Bmw M3 Now An M4?

[666DAN]

I was driving behind a brand new BMW today, they seem to have rebadged the 3 series and made it a 4 series.

Plain as day 435i on the back?

[dangerous_daveo]

Maybe they crashed their Z4... So they put the badges on their 318i?

[VB-]

BMW are changing their naming system, all the coupes now are one number higher (even numbers), just like the 6 series is actually a coupe version of the 5

but i have seen some 3 series coupes with 3 series badges (i think) so dunno wtf bmw are doing

[scotty32]

BMW are changing their naming system, all the coupes now are one number higher (even numbers), just like the 6 series is actually a coupe version of the 5

but i have seen some 3 series coupes with 3 series badges (i think) so dunno wtf bmw are doing

6 series coupes have been around since the 70's are you sure it wasnt a 1 series?

[scathing]

but i have seen some 3 series coupes with 3 series badges (i think) so dunno wtf bmw are doing

They're bowing down to the marketing parasites.

They were going to name the 3 series coupe the 4 series, but because the 3 Series name has such cachet it would have been marketing suicide for them to rename the M3 to an M4.

Any BMW enthusiasts, who buy them as "driving machines", would know that the car they want is the 4 Series and deal with it. But for arriviste that know as much about cars as your typical social climber that buys a 4 cylinder BMW, they'd think they were getting something else.

Its why the 318i is still badged a 318 rather than 319i when the E46 was released, the 320i when it had a 2.2L, and the 323i when it had a 2.5L - the 318i, 320i and 323i names were so famous in the marketplace that BMW decided to ignore their own naming convention.

[dangerous_daveo]

Well I havent seen a 4 anything other than a Z4.

[jake33]

maybe there taking a similar page from audis' book.

a4- 4 door

a5- coupe

dunno..

couldnt find anything on the web about an M4. alot of pics saying M4 but there a Z4

Edited January 14, 2008 by jake33

[VB-]

original poster said 435i, he didnt see an M4, i think it was just a creative title. the M series will stay the same, its only the 'normal' models that are copping the change AFAIK

[666DAN]

Yeah thought it looked odd....the guy was evasive when I slowed to get a good look, ducked down a side street.

[45ULT]

was the car a kinda brass coloured convertible or coupe? i've just finished my apprenticeship at BMW and am pretty sure i have seen this car come into work. the owner has done the badging themselves. there is no such thing as a 435i or M4. and also the 318i no longer exists

[tom_v]

Theres no M4 so they must have put a 4 badge of something else onto that, which is pretty dumb caus 335i arnt cheap lol

[VB-]

there is no such thing as a 435i or M4.

pretty sure there is a 435 but its either not in aus or they havent started the change yet, although its supposed to be changed on the current model