline-4 | Rear Wheel Drive | 5-Speed manual | — |
| 1990 M3 Sport Evolution | 238 hp (177 kW) | 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) | 6.5 s | 154 mph (248 km/h) | 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) | 2.5 L inline-4 | Rear Wheel Drive | 5-Speed manual | 18 mpg |
| 1992 M3 Coupe | 321 hp (239 kW) | 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) | 5.4 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,460 kg (3,219 lb) | 3.2 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 5-Speed manual | — |
| 1996 M3 Compact | 321 hp (239 kW) | 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) | 5.5 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,460 kg (3,219 lb) | 3.2 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 5-Speed manual | — |
| 2001 M3 | 343 hp (256 kW) | 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) | 5.5 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,630 kg (3,594 lb) | 3.2 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 6-Speed manual | 17 mpg |
| 2001 M3 Convertible | 343 hp (256 kW) | 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) | 5.5 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,630 kg (3,594 lb) | 3.2 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 6-Speed manual | 17 mpg |
| 2003 M3 | 343 hp (256 kW) | 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) | 5.5 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,630 kg (3,594 lb) | 3.2 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 6-Speed manual | 17 mpg |
| 2007 M3 | 343 hp (256 kW) | 269 lb-ft (365 Nm) | 5.5 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,630 kg (3,594 lb) | 3.2 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 6-Speed manual | — |
| 2009 M3 Convertible | 420 hp (313 kW) | 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) | 4.7 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,625 kg (3,583 lb) | 4.0 L V8 | Rear Wheel Drive | 7- automatic speed M DCT | 16 mpg |
| 2011 M3 Pickup | 420 hp (313 kW) | 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) | 4.7 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,625 kg (3,583 lb) | 4.0 L V8 | Rear Wheel Drive | 7- automatic speed M DCT | — |
| 2015 M3 Sedan | 431 hp (321 kW) | 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) | 4.1 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,560 kg (3,439 lb) | 3.0 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission | 20 mpg |
| 2018 M3 | 460 hp (343 kW) | 443 lb-ft (601 Nm) | 3.9 s | 174 mph (280 km/h) | 1,660 kg (3,660 lb) | 3.0 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 7-speed automatic | 19 mpg |
| 2021 M3 Sedan | 510 hp (380 kW) | 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) | 3.9 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,805 kg (3,979 lb) | 3.0 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 8-speed automatic M Steptronic with Drivelogic | 19 mpg |
| 2023 M3 Touring | 510 hp (380 kW) | 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) | 3.6 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,865 kg (4,112 lb) | 3.0 L inline-6 | All Wheel Drive | 8-speed automatic M Steptronic with Drivelogic | 19 mpg |
| 2025 M3 CS Touring | 550 hp (410 kW) | 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) | 3.5 s | 186 mph (299 km/h) | 1,850 kg (4,079 lb) | 3.0 L inline-6 | All Wheel Drive | 8-speed automatic M Steptronic with Drivelogic | 19 mpg |
| 2025 M3 Sedan | 480 hp (358 kW) | 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) | 4.2 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | — | 3.0 L inline-6 | Rear Wheel Drive | 6-manual speed | 19 mpg |
| 2025 M3 Touring | 530 hp (395 kW) | 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) | 3.6 s | 155 mph (249 km/h) | 1,865 kg (4,112 lb) | 3.0 L inline-6 | All Wheel Drive | 8-speed automatic M Steptronic with Drivelogic | 19 mpg |
Power is the figure quoted for that version. Fuel economy is the best EPA combined rating, US models only.
Think you’d know one?
Every car on this page can turn up in the game. Spot It starts with a blurry close-up, Model Year asks you to date the photo, and the Daily gives you six guesses at one car. More BMW models are on the BMW page.