2021 BMW M3 Debuts As Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Rival
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BMW just unveiled the all-new 2021 BMW M3 Sedan and 2021 BMW M4 Coupe, the former of which will rival the more-powerful Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, and the latter of which has no direct rival in the General Motors portfolio.
Both models usher in a fresh generation for their respective nameplates, and introduce a brand-new exterior design. Both are also dimensionally longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing models which they replace, and both models also sport longer wheelbases.
Inside, the 2021 BMW M3 and 2021 BMW M4 feature a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Motivation is sourced from the BMW TwinPower Turbo 3.0L I6 S58 engine, which is offered with the option for a six-speed manual transmission, or an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic. Rear-wheel-drive is standard, while AWD will be offered at a later date.
Output is rated at 473 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 406 pound-feet of torque at 2,650 rpm for core models, with the sprint to 60 mph achieved in 4.1 seconds. Top speed hits at 155 mph as standard, while the M Driver’s Package ups the ante to 180 mph.
Go for the Competition model, and output is boosted to 503 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 479 pound-feet of torque at 2,750 rpm, with 0-to-60 mph times reduced to 3.8 seconds. Top speeds remain the same at 155 mph and 180 mph.
“Through constant development work, BMW M GmbH has boosted power in the new M3 and M4 by 48 horsepower over the previous models and by 59 horsepower and 73 pound-feet of torque in the new Competition models over previous Competition package-equipped cars,” BMW states.
Further standout features include standard adaptive suspension, speed-sensitive steering, and six-pot front brakes.
Pricing starts at $69,900 for the 2021 BMW M3 and $71,800 for the 2021 BMW M4, plus $995 Destination. Upgrading to the Competition model brings pricing up to $72,800 for the M3 and $74,700 for the M4.
Market launch is slated to kick off in March of 2021, while Competition models equipped with M xDrive will be available in the summer of 2021.
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That front end is ugly
Personal tastes differ. But I like the big grill trend on brands like Lexus and BMW. The big grills remind me of an air plane. A past that BMW is connected with. Just like when a new corvette comes out when a new M comes out people will vehemently reject the new models. Until they see them in person and become fans. Fortunately Mercedes-Benz makes cotton soft designs these days for folks.
Camaro SS or Zl1 is a good option to the Z4.
This is really CT4-BW competition
+10
I’m not drinking the kool-aid about CT5-V BW competing against M3. And being that either the 3/4 and 5 series now come with AWD, the stakes have been anted up whether you go upmarket (M5) or downmarket (M3/4).
Great looking car! I love that it is so aggressive in the front! Now I am going to be very upset if Cadillac does not have an aggressive front like past V models for the upcoming blackwings. Also no vented hood in the recent video of the CT5-V Blackwing. I’ll be damned if an M car comes more aggressive from the factory than a V. With that said after watching the premiere, on paper the new M’s are very impressive. Granted I prefer the powertrain from GM. But what Cadillac does not have the BMW performance parts. The level of detail that M does for their trims too has not been matched so far by GM. I truly hope that the blackwings have several differentiating things besides an alcantara roof top and drive modes. They need new interior colors etc…
The ball is in your court Cadillac. People still want performance cars.
Oh and whatever happened to that coupe rendering from a few months back? A luxury car company needs to have at least one coupe!
Sadly GM miss managements efforts are going into discontinuing the alpha platform not adding the improvements you suggest.
ATS-V Bait right here…. lol BMW.
Keep rebadging models and just saying “oh it’s new”
UAF grill openings, period. Now, if you can accept that and the bang for buck is acceptable to you, enjoy. Personally, no thanks. Maybe I’ll look for a nice CTS-V on the used market instead, IMHO.
STOP THE STUPID TWEENER IDIOCY!!!!! Only GM can come up with something so dumb! Is the Silvarado a Ranger competitor? CT4 is a 3 series competitor and CT 5 is a 5 series competitor. Cadillac has plenty of problems, adding this stupid confusion is pointless…
Ditto!
And if Cadillac is going to stick to the tweener approach, at the very least define the segment. It’s the dumbest thing to build a vehicle that for all intents and purposes competes in a segment but then be told, no it’s for a different segment. Just imagine Nissan saying the Altima is really a Civic or Mazda 3 competitor???!!! Doesn’t make sense.
I search new autos and 0-60 times. Until I see a 0-60 less then 3.3 that M/T documented on my 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. I’ve owned many muscle cars like 1969 Road Runner and 1970 Duster 340-6 pack. So I’ve bought AMERICAN.
The M5 is the CT5-V Blackwing rival. The M3 rivals the CT4-V Blackwing, the M4 rivals the Camaro SS and ZL1 since there is no coupe version of the CT4-V Blackwing.
Totally right! One thing is no one is going to cross shop a 4 series and a Camaro, But as a comparison of coups sense GM cant figure it out at Cadillac.
Hey look, its the same interior bmw has rolled with for the last 20 years. But if you want an ugly front end and a played out interior go ahead and pay more for the overpriced bmw.
With Arnie’s german accent “What an ugly sob”. 3 lt and 4.1 seconds puhahha… and extra puhahaha for that interior from 2006.
Love how BMW’s Marketing sector decided to leave the front license plate to make the car look better and lessen the atrocious design.
Bottom line, an exaggerated Pontiac G6 GXP’s front from 14 years ago.
Ought to be well-matched against the CT5-V Blackwing. I don’t love the M3 front end or the CT5-V profile, but would love to see a manual vs manual comparo
The colors are gorgeous
Give it a break, downvoter. You only WISH Cadillac offered colors like these. Beyond that, I’m no BMW fanboy – modern BMWs are without the “magic” but the gaping double Edsel grille is growing on me – harking back to the original BMW 328 and Horches from a time when Bernd Rosemeyer and Rudolf Caracciola were setting records in outrageous pre-war German race cars few mortals could wrangle today.
Cadillac should not chase BMW. They should reinvent the Standard of the World and if they did, they’d likewise be proud to bathe the lines of their stunningly beautiful cars in vibrant shades – even classic two toned varieties. The world never wanted a Cadillac BMW; a car like the Elmiraj, however would’ve put Cadillac back on top among the world’s finest luxury cars.
Idiot Boy,
I say Amen! Especially that last sentence: The world never wanted a Cadillac BMW. That should be crystal clear to everyone at GM now. It’s doubtful the world is going to want a Cadillac Tesla either. In any field or endeavor, being original wins the day. Nobody wants a musical artist who sounds just like someone already known but someone with a new voice will be appreciated. Cadillac gave away their authentic self trying to be BMW a long time ago and nobody has listened to them or cared since.
Roger that. Cadillac is late to the Tesla party. Tesla’s about to introduce an 1,100 hp Model S with 520 mile range to Lyriq’s touted 300 mile range and Lucid Air deliveries begin next Spring. Imagine an electric car startup built from the ground up in Newark, CA (right next door to Tesla) with a similar totally fresh, uncompromising tech-centric approach without any GM corporate limitations or Cadillac baggage hampering their road to success. Lucid will even beat Caddy to market with the light tweedy interior fabric showcased in Escala. There may be room for two players in this realm, but the likelihood of Cadillac stealing either of these Silicon Valley electric carmakers thunder seems highly unlikely. I hope I’m wrong about this of course but as much optimism as one might generate looking at the Concept Vehicles on Cadillac’s website, it all comes crashing down with the realization that none of those bold, uniquely American beauties (Ciel, Elmiraj, Escala) will ever reach production and the Blackwing V8 is DOA. Lyriq offers hope and its interior looks on the money but the exterior styling isn’t nearly in the same league as the aforementioned concepts and while its Silicon Valley competitors confidently stake their reputations on top-tier sedans, Cadillac has failed to deliver a knockout and is thus retreating to SUVs consistent with GMs ceding the sedan market to everyone else. There isn’t a lack of talent at Cadillac, but frustratingly Cadillac’s ongoing identity crisis and inability to actually Dare Greatly are its only constancy.
Cadillac is not chasing BMW, CT4 and CT5 are outliers in Cadillac’s offerings and soon to be discontinued. Cadillac is chasing Acura VW Lincoln, and all other intermediate builders of un remarkable generic SUV’s. I only wish GM miss management would care to aspire to make Cadillac something great. They wont because they don’t care!
Cadillac has really done a great job with the V-series cars. They’re no BMWs. They drive much better than any equivalent BMW with Cadillac’s MRC and they don’t appeal to drivers who are full of themselves.
The 2nd gen CTS-V, which I still drive, was awesome in its time.
The 3rd gen CTS-V tried to move upmarket too quickly and lost the manual, but otherwise, was still an awesome vehicle.
The 4th gen CT5-V fixes the two gen3 sins but introduces weird styling quirks, but otherwise, will likely be nowhere near as punishing to drive as the BMWs on this post and another awesome vehicle.
Sure, it’s all old school stuff, but listening to a 1000hp EV rev isn’t exactly exciting if you want to go with the times.
And, haha, good luck to anyone who wants Cadillac to go back to selling Fleetwood Broughams