There has been a lot of speculation about the M3's engine and the official figures are not much of a surprise.
According to BMW the new engine has many features in common with the latest power unit highlighted by BMW in F1, with various technological concepts and principles, production processes and materials carried over from the F1 engine to the drivetrain of the new BMW M3.
However, it is clear that the 4.0-liter V8 is quite a rev beast. Peak engine power of 309 kW comes on at 8 300 r/min.
Engine torque, amounts to a mighty 400 Nm at 3 900 r/min on the new V8 power unit. Significantly, 85% of the engine's maximum torque is available throughout an enormous engine speed range of 6 500 r/min, with 340 Nm available from just 2 000 r/min.
This new V8, weighing a mere 202 kg, is a genuine lightweight - saving of some 15 kg over the six-cylinder power unit in the previous model.
In other words, the new engine easily sets off the weight of two extra cylinders. And a further point is that the high-speed engine concept allows a light drivetrain and very short transmission ratios.
BMW says the engine block of the new eight-cylinder comes straight from BMW's light-alloy foundry in Landshut near Munich, where BMW also builds the engine blocks for the company's F1 racing cars.
No performance figures are available yet.