( Worldcarfans ) - It's official. BMW is back with a four-door version of its legendary top of the range 3-series - the mighty ///M3! When production of the four-door E36 M3 ended in 1999, many BMW enthusiasts were left cold when the next-generation E46 M3 appeared only in Coupe format, and even the fastest four-door 330i proved no match to the M3. This time, however, BMW has prepared its warrior in the medium-sized premium car segment for full-scale warfare against the Audi RS4 and the Mercedes C63 AMG.
Following yesterday's official 'look-alike' brochure, today BMW unveiled the official specifications of the four-door E90 M3 model. We've seen the four-door model lapping Nurburgring numerous times during the summer, and the Coupe-styled front bumper and headlights, M-style side gills, 19-inch M-wheels, quad-exhausts and a rear spoiler are the biggest optical changes over the standard four-door saloon.
The specifications sheet of the M3 Sedan offers no real surprises. The four-door sedan will expectedly be powered by the same high-revving 4.0-litre 420 hp V8 engine as its Coupe sibling, making it capable of a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.9 seconds, a mere 0.1 seconds slower than the Coupe, although you'd be pressed to notice the difference. At 1680 kg the four-door version is also roughly 30 kg heavier than the Coupe. With the addition of two doors, you loose the the carbon-fibre roof, which supposedly strips 5 kg of the Coupe's weight.
At launch, the M3 will be offered only with BMW's six-speed manual gearbox, but expect BMW to throw in its version of a double clutch gearbox in the model range in the next few years.