BMW have announced the Australian pricing for the fourth generation BMW M3 coupé. The BMW M3 coupé will be the first M3 to hit the road with an eight cylinder engine, and will go on sale immediately after its debut at the Australian International Motor Show (11 October 2007).

The M3 coupé puts out an impressive 309kW at 8,300rpm and is capable of accelerating from zero to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds. Peak torque of 400Nm arrives at 3,900rpm.

The obviously high revving V8 engine features eight individually controlled throttle butterflies, normally found on race cars and each weighing just 22 grams, for faster response and additional performance, as well as variable double-VANOS camshaft control.

Impressively, the new V8 engine weighs 15 kilograms less than its six cylinder predecessor. In terms of fuel consumption the BMW M3 coupé soaks up 12.4 litres per 100km. Not the most fuel efficient car in the world, but all the same, figures you'd expect to see from a high performance car like this.

Drivers of the M3 can also tailor the car's behaviour and performance via the "MDrive". The MDrive allows for control over steering forces, which can be varied between Normal and Sports settings, Electronic Damper Control, feature three different settings – Normal, Comfort and Sports, and the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) which can be completely deactivated.

So now for the important part, price. How much would you expect to pay for the 4th Generation BMW M3? Well, try $157,000 AUS for the six speed manual.

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