It’s easy for BMW to spice up a car it’s been selling for years to grab our attention. Nearly five years have passed since the G80 was first revealed, with a Life Cycle Impulse introduced last year. In today’s fast-moving car market, one could argue the M3 is beginning to show its age. However, slap on a striking Individual color, and it suddenly looks younger than it did yesterday.
Truth be told, Frozen Tampa Bay Green Metallic isn’t new to the color palette. This matte paint finish, codenamed “P9B,” has been around for years, but it’s rarely seen on an M3 LCI. BMW Bulgaria now treats us to fresh images of the facelifted sports sedan carving up countryside roads. Beyond the eye-catching color, this Competition version also flaunts the optional carbon fiber body kit.
This Hulk-spec M3, sadly, lacks the classic silver wheel option introduced last year with the mid-cycle update. Instead, BMW opted for the usual black finish on the 826 M alloys. Even so, the AMG C63 rival remains a sight to behold, despite its age. The hotter CS derivative has come and gone, but the standard M3 still turns heads. Its muscular proportions and bulging fenders will never go out of style, though the kidney grille is unlikely to age as gracefully.
How much life is left in the sixth-generation M3? Quite a bit, actually. We believe production will continue throughout next year, possibly ending in February 2027. The G81 Touring might even stick around longer, with reports suggesting the final long-roof M3 will be built in October 2027. Earlier this year, BMW refreshed the wagon by launching a limited-run CS version.
Thankfully, the G80 won’t be the last of the gasoline-powered lineage. M has promised a new, and possibly final, ICE-powered M3 (aka G84). According to Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse, it’ll feature a “new type of six-cylinder engine.” We’re not exactly sure what that means, but if we had to guess, it’ll be a mild-hybrid inline-six.
It remains unclear whether the engine will be based on the S58 or the lesser B58, though we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the former. The M engine is being revised to comply with Euro 7 regulations, so the twin-turbo setup still has a future. With BMW also plotting an M350 equipped with a six-cylinder engine, it wouldn’t feel right for the M3 to share the same B58 powerplant as the M Performance model.
Photos: BMW Bulgaria
