Why no full facelift for the BMW M3 Sedan?
Posted on 19. Jul, 2009 by admin in BMW, CES, UK
Our friend Richard Aucock from MSN UK and sat down with Carston Pries, Head of Management Product to find out more about the M3 Sedan and the LCI(life cycle impulse). As you might recall, BMW launched the M3 Sedan back in March of 2008 and six months later, the 3 Series Sedan models received the LCI.
Why hasn’t BMW followed with the a full facelift on the M3? Well, for starters, the Motorsport Division has a great independence from BMW AG and second, Mr. Pries didn’t think it was necessary at this point: “The M3 is suitably differentiated from the 3 Series not to need the additional expense of an (admittedly subtle) LCI so soon into its like. We carried over the revised design tail lights, that’s all.”
He also points out that the independence comes through the Motorsport division being so well integrated into BMW AG and their ability to make unilateral decisions a year or two ahead. Mr. Pries talks about how exciting is to do an LCI, as we have seen recently in the M6 Competition, but it is not a set rule that every single M model needs to receive the facelift.
Now the following question remains: with two-three years left before the new 3 Series comes out, will we still see a facelifted M3? Unfortunately, he did not confirm anything at this time, but we’re working with our sources to find out more.
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