Fresh 2025 BMW M3 Sedan Gets a Power Bump and New Tech
The new BMW M3 gets subtle updates and the competition trim gets a nice boost in horsepower.
It’s been four years since the nostril-tastic sixth generation G80 BMW M3 made its grand debut. Its styling is arguably still just as polarizing now as it was when it was revealed, but hey, it’s not like you’re looking at the front grille while you’re driving right? We can make as many jokes about its looks as we want but the fact remains that the BMW M3 continues to provide a high-level sports car experience, and achieves plenty of sales. Despite the prayers of approximately 50 percent of BMW reddit pages, the 2025 M3 doesn’t ditch its controversially large nasal passages but it does bring more power, updated styling, and upgraded interior tech.
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Same Engine With More Power For xDrive
The 2025 BMW M3 will come with the same 3.0-liter turbocharged straight six S58B30T0 engine from the previous model. In the base trim that engine offers 473 horsepower and 503 horsepower in the Competition trim—again just the 2024 model year. Though this time if you spring for the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system in the Competition trim you’ll get an extra 20 horsepower, bringing the total to 523 hp. If the BMW M3 CS returns for 2025 we expect it to get a power bump as well, but so far the automaker is silent about the return of that trim.
As marginal as that power bump may be, it increases the value proposition for those pondering spending more for M xDrive while likely being a minimal added cost for BMW. It’s a shrewd tactic by BMW’s product team and we’re curious to see how much of an impact it will have on sales versus the 2024 model year.
Yes, It Still Has The Massive Grille
If you were waiting for a complete exterior re-design, then you’re going to have to keep waiting. The 2025 BMW M3 doesn’t change much from any other iteration of the G80 generation; including the massive front grilles. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any exterior changes to speak of. The 2025 BMW M3 gets a new forged wheel option—style 825M—and the LED headlights get a modest upgrade. The new LED headlights combine the low and high beams in a single module which will be a visual cue for keen eyes to distinguish the new M3 from the previous model. The new headlights also include arrow-shaped vertical LED units in each module that serve as DRL and turn signal indicators. M Shadowline lights with dark inner accents return as an available option.
New Steering Wheel Freshens M3’s Interior
Of everything a car’s interior has to offer our eyes, they are almost always immediately drawn to the steering wheel. It is the point of control after all, but it should also look good. The 2025 BMW M3 has a new three-spoke steering wheel now with a flat bottom and red center line marker—very sporty. We are talking about BMW here, so of course there are plenty of options to add more flair to the interior including wrapping the steering wheel in Alcantara and carbon fiber interior trim. Besides carbon fiber, brushed aluminum is another available option. “Aluminum Rhombicle” trim comes standard.
Curved Display and New Operating System
The 2025 BMW M3 will have the automaker’s latest generation of iDrive based on BMW Operating System 8.5. The new OS and user interface is displayed on a high-resolution curved display which is angled toward the driver. BMW Operating System 8.5 includes a new upgraded personal assistant which can be operated via touch controls or natural language voice command. The screen is made up of a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment display. If you only care about seeing vital information and want to keep your eyes on the road, an optional heads-up display is available.
BMW OS 8.5 has a new simplified climate control interface with temperature, ventilation, seat heating, and—if specified—steering wheel heating can be controlled via the touch display with a dedicated menu option in the lower area of the screen or voice command.
BMW says this new OS brings “a further reduction in the number of buttons and controls in the cockpit.” While that is pitched as a selling point, there are many drivers who much prefer tactile physical buttons rather than futzing with a touch screen that may be temperamental or a voice command system that may not understand them properly. We’ll be sure to put the interface through its paces once we get our hands on it to see if it actually adds convenience or annoyance.
2025 BMW M3 Pricing
How much does the 2025 BMW M3 cost? Pretty much exactly the same as it did in 2024 with one exception. The base model 2025 M3 starts at $77,195 and the M3 Competition trim still has its $81,395 MSRP. However, the xDrive option has gone up by $1,000 and now starts at $86,495.
2025 BMW M3 Specs
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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