BMW M held on as long as it could. But ever since the R35 Nissan GTR it’s been clear that high performance cars in this segment needed all wheel drive to stay competitive. Today BMW M officially enters those waters with the BMW M3 Competition xDrive and BMW M4 Competition xDrive. What adding xDrive does is allow for more of the full extend of the 479 ft-lbs of torque to be used more effectively. What it also does is increase the weight of the already portly M3 and M4 by around 110 lbs. Does that matter? If you’re looking strictly at performance figures maybe not.
Thanks to xDrive the 0-60 times for both the BMW M3 Competition xDrive and BMW M4 Competition xDrive are reduced by .4 of a second to 3.4. And that’s coming from BMW who is notoriously conservative with performance figures. Like the M5, the new M3 and M4 xDrive use a fully-variable, rear-biased system that distributes torque between the front and rear axles via an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch. An Active M differential takes care of torque distribution at the rear axle. In action this allows torque to be directed to the rear wheels during normal driving, making the car effectively rear wheel drive. So what’s the point of carrying around an extra 100 lbs then? It’s all about traction when traction is needed (which is often considering the 479 ft-lbs of torque). Additionally the xDrive system can be made to be 100% rear wheel drive in M Mode.
Read the full press release and data sheet below.
Gallery: 2022 BMW M3 Competition XDrive & M4 Competition XDrive
OFFICIAL RELEASE
August 2021 will see the arrival of the new M xDrive-equipped M3 and M4 Competition models, for the first time ever. The additional traction will enable the full 479 lb.-ft. of torque to be used to a greater extent during both acceleration and dynamic driving.
Both the M xDrive and Active M differential are connected directly to the Dynamic Stability Control System ensuring quicker responses in improving agility and controlling both understeer and oversteer. The transfer case also features a unique control unit and integrated traction control. This enables it to compensate for any differences in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels quickly, without having to involve the central DSC computer. This results in enhanced all-wheel-drive performance in highly dynamic driving situations, such as powering through corners in a controlled drift.
The M xDrive system also offers a choice of three drive modes: 4WD – the default setting with rear-wheel biased torque distribution focused on traction and precisely controlled handling. 4WD Sport – directs greater percentage of torque to the rear during dynamic driving and is designed to work particularly well on track environments. 2WD – requires DCS to be turned off and affords experienced drivers a pure rear-wheel drive experience without any system intervention.
The improvements in traction, handling stability and agility delivered by the combination of M xDrive and Active M Differential also translate into improved acceleration. The BMW M3 Competition xDrive Sedan and BMW M4 Competition xDrive Coupé both need just 3.4 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, making them 0.4 seconds quicker here than their rear-wheel-drive counterparts. Depending on the specification, the top speed is 155 mph or 180 mph.
The Competition xDrive models are equipped with forged M light-alloy 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels shod with 275/35ZR19 and 285/30ZR20 non-runflat performance tires. The redesigned front axle geometry and a retuned steering ratio – from 15.0:1 to 14.6:1 – ensure that the all-wheel drive variants deliver the agility that the BMW M driver expects. The oil system has been adapted to handle the increased traction and performance.
Exterior colors
The 2021 M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe feature two non-metallic colors, eight metallic colors (seven for M4) and two frozen matt colors to choose from.
- Alpine White
- Sao Paolo Yellow (new)
- Black Sapphire Metallic
- Brooklyn Grey Metallic (new)
- Isle of Man Green Metallic (new)
- Oxide Grey Metallic (new, for M3 core model only)
- Portimao Blue Metallic
- Toronto Red Metallic
- Tanzanite Blue II Metallic
- Individual Dravit Grey Metallic
- Individual Frozen Brilliant White Metallic (new)
- Individual Frozen Portimao Blue Metallic (new)
Interior Upholstery and Trim
A choice of four standard Extended Merino Leather and four optional Full Merino Leather interiors is available.
- Yas Marina Blue / Black Extended Merino Leather
- Silverstone / Black Extended Merino Leather
- Kyalami Orange / Black Extended Merino Leather
- Black Extended Merino Leather
- Yas Marina Blue / Black Full Merino Leather
- Silverstone / Black Full Merino Leather
- Kyalami Orange / Black Full Merino Leather
- Black Full merino Leather
Aluminum Tetragon interior trim is standard.
Carbon Fiber trim or Individual Piano Black Finish trim are optional.
Standard Equipment
- 503 hp / 479 lb-ft of torque
- 19-inch / 20-inch Bi-color alloy wheels
- 8-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission
- M xDrive all-wheel drive
- M Sport rear differential
- Adaptive M Suspension
- M Drive modes
- Power, heated front M Sport seats with lumbar support
- Rear view camera
- Ambient interior lighting
- M Seat belts
- Anthracite headliner
- Aluminum Tetragon interior trim
- Park distance control
- Automatic high beams
- Automatic climate control
- Dynamic cruise control
- Extended Shadowline exterior trim
- Tire pressure monitor
- Mobility tire inflator kit
- Alarm system
- Comfort access keyless entry
- Auto dimming exterior and interior mirrors
- Live Cockpit Professional with iDrive 7
- Harman-Kardon surround sound audio
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
- SiriusXM with 360L and 1-year all-access subscription
- Connected Package Pro
- ConnectedDrive Services
- Active Protection
- Automatic front seat belt tensioning
- Automatic closing of windows and moonroof
- Fatigue and Focus Alert
- Post-crash braking
- Active Driving Assistant
- Lane Departure Warning
- Speed limit Information
- Active Blind Spot Detection
- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Rear Collision Preparation
Packages and Optional Equipment
Packages include:
- Parking Assistance Package
- Parking Assistance Package Plus
- Drive Recorder
- Executive Package
- Heated Steering Wheel
- Power trunk lid
- Icon Adaptive LED headlights with Laserlight
- Head-Up Display
- Wireless Charging for compatible mobile devices
- Gesture Control
- WiFi Hotspot with 3 GB or 3-month trial
- Driving Assistance Professional Package
- Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go
- Extended Traffic Jam Assistant for limited access highways
- Active Lane Keeping Assistant
- Active Blind Spot Protection
- Evasion Aid
- Front and rear cross-traffic alert
Stand-alone options include:
- M Drive Professional
- 19-inch / 20-inch Jet Black alloy wheels
- M Carbon Ceramic brakes
- M Compound brakes with red calipers
- M Compound brakes with black calipers
- BMW Performance Design elements deletion
- Individual Shadowline lights
- Moonroof (no-cost, replaces CFRP roof with steel roof)
- Front ventilated seats
- M Carbon bucket seats
- Carbon Fiber trim
- Individual Piano Black Finish trim
- M Carbon Exterior Package
- M Driver’s Package – Voucher for BMW driver training and increased top speed limiter of 180 mph.
2022 BMW M3 Competition XDrive & M4 Competition XDrive Specifications
M3 Competition xDrive Sedan | M4 Competition xDrive Coupe | ||
Seats | — | 5 | 4 |
Number of Doors | — | 4 | 2 |
Drive type | — | AWD | AWD |
Length | inches | 189.1 | 189.1 |
Width | inches | 74.3 | 74.3 |
Width including mirrors | inches | 81.4 | 81.9 |
Height | inches | 56.5 | 54.9 |
Wheelbase | inches | 112.5 | 112.5 |
Ground clearance | inches | 4.8 | 4.8 |
Turning radius | feet | 20.7 | 20.7 |
Shoulder width front | inches | 56.0 | 55.1 |
Shoulder room 2nd row | inches | 54.6 | 51.0 |
Legroom front | inches | 41.6 | 41.7 |
Legroom 2nd row | inches | 35.6 | 34.7 |
Headroom front | inches | 40.6 | 40.3 |
Headroom 2nd row | inches | 37.8 | 35.8 |
Trunk volume | ft³ | 13.0 | 12.0 |
Fuel Tank capacity | gallons | 15.6 | 15.6 |
Curb weight | lbs. | 3,990 | 3,979 |
Gross vehicle weight | lbs. | 4,982 | 4,861 |
Payload | lbs. | 860 | 770 |
Weight distribution front / rear | percent | tbd | tbd |
Engine type | — | S58B30T0 | S58B30T0 |
Induction | Turbocharged | Turbocharged | |
Cylinders | — | 6 | 6 |
Valves per cylinder | — | 4 | 4 |
Bore x Stroke | mm | 84.0 x 90.0 | 84.0 x 90.0 |
Displacement | cm³ | 2,993 | 2,993 |
Compression rate | :1 | 9.3 | 9.3 |
Engine power | hp | 503 @ 6,250 | 503 @ 6,250 |
Engine torque | ft.-lbs. | 479 @ 2,750 – 5,500 | 479 @ 2,750 – 5,500 |
Fuel type | — | Gasoline | Gasoline |
Recommended Fuel | — | Premium | Premium |
Engine oil capacity | quarts | 7.4 | 7.4 |
Output per liter | hp/liter | 168.0 | 168.0 |
Transmission type | — | M8HP76 8-speed auto | M8HP76 8-speed auto |
Gear ratios 1st gear | — | 5.00 | 5.00 |
2nd | — | 3.20 | 3.20 |
3rd | — | 2.14 | 2.14 |
4th | — | 1.72 | 1.72 |
5th | — | 1.31 | 1.31 |
6th | — | 1.00 | 1.00 |
7th | — | 0.82 | 0.82 |
8th | — | 0.64 | 0.64 |
Reverse gear | — | 3.48 | 3.48 |
Final drive ratio | — | 3.15 | 3.15 |
Power-steering type | — | EPS | EPS |
Steering ratio | :1 | 14.6 | 14.6 |
Tires, standard front | 275/35ZR19 | 275/35ZR19 | |
Tires, standard rear | 285/30ZR20 | 285/30ZR20 | |
Wheels, standard front | inches | 9.5 x 19 / 10.5 x 20 | 9.5 x 19 / 10.5 x 20 |
Track, front | inches | 63.7 | 63.7 |
Rear, track | inches | 63.2 | 63.2 |
Cx | — | 0.33 | 0.34 |
0-60 mph | seconds | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Top speed (w/M Perf. Package) | mph | 155 (180) | 155 (180) |
EPA Fuel Economy, city / hwy | mpg | tbd | tbd |