BMW M3, M4 engine note teased

The engine note that will be emitted from both the new BMW M3 sedan and M4 coupe has been teased in a clip released by the carmaker’s M Division.

The brief clip shows a ‘tuner’ â€" or rather, a model wearing glasses â€" working on a laptop in front of the new performance car. The engine is revved in front of him several times before the car drives off.

When it was first revealed the new M3/M4 would ditch the current car’s naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8 (pictured below), rumours began circulating that it would be replaced by a tri-turbo, six-cylinder. This followed BMW’s introduction of the tri-turbo 50d diesel engine used in its X5, X6 and 5 Series M Performance models.

The clip neither confirms nor denies this rumour, however, its more likely we will see a 3.0- or 3.3-litre six-cylinder employing two turbos.

Expected to produce at least 335kW, around 10 per cent more than the current model’s V8, power will be sent to the cars’ rear-wheels through a choice of manual or dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

The power boost will be necessary if the car is to compete with its rivals, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (336kW) and Audi RS5 (331kW).

Both the four-door and two-door will carry less weight than their predecessors, aimed at improving performance and efficiency. This should also net a 0-100km/h time below the existing model’s 4.6 seconds.

Planned to be released sequentially, the M duo should reach markets in 2014, with the M3 to arrive ahead of the M4 coupe and convertible.