BMW UK has sold all 700 M3 coupés it has been allocated for 2007 with each buyer specifying on average GBP4,700 worth of extras, according to general manager product and market planning Carl Sanderson.
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Top of the list are the 19-inch alloy wheels. “It’s the UK so buyers like their options to be visible,” said Sanderson.
Audio options are also popular, especially DAB (the UK’s free-to-air digital audio broadcasting) radios despite their lack of visibility. “It’s a good talking point down at the pub at the weekend, though,” said Sanderson who pointed out that the UK is leading Europe in digital broadcasting which explains the popularity of DAB radios in cars.
This takes the average cost of the new M3, on sale from 8 September, to GBP55,325 – on the road price for the car is £50,625.
Does GBP4,700 represent a big spend on options? The average spend for the X5 SUV is GBP8,000, Sanderson said.
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By GlobalDataThis includes a high take-up of the rear seat DVD players at more than GBP1,000 and Bluetooth connectivity. “I don’t think it will be long before Bluetooth becomes a standard fit for most BMWs,” said Sanderson.
Next year, sales of the M3 Coupé are expected to reach 2,000 units and stay at that level through to 2010 before demand for this, the fourth generation M3, begins to tail off.
Sales of the previous M3 hit a peak of 1,800 a year. Supply is restricted by the number of engines that BMW’s M division can build.
The three main M3 markets, Germany, UK and the USA, have all put in their sales forecast and the M cake has been divided. “This gives us a bit of flexibility to increase production if demand is higher,” said Sanderson.
M3 uses a new 420 hp V8 engine cast in BMW’s Landshut light alloy foundry alongside the BMW Sauber F1 team’s powerplants. This engine is 15kgs lighter than the six-cylinder engine it replaces.
The body is 80% different – only the doors, boot lid, windows and front and rear lights are carried over from the 3 series coupé. It has also a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic roof which saves 22kgs compared to a conventional steel construction incorporating a sunroof.
