Item: 2007 BMW E92 M3 Coupe
Rating: 3

Powerful 4.0-litre V8 engine loves to rev
Excellent dynamics
Accurate steering has great feel

Peaky power delivery
M-DCT hesitates in stop/start traffic
Firm ride
S65 engine susceptible to connecting rod bearing wear and crankshaft journal fillet wear

Review: BMW E92.I M3 Coupe (2007-10)

Overview

Released in October 2007, the BMW E92 M3 was a high-performance coupe. Manufactured in Regensburg, Germany, the rear-wheel drive E92 M3 Coupe was powered by a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine that was initially mated to a six-speed manual transmission. From June 2008, however, the M3 Coupe was available with a seven-speed double clutch transmission (DCT or BMW’s ‘M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic’).

S65B40 engine

The 3999 cc S65B40 V8 petrol engine had a two-piece Alusil crankcase with reinforcing bedplate that was produced at BMW’s light-alloy foundry in Landshut, near Munich – this foundry was also used to produce Formula 1 engines for BMW Sauber. The S65B40 engine featured a forged crankshaft that ran on five bearings, fracture-split connecting rods, aluminium alloy cast pistons with an iron coating, an aluminium alloy cylinder head, eight individual throttle butterflies, hollow-cast double overhead camshafts, double VANOS variable intake and exhaust camshaft phasing, four valves per cylinder, a compression ratio of 12.0:1, two oil pumps and wet sump lubrication for oil supply up to 1.4 g. The S65B40 engine had an 8400 rpm rev limit.

Like the E60 M5 ‘s S85B50 V10 engine , the S65B40 engine’s MS S60 engine management system used ionic current technology to detect engine knock, misfiring and combustion misses. The ionic current satellite received signals from the five spark plugs of each cylinder bank. Depending on engine load, the satellite amplified these signals and transmitted them to the engine management system for analysis.

Manual and M double clutch transmissions

The E92 M3 Coupe was initially offered with a six-speed ZF ‘Type G’ manual transmission which had the following gear ratios: 4.055 (1st), 2.369 (2nd), 1.582 (3rd), 1.192 (4th), 1.000 (5th) and 0.872 (6th); final drive ratio was 3.846.

The double clutch transmission (DCT) combined two gearbox components in a common housing and featured two oil-cooled wet clutches. One of the clutches operated the even gears (i.e. 2, 4 and 6), while the other clutch operated the uneven gears (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7 and reverse). When driving, one of the clutches was always closed and the other open. When up- or down-shifting, the transmission control unit would pre-select the next gear and the clutches would be activated in an alternating process such that one clutch would open just as the other was closing.

The DCT had automated and manual gearshift modes, with eleven selectable shift settings: five shift programs for the automatic mode and six shift programs in the manual mode (including Launch Control). In manual mode, gear selection could be performed via the gear lever or steering wheel gearshift paddles. Gear ratios for the DCT were 4.780 (1st), 2.933 (2nd), 2.153 (3rd), 1.678 (4th), 1.390 (5th), 1.203 (6th) and 1.000 (7th); the final drive ratio of the DCT was 3.154.

Performance and fuel economy

With the manual transmission, the E92 M3 could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and, over the combined ADR 81/02 test cycle, fuel consumption was 12.4 litres per 100 km. With the DCT, acceleration from rest to 100 km/h was achieved in 4.6 seconds, while corresponding fuel consumption was 11.9 litres per 100 km. Top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h.

As part of BMW’s EfficientDynamics program, the M3 was fitted with BMW’s ‘Brake Energy Regeneration’ which controlled alternator output to charge the battery when the vehicle was braking or coasting. Furthermore, an indicator would illuminate in the instrument panel to indicate the optimum gearshift point for fuel efficient driving.

Dimensions and body

Compared to the E46 M3 Coupe which preceded it, the E92 M3 was 123 mm longer (at 4615 mm), 24 mm wider (1804 mm), 35 mm taller (1418 mm) and had a 30 mm longer wheelbase (2761 mm); cargo capacity was 430 litres.

The E92 M3 Coupe had a kerb weight of 1655 kg, or 1675 kg with the DCT. Compared to the E92 3-Series Coupe , mass reduction measures included:

Lightweight long-fibre thermoplastic carriers beneath the front and rear bumpers (6 kg mass reduction);
A carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof for a 5 kg mass reduction and lower centre of gravity; and,
Long-fibre-reinforced plastic for the rear seat through-loading facility (7 kg mass reduction).

The E92 M3 Coupe had a 50:50 front:rear weight distribution.

Suspension

The E92 M3 Coupe had a two-joint spring strut front axle and five-link independent rear suspension. The suspension also included BMW’s ‘Electronic Damper Control’ (EDC) which consisted of electronically-controlled dampers that continually adjusted according to road conditions. The driver could also select from ‘Comfort’, ‘Normal’ or ‘Sport’ drive modes.

Compared to the standard E92 3-Series Coupe , changes for the E92 M3 included:

A modified front subframe;
A reinforced front spring strut;
Forged alloy control arms, camber struts and wishbone;
Wider track and revised suspension geometry (front and rear);
Stiffer bushings (front and rear);
Steel ball joints in place of some rear bushings;
Unique shock absorber and damper rates; and,
26.5 mm diameter front and 22.5 mm rear anti-roll bars.

Steering

The E92 M3 had rack and pinion steering with a fixed ratio of 12.5:1 that was 22 per cent faster than the E92 3-Series. Furthermore, power steering assistance (BMW’s ‘Servotronic’) varied according to vehicle speed and whether Comfort or Sport drive modes were selected.

BMW E92.I M3 Coupe specifications
	Engine	Years	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
M3	4.0-litre petrol V8 (S65 B40)	2007-10	6sp man.	309 kW at 8300 rpm	400 Nm at 3900 rpm
M3	4.0-litre petrol V8 (S65 B40)	2008-10	7sp DCT	309 kW at 8300 rpm	400 Nm at 3900 rpm

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the M3 Coupe included dual front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners and front seatbelt load limiters. From September 2008, the M3 Coupe was fitted with active front seat head restraints.

The MK60ES electronic stability control system (BMW’s ‘Dynamic Stability Control’) was jointly developed by Teves and BMW. In addition to the conventional stability control operation of braking individual wheels to prevent wheelspin, the system included the following functions:

Brake Standby: prepared for hard braking by pressuring the pad against the rotor when the driver abruptly reduced throttle input;
Brake Drying: to keep the brake pads dry, the brake pad was pressed against the rotor when the rain sensor detected moisture; and,
Start-Off Assistant: applied the brakes for one second after the driver’s foot was removed from the brake pedal for uphill acceleration from rest.

The DSC system could be completely switched off or, in M Dynamic Mode (MDM), provide higher wheel slip and yaw thresholds before intervening.

Brakes

The E92 M3 Coupe had 360 mm by 30 mm vented and cross-drilled front brake discs and 350 mm by 24 mm vented and cross-drilled rear discs. The two-piece discs consisted of an aluminium inner hat and a cast iron outer section that were connected by steel pins; single-piston calipers were fitted front and rear.

Features: M3 Coupe

Standard features for the E92 M3 Coupe included 18-inch M light-alloy wheels (double-spoke style 260 M) with 18 x 8.5J 245/40 ZR18 front and 18 x 9.5J 265/40 ZR18 rear tyres, BMW’s ‘HiFi Professional Logic7’ sound system with thirteen speakers, a six-disc CD changer and auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB), BMW’s ‘Professional Navigation’ system with an 8.8-inch colour monitor, TV tuner and voice recognition, Bluetooth mobile phone preparation, power adjustable and heated ‘M’ front seats, Novillo leather upholstery, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, adaptive bi-xenon headlights with washers, high-beam assist, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors (BMW’s ‘Park Distance Control’), a rear fog light, remote central locking with proximity key (BMW’s ‘Comfort access’), power windows, power adjustable and heated door mirrors with power folding function, automatic dipping of the passenger side mirror on reverse, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, an electrochromatic rear view mirror, driver memory settings (seat and mirror position), push-button start, Anthracite headliner, front reading lights and illuminated vanity mirrors, a 12 volt power socket in the luggage compartment, tinted windows, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser.

Unlike the E92 3-Series Coupe, the E92 M3 was fitted with conventional, non run-flat tyres. Furthermore, the M3 Coupe was available with a sunroof at no additional cost.

M Differential Lock

Fitted as standard, the M Differential Lock was a variable, rev-sensing differential on the rear axle that could provide a locking effect of up to 100 per cent to improve traction in adverse conditions.

M Drive

First introduced in the BMW E60 M5 , the ‘MDrive’ system enabled the driver to customise their preferences with respect to the DCT transmission, throttle response (two modes), EDC damping, Servotronic steering assistance and DSC activation. These preferences could then be programmed (via iDrive) to activate to be engaged when the ‘M’ steering wheel button was pressed.

September 2008 and 2009 updates

In September 2008, an upgraded iDrive system was introduced with favourite buttons. In September 2009, the climate control panel was revised and included buttons for the heated seats.

Review: BMW E92.II M3 Coupe (2010-13)